Cubs-Athletics preview
OAKLAND, Calif. -- For a No. 5 starter, Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks has been doing a pretty good impersonation of an ace this season.
Hendricks is 10-7 with an ERA of 2.22, second lowest in the National League. Over his past nine appearances, including eight starts, he is 6-1 with a 1.04 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 16 walks. He is coming off a shutout of the Miami Marlins and will try to continue his hot streak against the Oakland A's on Sunday afternoon.
Last season, his second in the big leagues, Hendricks went 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA.
"I think I learned a lot from last year, the struggles I kind of went through," Hendricks said Saturday before the Cubs' 4-0 victory against Oakland. "I lost my mechanics a little bit. Kind of getting back into that. I learned a lot about myself. ... I was able to carry that through the offseason, came into spring and still felt good with it. Did a lot of work in spring just to make sure my mechanics were solid, ready for the year.
"There have been a lot of other changes. I'm using my curveball a lot more this year, my four-seam fastball a lot more. I've been pitching more. I'm pitching inside better. I've been doing a lot of different things."
Cubs manager Joe Maddon pointed to Hendricks' improved fastball command as the key reason for his turnaround.
"He's always had it but not to the level or extent he's had it this year," Maddon said. "And everything plays off of that. In addition to that, more curveballs recently and a little bit more four-seam fastball elevated, which I love. So I think he's kind of added in a subtle way some mixes to what he's doing that have benefited him, but primarily throwing his fastball for a strike.
"He gets a lot of takes, a lot of called strikes where the hitter is scratching his head but doesn't really argue with the umpire a whole lot because it was a strike. There's great movement on his pitches."
The A's will send rookie left-hander Sean Manaea to the mound for his 16th career major-league start. In his previous start he gave up five runs, four of them earned, on six hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Angels. Two of those hits allowed were two-run homers.
"Last time it was like two pitches that got me," Manaea said. "I definitely learned from that. Just got to calm myself when I get in those situations. In my bullpen, it was all about just locating my fastball. I worked really hard in the bullpen and I'm feeling really good for my next start."
Manaea has gone 1-2 with a 3.14 ERA in seven games, including six starts, after returning from the disabled list on June 29. He went on the DL on June 14 with a left pronator strain. He is 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA over his past five games.
The A's acquired Manaea on July 28 last season from the Kansas City Royals, along with right-hander Aaron Brooks, for current Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist.
Manaea grew up in Indiana, not far from Chicago, and he'll face the Cubs for the first time.
"I think it's fun, just because I grew up watching the Cubs," Manaea said. "They are really good this year. It's going to be a fun matchup. I'm excited to see how things go tomorrow."
