Hendricks’ precision, Rizzo’s HR sink Bucs

CHICAGO — You watch Kyle Hendricks pitch, and wonder how the heck he gets hitters out. He doesn’t throw 99 mph — he barely hits 90 — and he doesn’t have a funky delivery. As Greg Maddux would say, a pitcher’s best pitch is a well-located fastball, and Hendricks relies on that, even if it isn’t very fast.

On Tuesday night, Hendricks befuddled the Pirates, holding them to three hits over seven innings, and got all the offense he needed thanks to Anthony Rizzo’s two-run homer off Pittsburgh’s Chad Kuhl as the Cubs posted a 3-0 win. With his outing, Hendricks lowered his ERA to 2.09, tops in the Major Leagues. No Cub has led NL in era since 1945, or MLB since 1938.

“I take some pride in it, but those are results,” Hendricks said of the low ERA. “I take more pride in the pitches I’ve been making. That’s been my sole focus when I take the mound, make good pitches.”

“He’s so confident — he can throw the ball wherever he wants, in whatever count,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s a big part of his success right now.”

How stingy is the Cubs’ right-hander? This was the 18th straight start in which he has given up three or fewer earned runs, dating to May 22. It’s the longest streak by any big league pitcher this season.

“All you’ve got to do is look at the overall numbers,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “The command, the execution of pitches, I thought I was back in 1987 and it was Greg Maddux on the mound.”

Josh Harrison was the Pirates’ first baserunner, drawing a walk to open the fourth, but he didn’t go far as Hendricks picked him off at first. The right-hander threw 15 pitches that inning, none over 90 mph. Gregory Polanco collected the Pirates’ first hit with a soft single over shortstop Addison Russell to open the fifth, but he was forced at second on Starling Marte’s grounder. Marte was then thrown out trying to steal second.

“It just shows the objective for them is to get outs, and it’s not about [velocity],” Harrison said. “It’s about locating pitches. He did that tonight.”

The Cubs now are 21-6 this month, and need a win Wednesday in the series finale to match the best August in franchise history (22-6) done in 1932.

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