Chicago Cubs get one-hit gem from Kyle Hendricks in 4-1 win

Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter into the ninth before allowing a leadoff home run to Jeremy Hazelbaker. The Cubs went on to win 4-1, dropping the Magic No. to three.

The Chicago Cubs got a Cy Young caliber start from Kyle Hendricks Monday night. Eight innings of no-hit baseball was foiled in the ninth by a leadoff home run but didn’t stop the Cubs from a 4-1 win. The Cubs Magic number is now three as they can clinch the division in St. Louis with two more wins.

The Cubs (92-51) got home runs from Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler to help support Hendricks (15-7, 2.03) in his one-hit gem. The Cubs also used stellar defense (no surprise there) as Jason Heyward leaned into the seats to make a catch on a foul ball to help keep the no-hitter at the time.

The Cardinals (75-68) finally broke through on Hendricks in the ninth. He left a changeup over the plate that Hazelbaker drove into the right-field seats for the first and only run of the game. It was a short-lived comeback as the Cubs turned it over to Aroldis Chapman after the home run, but not before some drama.

Joe Maddon had his guys go out to the mound to kill some time to let Chapman throw a few more warm-up pitches, but apparently umpire Joe West wasn’t having it. He stopped Miguel Montero from heading back to the mound, and Maddon let his feelings on it be known. Maddon was tossed from the game but made sure to get one more face-to-face with West before his exit.

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Mike Leake (9-10, 4.60) took the loss for the Cardinals who didn’t lose any ground in the Wild Card chase as the Mets lost to the Dodgers. The Cubs and Cardinals will go at it again tomorrow at 7:15 p.m. CT.