Ben Brown stars as the Cubs blank the Reds 2-0 for a 1-hit shutout
Chicago used Pomeranz as an opener in front of Brown, and the strategy worked on a cool, blustery afternoon at Wrigley Field. Pomeranz pitched a 1-2-3 first before Brown struck out nine in six dominant innings for the NL Central leaders.
The Cubs scored their two runs in the eighth. Seiya Suzuki's flyball to right off Graham Ashcraft (3-4) was misplayed by Will Benson, and it landed in fair territory for an RBI double. Dansby Swanson drove in Kyle Tucker when he beat out a grounder to shortstop Elly De La Cruz for a two-out infield single.
Keller (2-0) worked the eighth and Palencia handled the ninth for his fifth save. It was Chicago's sixth shutout of the season.
Cincinnati wasted a sharp performance by Nick Lodolo, who pitched six innings of five-hit ball.
The 6-foot-6 Brown retired 14 of his first 15 batters before TJ Friedl singled with two out in the sixth for Cincinnati's only hit of the game.
Brown had a 9.90 ERA in the first inning over his first 10 starts of the season. He was tagged for eight runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in his previous start Sunday at Cincinnati.
Key stat
It was Pomeranz's first start since Aug. 7, 2019, for Milwaukee at Pittsburgh. The left-hander has pitched 13 2/3 scoreless innings in 15 appearances since he was acquired in an April trade with Seattle.
Up next
___
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB contenders watch for fatigue as some starters experience an increased workload
CHICAGO (AP) — At age 34, Matthew Boyd is going back to what was once familiar territory for the left-hander. He has logged 130 2/3 innings so far in his first season with the Chicago Cubs, more than he totaled in the previous two years combined. It's a workload jump that goes against what had become conventional wisdom in the majors, where teams have frequently capped pitchers' innings in hopes of keeping them healthy. 'Things have been going great,' Boyd said. 'And I think it's like none of us know what's ahead. And that goes for everybody." Boyd's workload is worth watching as the Cubs try to rally in the NL Central race and go on a deep October run. He is among a group of pitchers going through a spike in innings in the heart of the playoff picture. After spending most of his career as a reliever, Clay Holmes has 117 1/3 innings going into his 23rd start for the Mets on Tuesday night. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo is up to 127 innings after he finished with 66 2/3 last year. All-Stars Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and Bryan Woo of the Mariners also are progressing toward major increases. 'That's something we always monitor and watch,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'I know we're in constant communication in-between starts.' The days of predetermined innings limits, especially when it comes to young prospects and pitchers on losing teams, aren't going away anytime soon. But more organizations appear to be going with a case-by-case approach. 'I think the reason why it's changed a little bit and we don't look at that either percentage increase or fixed innings increase is because it wasn't working," said David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets. 'I think more and more we're trying to treat each pitcher as an individual. And if a pitcher feels good both subjectively and objectively, we try not to artificially shut them down.' Crochet, 26, helped show what might be possible last year. The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, began last season with 73 innings in 72 appearances spanning four seasons with the White Sox. He made his first big league start on opening day. With the White Sox closely monitoring his workload in the last part of the season, he finished with 32 starts and 146 innings. He is tied for the major league lead with 141 1/3 innings going into Tuesday night's start against Kansas City. 'I think that I really set myself up for this season to go out there and for there really to be no leash necessary,' said Crochet, who was traded to the Red Sox in December and then agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract. 'I've been feeling really good throughout the season and the five days in between my starts I really feel like I'm prepared and doing a lot to get my body in the right position to have success and to continue to give length throughout the year.' Boyd was recovering from Tommy John surgery when he signed with Cleveland last year. He returned to the majors last August and went 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts and 39 2/3 innings for the Guardians. He also pitched 11 2/3 innings for the AL Central champions in the playoffs. That was enough for Chicago to give Boyd a $29 million, two-year contract in free agency. And he has delivered so far, making the NL All-Star team while going 11-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 22 starts. Boyd pitched a career-high 185 1/3 innings for Detroit in 2019, but he hasn't approached that territory since. The Cubs gave him nine days off between starts over the All-Star break, and Boyd has frequent conversations with manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy about his workload and how he is feeling. The Cubs also have rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who is up to 102 2/3 innings this season — including his time with Triple-A Iowa — after he totaled 34 1/3 innings in the minors last year. 'This is an area where the industry has not maybe figured out the answer, so you're just trying to keep getting better answers,' Counsell said. 'I think in the past, we were just relying on history. I think now we're relying on the data we collect from the actual player.' Communication is one thing, but an array of metrics and biomechanical analysis is at the center of the decision-making process when it comes to pitchers and rest. 'There's tangible things that you just keep an eye on,' Boyd said. "You have your spin data, you have your velocity. We have biomechanics tracking. It's like, 'Hey, the mechanics are getting out of whack. ... Is there something we need to address? How do you address that?' 'There's so many different avenues you can go down and levers you can pull if you will. And it's not as cut and dry as like 20% increase, 50% increase (in innings).' ___ AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bears' Dayo Odeyingbo: Ben Johnson is a perfectionist, demanding, and what we need
First-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson has from all accounts been running a tough training camp, and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo says that's what the Bears need. Odeyingbo, who signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Bears in March, said Johnson has made it clear to the players that he sets a standard and they need to live up to it. "He's very demanding," Odeyingbo said. "You could tell he's a perfectionist. He wants it done a certain way and if it's not that way, he's going to call you out about it. That's something you definitely want from someone leading your team that's not afraid to call people out and see how they respond." Odeyingbo was drafted by the Colts in 2021 and was a backup for his first three seasons, but he became a starter last year and played well, and this year he thinks he's going to play even better. "That's the way I prepared this offseason," Odeyingbo said. "That's the way I feel. I feel like I'm in the best position and shape that I've been in to play, so I'm excited about this year and excited about what I can bring." The arrivals of Johnson and Odeyingbo are two of several big changes the Bears have made this offseason, a fresh start for a team that's finished .500 or worse six straight years and may need a coach who's more demanding.
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump is creating a task force for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is establishing a task force on the 2028 Olympic Games being held in Los Angeles. Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday to make the task force official, the White House said. Trump has said that the Los Angeles Summer Games are among the events he's most looking forward to in his second term. The 2028 Games will be the first Olympics to be hosted by the U.S. since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Trump 'considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, calling sports one of the president's 'greatest passions.' LA28 president and chair Casey Wasserman said the task force "marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028.'
