Rizzo, Hendricks Lead Cubs Past Hoskins, Phillies
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Anthony Rizzo and Tommy La Stella each homered twice, Kyle Hendricks pitched seven strong innings and the Chicago Cubs routed the Philadelphia Phillies 17-2 Saturday night despite another home run from Rhys Hoskins.
Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist also went deep for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who tied their season high for homers and hits (17) while setting new marks for runs and margin of victory. Rizzo had five RBIs and La Stella added four.
Hendricks (5-4) earned his first victory since May 24, limiting the Phillies to two runs and six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. He also helped himself with a single and a two-run double in Chicago's seven-run seventh that tied a season high for most runs in an inning.
Hoskins continued his historic pace with a first-inning home run that gave him 10 in his first 17 games, marking the fastest a player has reached 10 homers in major league history. He drove a 1-2 pitch from Hendricks that was down in the zone into left-center for a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs completely took over from that point.
La Stella got a run back in the second with a drive to deep right, Rizzo connected on a three-run shot to center in the third for his first of the night and the Cubs chased Ben Lively (1-5) with two more runs in the fifth on consecutive solo homers by Bryant and Rizzo.
Rizzo's landed in the Phillies' bullpen 424 feet from center, six feet shorter than his first one, and gave him 30 homers for the season. It was his 16th career multihomer game and third this year.
Lively gave up six runs on five hits, four of which were homers, with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Chicago blew the game open with seven runs in the seventh off relievers Drew Anderson and Jesen Therrien.
An .098 career hitter entering, Hendricks started the big ining with a single and capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run double as the Cubs sent 11 batters to the plate.
La Stella connected off Yacksel Rios in the ninth for his first career multihomer game. Zobrist capped the power display with a pinch-hit, two-run shot two batters later off Rios.
Every Cubs starter except Kyle Schwarber scored a run.
Called up from Triple-A on Aug. 10, Hoskins also singled in the seventh and is batting .300 with 23 RBIs.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (10-9, 4.90) goes for the Cubs in the series finale Sunday. Lackey is 5-4 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts against the Phillies.
Phillies: RHP Nick Pivetta (4-9, 6.73) will be recalled from Triple-A to take the hill for Philadelphia. Pivetta has lost four straight and gave up six runs on seven hits in just 1 1/3 innings in the second game of Tuesday's 7-4 doubleheader loss to the Marlins.
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