Cleveland Indians Shut Out Cubs In Return to Wrigley Field

The Cleveland Indians and the Cubs squared off at Wrigley Field on Tuesday for the first time since 2009, and the Indians walked away with a 6-0 shutout. Trevor Bauer pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and three walks while striking out seven. Meanwhile, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta struggled through five innings, giving up four runs on three hits and six walks.

Key Moments
Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley walked in the third inning, giving Carlos Santana two runners on base with two outs in the inning, and he responded by hitting a home run to make it 3-0 in favor of the Indians. In the fifth inning, Bauer got things started with a single, although he was thrown out when Kipnis grounded into a fielder’s choice out. Kipnis immediately stole second base, scoring when Francisco Lindor singled up the middle.

It was all Cleveland on Tuesday, as the Tribe continued to score in the seventh inning. Kipnis singled to right field to start things off, scoring again when Brantley hit an RBI double. The Tribe’s final run came in the ninth inning, after Lindor singled and scored on a double off of the bat of Santana.

The Positive
Bauer was excellent, perhaps the best he’s been all season. Zach McAllister and Marc Rzepczynski also pitched well, holding the Cubs scoreless. Offensively, Kipnis was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring three runs. Lindor was 2-for-5, and the heart of the Tribe’s lineup – Brantley, Santana and Moss – each had a pair of walks, while Santana also had two hits.

The Negative
The bottom half of the lineup is struggling. All of the Tribe’s offense came from the 1-through-5 hitters, with the bottom half of the lineup accounting for just three hits and one walk, out of nine hits and eight walks total. The team can’t be effective if they only threaten the opposition every other inning.

Check It Out
– It was a day for major-league firsts. Bauer’s hit was the first of his career, after going 0-for-8 in his previous at-bats. Lindor logged his first hit on Sunday, but he did get his first RBI in the same inning that Bauer got his hit.

– Cubs prospect Kyle Schwarber will make his first major league start on Wednesday, after going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in his debut on Tuesday.

– On Wednesday, Shaun Marcum will take on Tsuyoshi Wada as the series continues. The teams will travel to Cleveland, where the Tribe will face the left-handed Wada, who has an 0-1 record and a 4.54 ERA this season. Marcum is 3-1, with a 4.09 ERA.