Sept. 28 – Right-hander Kyle Hendricks will make his final appearance for the Cubs on Saturday after an 11-year absence as Chicago continues a three-game late-season series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Hendriks (4-12, 6.28 ERA) will make his final start before becoming a free agent this winter. He appeared in all 275 major league games (269 starts) in a Cubs uniform and was the last player from Chicago’s team to win the World Series in 2016.
If this was the end for Hendriks in the Windy City, he got a fitting sendoff as his final two starts of the year would be at Wrigley Field. He most recently gave up four runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Washington Nationals on Sept. 21.
“Coming out here and pitching at Wrigley Field is special, just like every time,” Hendricks said after facing Washington. “It’s very special. Enjoy it to the fullest. It’s hard not to enjoy it when you’re in a great place like that and it’s packed with fans every night.”
“It’s the best place in the world to play.”
Hendriks has a 9-6 record with a 4.30 ERA in 27 career appearances (25 starts) against Cincinnati. He has faced the Reds three times this year (one start) and has a 1-0 record with a 2.89 ERA.
Reds right-hander Rhett Loeder (2-2, 1.40 ERA) will be ready to spoil an exciting day for Hendriks and the rest of the Cubs.
Lord defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in five innings on September 21, earning the win after giving up five hits. He lasted at least five innings in four of five major league games and beat his opponent in three of those games.
The Loaders play their opener against Chicago (82-78) on Saturday.
Louder was the last Cincinnati pitcher to receive significant run support, as the Reds (76-84) scored seven times against the Pirates. Since then, Cincinnati has lost four consecutive games by just three runs, including a 1-0 loss to the Cubs on Friday.
Chicago starter Jameson Tallon and two relievers easily beat the Reds in just 1 hour and 48 minutes. According to MLB.com, it was the fastest nine innings in the major leagues in 14 years.
“We were hitting the ball in the air a little too much,” Cincinnati interim head coach Freddy Benavidez said. “The wind was blowing so hard that it was a challenge and we knew we had to mix some of our shots together and make some runs.”
Benavidez is currently 0-3 after replacing the fired David Bell. Under his coaching, the Reds have allowed just 14 hits.
Second baseman Jonathan India was one of Cincinnati’s best players on Friday, going 2-3 for his third multi-hit performance in the last six games. He was 6 for 17 (.353) during that span.
Despite losing the first game of this series, the Reds are 7–4 against Chicago this year.
——Visual-level media
