Chicago Cubs: Kyle Hendricks dazzles again; waiver wire passes in baseball

Kyle Hendricks dominated, Kris Bryant hit another homer and the Chicago Cubs rolled to a fourth-straight win to open the homestand.

When last week’s road trip drew to a close, Chicago Cubs fans were in a panic. Imagine that.

Now, after the teem reeled off four consecutive wins to start a seven-game homestand, everyone has promptly hopped right back on the bandwagon. Kyle Hendricks pitched well again on Thursday and the offense did its job, opening the series against Atlanta on a high-note.

Kris Bryant launched his 25th home run of the season. With the blast, the Chicago third baseman became the 12th player ever to hit at least 25 homers in his first three seasons.

Chicago continues to do everything it can to win a second-straight National League Central crown. Although, they suffered a blow this week. Shortstop Addison Russell, who appeared close to returning, now will be out at least three weeks. He tweaked his injured foot, setting him back in his recovery efforts.

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The waiver deadline brought some big moves. Most notably, the Houston Astros landed Justin Verlander. Chicago, meanwhile, added a backup outfielder in Leonys Martin. And, with September comes expanded rosters – a good news for the North Siders.

Over the weekend, the Cubs have the chance to finish off a struggling Braves ball club. Milwaukee and St. Louis both remain hot on the heels of the North Siders. But, when it’s all said and done, the Cubs remain the favorites in the division.

Since the homestand began, Chicago received outstanding starting pitching on a daily basis. Veteran John Lackey takes the ball in Friday’s matinee action and will hope to continue that trend.

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Next: Waiver wire passes - Cubs leave options on the table

What’s Next

Chicago and Atlanta continue their series throughout the weekend at Wrigley Field.

On Friday, John Lackey (10-10, 4.98) battles Mike Foltynewicz (10-10, 4.84) in matinee action. First pitch is at 1:20 p.m. CT.