Chris Coghlan’s bat brings air show to the South Side in 6-5 win

Coghlan, Rizzo go back-to-back

With Chicago baseball legends Ernie Banks and Minnie Minoso being remembered on the South Side, Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan launched two home run’s off Jeff Samardzija to help extend his team’s winning streak to eight games in the 6-5 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

It was a difficult day for both starting pitchers, but Samardzija would end up being the one picking up the loss when it was all said and done. Dexter Fowler continued to swing a hot bat with his sixth triple of the season to lead-off the first inning.

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Yesterday’s hero, Kyle Schwarber, drilled a pitch out to left field to score Fowler from third to give Kyle Hendricks the 1-0 lead. That lead wouldn’t last too long after the White Sox (54-59) tagged Hendricks for two runs during the bottom half of the opening frame.

Hendricks (6-5, 3.97 ERA) entered the contest with a two-game winning streak in his back pocket. The South Siders tagged him for five earned runs on eight hits including an opposite field two-run homer off the bat of Adam Eaton in the third which gave the home team a 5-4 lead.

Joe Maddon‘s 25-year-old hurler issued three walks and as many strikeouts prior to exiting the game after just 3 1/3 innings of work. His counterpart, Samardzija (8-8, 4.78 ERA), worked until the sixth inning and was charged with all six earned runs on nine hits.

After the Cubs (66-48) fell behind on an RBI double by Avisail Garcia in the first, Coghlan drilled a three-run shot to right-center field to give his club the 4-2 lead.

His second of the game came just two innings later with the Cubs trailing for the second time. With Samardzija still on the mound, Coghlan jumped on the first pitch of the at-bat – a 96 miles per hour fastball that tied the game up at five apiece.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo followed that up with a high towering blast to right field that nearly landed back on Clark and Addison. It was Rizzo’s 23rd homer of the season and the team’s eighth home run in only two days.

Right-handed ace, Jake Arrieta will have the opportunity to clinch this weekend series when he starts opposite Jose Quintana at 6:10 p.m. central time.

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