Cubs Clinch Thrilling 1-0 Win! Guardians Suffer 7th Straight Loss
Colaboradores
CHICAGO – In a nail-biting contest that went down to the wire, the Chicago Cubs emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night at Wrigley Field. Rookie Matt Shaw played hero, delivering a deep sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to score Nico Hoerner from third base, securing the Cubs' series sweep and extending the Guardians' losing streak to a season-high seven games.
The game was a pitching duel for the ages. Cubs rookie starter Cade Horton delivered a stellar performance, throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing just five hits in his longest outing of the season. For the Guardians, Joey Cantillo, recalled from Triple-A Columbus, pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings in his first start, filling in for Luis Ortiz, who was placed on non-disciplinary leave due to a Major League Baseball gambling investigation.
The score remained tied at 0-0 through nine innings, thanks to outstanding pitching and solid defense on both sides. Cleveland's bullpen retired 16 consecutive Cubs hitters from the fourth inning until Dansby Swanson singled with two outs in the ninth. In the fifth inning, the Guardians threatened, putting runners at first and third with one out, but Cubs backup catcher Reese McGuire threw out Bo Naylor attempting to steal second, and Brayan Rocchio grounded out to end the inning.
The game went into extra innings, and with Nico Hoerner as the automatic runner on second, Michael Busch's groundout advanced him to third. Matt Shaw then stepped up to the plate and delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly, sending Hoerner home and the Wrigley Field crowd into a frenzy.
Chris Flexen (5-0), the Cubs' fourth reliever, pitched a perfect 10th inning to earn the win. Emmanuel Clase (4-2), the Guardians' closer, pitched the ninth and 10th and took the loss. The NL Central-leading Cubs improved to 52-35 and now hold a four-game lead over the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Looking ahead, the Guardians (40-45) will try to break their losing streak as they face the Detroit Tigers in Cleveland on Friday. The Cubs will continue their homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.