ST. LOUIS: Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up Jeremy Hazelbaker’s leadoff homer as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Monday to close in on the National League Central division crown in Major League Baseball.
Hazelbaker drove an 0-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his 12th home run.
Hendricks (15-7), the league’s ERA leader at 2.03, was relieved by Aroldis Chapman. He threw 96 pitches in the game, striking out seven and walking two.
It was the fourth no-hit bid broken up in the ninth inning this season. Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta tossed the lone no-hitter in MLB this year, winning 16-0 at Cincinnati on April 21.
Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler homered for the Cubs, who now lead the second-place Cardinals by 17 games and can wrap up the division with a three-game sweep in St. Louis.
The Cardinals remained a half-game behind the New York Mets for the NL’s second wild card playoff spot.
Elsewhere, starting pitcher Mat Latos hit a solo home run and Anthony Rendon added a three-run shot as the NL-East leading Nationals beat the Mets 8-1.
Latos had a solid first start with the Nationals, but left the game in the fifth inning when he appeared to injure his right leg.
Reynaldo Lopez (3-3) was among three relievers who combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings as the Nationals won their fourth straight. They increased their division lead over New York to 10 games — matching their largest cushion of the season.
In Boston, David Ortiz hit his 536th home run to tie Mickey Mantle for 17th on the MLB career home run list, and David Price allowed just a pair of solo homers as AL East-leading Boston beat Baltimore 12-2.
Chris Young homered, doubled twice and singled, and Hanley Ramirez also homered for the Red Sox, who maintained a two-game division lead over Toronto.
Price (16-8) gave up two hits in eight innings for his seventh straight victory, the longest winning streak of his career.
In New York, Aaron Judge dropped Chase Utley’s fly ball to right field and catcher Gary Sanchez threw wildly to second base, leading to four unearned runs that helped the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers beat the AL wild-card chasing Yankees 8-2.
Jose De Leon (2-0) won in his second MLB start. Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner homered for the Dodgers.
Chicago’s Avisail Garcia matched a career high with four hits, including a tiebreaking solo homer, as the White Sox routed AL Central-leading Cleveland 11-4.
Todd Frazier hit his career-best 36th homer and Adam Eaton also went deep for the White Sox.
The Indians’ division lead was trimmed to six games over Detroit.
In Toronto, the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays cleared the benches and bullpens after the hosts wrapped up a 3-2 win, ending the skirmish without throwing any punches.
Steven Souza Jr. hit a liner for the last out and traded words with Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin after a verbal misunderstanding.
Toronto is the top wild-card team in the American League, one game ahead of Baltimore.
Oakland’s Khris Davis and Marcus Semien hit three-run homers as the Athletics matched a season high with 17 hits in a 16-3 rout of Kansas City.
Kansas City remained four games out of the second AL wild-card spot.
In Houston, Rougned Odor had three hits and three RBIs, including a solo homer in the 12th inning that lifted Texas over the Astros 4-3.
The Rangers, who have the best record in the American League at 86-59, improved to 14-3 against AL West rival Houston this season.
Odor launched his 31st homer off James Hoyt (1-1) in the 12th. He has six home runs, six doubles and 19 RBIs in 16 games against the Astros this season.
Elsewhere, Detroit topped Minnesota 4-2, San Diego shut out San Francisco 4-0, Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-1, Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh 6-2, Arizona edged Colorado 12-9, Atlanta defeated Miami 12-7 and Cincinnati blanked Milwaukee 3-0.
Hendricks loses no-hit bid in 9th, Cubs beat Cardinals 4-1
Hendricks loses no-hit bid in 9th, Cubs beat Cardinals 4-1
