Pirates cool off Hendricks, slip past playoff-bound Cubs 2-1

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are heading to the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. If their offense doesn't pick up soon, it might be a short stay.

Pittsburgh's Adam Frazier and Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back homers off Kyle Hendricks as the last-place Pirates slipped by the postseason-bound Cubs 2-1 on Wednesday night.

“I was just trying to get something to hit,” Frazier said after his ninth career leadoff homer, third-most in franchise history. “He’s a good pitcher. Two strikes, just fighting. Got inside of a ball and got it out of there.”

Chicago clinched a spot on Tuesday night and have a healthy 3 1/2-game lead over St. Louis and Cincinnati in the NL Central with four days left in the regular season. Still, the Cubs have dropped four of five because they are struggling to generate runs, scoring two runs or less in each of the losses.

"Obviously, we want to swing the bats better than we have this year, but sometimes you have to embrace that it’s a down year offensively," first-year Chicago manager David Ross said. “It is a down year offensively for a lot of guys. That’s just the facts. They continue to find ways to win in a lot of different ways and that’s powerful being in the situation we’re in.”

A situation the Cubs are in thanks in large part to Hendricks (6-5). He put together another solid outing, giving up just two runs over 7 2/3 innings but his unbeaten September came to a halt with two first-inning swings by the top of Pittsburgh's lineup.

Frazier turned on the fourth pitch he saw from Hendricks and sent it to the railing atop the seats in right field and Hayes continued his impressive rookie season when he followed with his fourth of the season, a lined shot to right-center field. Frazier and Hayes became the first Pirate...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Pirates-cool-off-Hendricks-slip-past-15592855.php