Kyle Hendricks records a Cubs first in 6-2 win against the Rockies at Coors Field
DENVER — Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks is still collecting firsts.
In the Cubs’ 6-2 victory against the Rockies on Sunday, he put on a masterclass of in-game adjustments and execution. The only run he allowed was a solo homer to Jacob Stallings. And that was one of just two hits he surrendered in six innings.
He became the first Cubs pitcher to go that deep into a game at Coors Field without allowing more than two hits and one run.
“Certainly one of Kyle's best outings this year,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Tough place to pitch.”
Hendricks' start Sunday could be one of his last as a Cub. His contract expires after this season, sending the last remaining 2016 World Series winner on the roster into free agency.
“I'm definitely going to soak in these moments at Wrigley and see it for what it is,” he said. “My focus is always the day to day. Really want to make this last push, man. You never know what can happen.”
The odds are certainly not in the Cubs’ favor to make the playoffs, especially after losing the series 2-1 in Colorado. But Hendricks has seen too much in his long baseball career to give into pessimism before the team is mathematically eliminated.
His outing Sunday capped an impressive road trip — the culmination of a lot of perseverance and belief in a season that had an inauspicious beginning. Remember, Hendricks infamously racked up a 12.00 ERA in his first five starts.
“They just kept giving me opportunities — that I didn't deserve, to be honest with you — all the way through this year,” Hendricks said. “So, so thankful and grateful just to keep going.”
After a trip to the injured list, some ups and downs, and a stint in the bullpen, Hendricks proved he did deserve those chances. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-June, he’s thrown a few duds but been solid overall. And he’s really hit his stride of late.
To open the road trip, he held the Dodgers to two runs and four hits in 4⅓ innings.
“Just avoiding the damage in that start, we saw the rest of the series how hard it is to do against that lineup,” Counsell said. “So that was a good start.”
Then he made franchise history at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
The Cubs got an early lead Sunday, but not a comfortable one. The two runs they scored in the third inning served as the Cubs’ only successful rally in the first six innings of the game.
“We played good offense today,” Counsell said. “We had 12 walks, we left a small farming village in central Illinois’ [worth] of runners on base, but we played good offense. And we were missing the next hit.”
Hendricks’ performance bought them time until Michael Busch could record his first multi-homer game and Pete Crow-Armstrong could hit his second long ball in as many games.
“None of the stuff that happened early in the year, when [Hendricks] was struggling a little bit, none of that affected him,” Busch said. “Still showed up the same guy, same routine, all that same stuff. And he's done an extremely good job for us as of late, and there's a reason for that.”
The Cubs return to Chicago for a seven-game homestand against the A’s and Nationals. Both high-leverage reliever Jorge López (strained right groin) and left-handed starter Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) are on track to return from the IL during that homestand.