Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/15/24): Cubs 6, Rockies 2 – Vintage Hendricks Performance Prevents Sweep
Kyle Hendricks hasn’t pitched very professorially this season, but he was that dude Sunday afternoon in Denver as the Cubs finally got a win against the Rockies. The veteran righty became the first Cubs pitcher ever to go at least six innings with two or fewer hits and one or fewer runs at Coors Field. Take that, Fergie Jenkins and Three Finger Brown (yes, I know).
That lone run came on a Jacob Stallings homer in the bottom of the 3rd, but the Cubs had secured two runs in the top of the frame. Michael Busch singled with men on first and second to get the scoring started, then Nico Hoerner followed with another base hit to drive in another. Neither team did much until the 7th, when Busch hit his 19th homer of the year to give the Cubs all the offense they’d need.
That doesn’t mean they were done, though. Busch homered again in the top of the 9th, then Hoerner doubled and Pete Crow-Armstrong homered for the second game in a row to give his team a 6-1 advantage. I had actually predicted a PCA dinger in the lineup post, then deleted it for some reason. My prediction of a big game for Cody Bellinger fell through spectacularly as he struck out four times.
All’s well that ends well, and getting a W is never a bad thing. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Busch homers were both big in terms of giving the Cubs a little breathing room, but I’m going with Hendricks’ overall performance. That’s not necessarily a moment, but having one of his best starts of the year late in the season was great.
Why the Cubs Won
They got a vintage performance from Hendricks and played longball to get a lead even the shaky bullpen couldn’t cough up.
Stats That Matter
- Hendricks was masterful: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K
- Busch had a single in addition to the pair of homers and is up to a .794 OPS
- PCA now has 10 homers and is up to a 93 wRC+ on the season to make people eat crow
Bottom Line
“They just kept giving me opportunities that I didn’t deserve, to be honest with you,” Hendricks said after the game.
That’s true based on recent history, but few other pitchers in club history have been as important as Hendricks. He’s been a stalwart during the most successful run the franchise has had in modern history and he should end up in the Cubs Hall of Fame before long.
On Deck
The Cubs head home for three against the A’s starting Monday at 6:40pm CT with Shōta Imanaga and Joey Estes facing off in a game broadcast by Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score.