at Wrigley Field. He’s just happy he now calls the storied old ballpark
home.Murphy and Kyle Schwarber each hit a two-run homer
Jose Cruz
Jr. Jersey , Javier Baez added a solo shot and the Chicago Cubs
beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-6 on Saturday for their fourth straight win.Murphy
homered for a second straight day and is batting .407 (48 for 118) with nine
homers in 31 career regular-season games at Wrigley — all but three of them
before he joined the Cubs in a trade this week.His batting average is the
highest among active players with a minimum of 100 at-bats at the ballpark.“I
don’t know,” Murphy said when asked to explain his success. “I just know, day
games, if I’m able to get this old body going, I feel like I see the ball better
during the day.”Baez was 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBIs. The homer was his
28th and he leads the NL with 97 RBIs.NL-Central leading Chicago has gone deep
in 10 consecutive games, amassing a total of 17 homers during that stretch.Curt
Casali homered and had four RBIs, and Preston Tucker added a pinch-hit homer for
Cincinnati, which has dropped four straight.Jose Quintana (11-9) allowed two
runs on six hits in five-plus innings — walking three and striking out two — to
get his first win since Aug. 3.Reds starter Luis Castillo (7-11) allowed five
runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings.“Sometimes the hitters will let you know if
you’re missing with your spots and they take advantage of it,” Reds manager Jim
Riggleman said of Castillo. “They were on him pretty good.”Ian Happ drove in the
Cubs’ first run with a two-out single in the second
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and Murphy followed with a two-run shot for a 3-0 lead.After Cincinnati got a
pair of runs in the top of the fourth, Schwarber’s two-run shot in the bottom of
the fourth restored the three-run advantage and chased Castillo. Baez hit a solo
blast in the fifth, and Anthony Rizzo’s run-scoring single in the sixth made it
7-2.Chicago added three unearned runs in the seventh. The Reds scored four runs
in the eighth against reliever Brandon Kintzler, who like Murphy was acquired in
a midseason trade with the Washington Nationals. Casali hit a three-run homer
and Tucker followed with a solo blast.COMFORT ZONEBefore being dealt to the
Cubs, the 33-year-old Murphy had never been traded. He said he’s felt at home —
and not just because of the on-field success.“I feel like I’ve been really
comfortable, and that’s a testament to the front office, the ownership and to
the guys in this clubhouse and the coaching staff,” he said.USING BOTH HANDSKris
Bryant normally releases his top hand on his swing, but trainer PJ Mainville
suggested the slugger keep both hands on the bat to reduce stress as he rehabbed
from left shoulder inflammation. Bryant likes the two-handed approach so much he
said he plans to use it when he returns to the lineup.“It feels good to
me
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he said. “I feel a lot more powerful. I’m hitting the ball farther.”ROSTER
MOVESThe Reds activated RF Scott Schebler (sprained right shoulder) before the
game and optioned OF Aristides Aquino to Triple-A Pensacola. Schebler batted
leadoff and went 1 for 5.TRAINER’S ROOMReds: 1B Joey Votto (lower right leg) ran
sprints on the field before the game. Riggleman said a decision on whether Votto
will be activated for the finale of the series won’t be made until Sunday
morning.Cubs: 3B Bryant took batting practice on the field. He said he didn’t
experience any pain and is “ready to go.” Bryant will face rehabbing LHP Drew
Smyly in a live BP session on Sunday and then begin a minor league rehab
assignment on Monday.UP NEXTReds RHP Homer Bailey (1-11, 6.21 ERA) faces RHP
Kyle Hendricks (9-10, 4.04) in the finale of the four-game series on Sunday.
Bailey is 0-4 with a 5.22 ERA in five starts since coming off the DL in late
July, and Cincinnati is 1-16 in his 17 starts this season. Hendricks is 3-0 with
a 1.83 ERA in six career starts against the Reds at Wrigley. SAN DIEGO — Texas
manager Jeff Banister has decided to play it straight Sunday afternoon as the
Rangers go for a sweep of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at
Petco Park.No reliever from the Rangers’ bullpen will work as an “opener” in
front of scheduled starter Mike Minor.It will be the left-handed Minor (12-7,
4.19 ERA) paired against Padres rookie right-hander Jacob Nix (2-3,
6.00).Article continues below ...Not that Banister is abandoning the idea of
“openers” after using them in the first two games against the Padres and two
other times recently. Banister said he’ll use an opener in about half of the
Rangers’ remaining games.But Sunday’s start belongs to the 30-year-old Minor,
who will make his 27th start of the season. He is on a hot streak — leading
Texas in wins and starts after a string of recent successes.Minor is 3-1 with a
1.95 ERA in his last four games. He has allowed five runs in his last 23 innings
to drop his ERA from 4.61 to 4.19. And he is 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts
since the All-Star break with a 0.86 WHIP and a .182 opponents’ batting
average.Minor’s WHIP since the All-Star break is the fifth lowest in the major
leagues among pitchers with eight or more starts. His overall WHIP of 1.11 ranks
11th in the American League and is on pace to be the eighth-lowest in Rangers
history.His most recent outing Monday in Anaheim was his third quality start in
his last four outings.Minor has made six career appearances (five starts)
against the Padres. He is 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA.Sunday will be Minor’s second
outing of the season against the Padres. On June 27 in Arlington, Texas, he took
a perfect game against the Padres into the seventh inning before allowing a
one-out single to Eric Hosmer
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who was the only Padres player to reach base in seven innings.Minor is only 6-4
on the road this season with a 5.37 ERA in 12 starts. But he has won his last
four road starts since the All-Star break with a 2.66 ERA and a 0.93
WHIP.Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Nix will make his seventh major league start
while facing the Rangers for the first time. Nix was the Padres’ third-round
pick in the 2015 draft.Nix allowed four hits in six shutout innings of his major
league debut on Aug. 10 and allowed one run in 8 1/3 innings on Aug. 28.But Nix
has struggled in his two most recent starts, giving up 11 runs,12 hits and four
walks with nine strikeouts in 10 innings.In 30 major league innings, Nix has
allowed 20 runs, 34 hits and nine walks, with 16 strikeouts. He has a .286
opponents’ batting average and a 1.43 WHIP.