Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Saturday 29 September 2018
Cubs beat Pirates 3-0, open 1-game NL Central lead

By MATT CARLSON If the Cubs and Brewers fin-
Associated Press ish tied for first, the Cubs
CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Les- would host an NL Central
ter felt he wasn't as sharp as tiebreaker game Monday
usual, though the Cubs and because Chicago won the
their ace left-hander came season series 11-8.
through in the clutch. CROWDS
Lester combined with three The crowd of 38,415 pushed
relievers on a four-hitter, the Cubs season atten-
David Bote hit an early two- dance at Wrigley Field over
run triple and the Cubs beat the 3 million mark for the
the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on third straight season.
Thursday night to open a RETURN OF KANG
one-game NL Central lead The Pirates expect INF Jung
over Milwaukee heading Ho Kang to join the club
into the final weekend of Friday and be active for
the season. a season-ending series at
A day after the Cubs and Cincinnati in what would
Brewers assured themselves be his first major league
of no worse than wild-card appearance in two years.
berths, Lester (18-6) es- Chicago Cubs' Jon Lester, left, slides safely into home plate past Pittsburgh Pirates' Francisco Kang, who plays third base
Cervelli during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, in Chicago.
caped a bases-loaded Associated Press and shortstop, hit .273 with
jam in the first inning and 36 homers and 120 RBIs in
allowed three hits and four threw 66 of 108 pitches for Atlanta will play the West Cubs on Aug. 17 and is 7-3 229 games for the Pirates in
walks over six innings. He strikes. champion, Colorado or the with a 1.38 ERA since the 2015 and 2016,
improved to 6-1 with a 1.71 Steve Cishek, Carl Edwards Dodgers. All-Star break. The 31-year-old didn't play
ERA in his last eight starts. Jr. and Jesse Chavez fol- And the Cubs, who didn't "I felt like it was a battle in North America between
"His stuff looked normal lowed, with Chavez pitch- celebrate after clinching a from the first pitch," Williams September 2016 and June
from this side, but (Lester ing the ninth for his fourth fourth straight postseason said. "This is their third time 2018 because of visa issues
was) abnormal command- save in five chances with berth on Wednesday, want seeing me this season, and connected to three DUI ar-
wise and he got through Chicago. the division crown. they can swing the bat. rests his native South Korea.
it," manager Joe Mad- Chicago (93-66) hosts St. "We've made the playoffs "It's not going to give me a TRAINER'S ROOM
don said. "He battled. He Louis (87-72) in the final se- and nobody in that club- sour taste in my mouth, but Pirates: OF Jordan Luplow
showed his mettle tonight." ries starting Friday, while house is satisfied with that," it's going fire me up for this underwent an appendec-
The 34-year-old Lester said Milwaukee (92-67) is at Lester said. "I think we call offseason and make me tomy Thursday at North-
he ground out a "blue col- home against Detroit. The kind of expect to win the work extra hard to finish western Memorial Hospital
lar win" to keep the Cubs in Cardinals (87-72) trail the division. next season strong." in Chicago. The 24-year-old
first place. Los Angeles Dodgers by "We feel like that's one of Bote started at third base appeared in 37 games this
"Sometimes when you're one game for the second our goals and hopefully in place of Kris Bryant, who season.
able to weave your way wild-card berth. that comes to fruition this missed his second game Cubs: Manager Joe Mad-
inside and out of trouble The Cubs' win means the weekend. We'll celebrate with a sore left wrist after don said Bryant could start
like tonight, these are the NL Central champion, Chi- then." getting hit by a pitch by Friday against St. Louis.
more rewarding wins than cago or Milwaukee, will fin- Trevor Williams (14-10) gave Chris Archer on Tuesday. Bryant, the 2016 NL MVP,
the ones where you have ish with the league's best up all three runs, eight hits Lester singled in the fourth had two stints on the dis-
your good starts and are record and will play the and three walks in five in- and scored on Daniel Mur- abled list this season be-
just able go out there and winner of Tuesday's wild- nings. He had been 4-0 in phy's single. cause of left shoulder
execute," said Lester, who card game. East champion six starts since losing to the WHAT IF? inflammation.q

Teheran sharp in playoff

audition, Braves fall to Mets 4-1

By BEN WALKER, AP Base- ball for six innings Thursday 1-0 when he exited. The
ball Writer night in a 4-1 loss to the start came exactly a week
NEW YORK (AP) — Julio New York Mets. before the Braves are
Teheran delivered a final "That's the way I wanted to set to begin the postsea-
pitch, watched the short- finish the regular season," son against the NL West
stop drift back to make a Teheran said. champs, either Colorado
nice catch and walked off The NL East champion or the Los Angeles Dodg-
the mound clapping his Braves didn't start first ers.
right hand and glove to- baseman Freddie Free- In the race for home-field
gether. man and center fielder advantage in that match-
After the game, Braves Ender Inciarte, and they up, Atlanta and Colorado
manager Brian Snitker ap- were minus injured short- are 89-70 and the Dodgers
plauded Teheran, too. stop Dansby Swanson for are 88-71; the Braves don't
Teheran looked sharp in his the second straight game. own either tiebreaker, Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran delivers the ball to the
last audition to become Teheran (9-9) allowed one having lost the head-to- New York Mets during the first inning of a baseball game
part of Atlanta's playoff run, struck out five and head season series against Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, in New York.
rotation, throwing two-hit walked two, and trailed both clubs.q Associated Press