Offtopic » While David Bote is learning about the major leagues

CHICAGO (AP) — http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-james-shields-jersey , baseball is learning about the rookie, too.Like be really, really careful when he steps to the plate in a big spot.Bote struck again on Friday, connecting in the 10th inning for another game-ending home run that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 for their third straight victory.The 25-year-old Bote, an 18th-round pick in the 2012 draft, got behind 0-2 before driving Raisel Iglesias’ next pitch deep to left field with one out. He flipped his batting helmet off as he approached his smiling teammates and tried unsuccessfully to sidestep a water-cooler shower before stepping on home plate.“I don’t know what was in that Gatorade bath. It smelled horrible,” a laughing Bote said. “But I mean it feels great, so it’s fun.”Bote created quite a splash earlier this month, hitting a bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out grand slam on a Sunday night that beat Washington 4-3 on Aug. 12. Each of his five career homers has either tied the game or put the Cubs in front.“Just hunting spots on pitches and I was able to get a barrel on it,” he said.Iglesias (2-2) had made seven straight scoreless appearances. Jesse Chavez (4-2), the sixth Cubs reliever, pitched a scoreless inning for the win.“That was an extremely well-played game, well-pitched game,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.Daniel Murphy homered in the eighth for NL Central-leading Chicago, and Javier Baez had a run-scoring single in the sixth. Alec Mills pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first major league start.Last-place Cincinnati wasted a solid performance by Matt Harvey in its fourth loss in five games. Harvey struck out six in 5 1/3 innings after he was reportedly claimed off waivers by the contending Brewers, only remaining with the Reds when they couldn’t work out a deal.“I didn’t know what to expect,” Harvey said. “There were some nerves Ron Santo Jersey , I guess, some different feelings coming through this morning. … I’m glad I’m still staying here the rest of the season.”Harvey is 6-5 with a 4.14 ERA in 18 starts after he was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets, salvaging his season after a rough start. But he is eligible for free agency this winter and isn’t expected to stay with the Reds.“He’s really good. If you want something good, you have to give up something, you know?” Riggleman said. “Obviously, nobody wanted to give up enough. In their eyes, they probably felt it was enough. We certainly didn’t think it was enough.”Bote and Albert Almora Jr. struck out swinging before Murphy drove the next pitch from Jared Hughes over the wall in right for his first homer since he was acquired in a trade with Washington on Tuesday.The crowd of 37,760 roared as Murphy rounded the bases, and the veteran second baseman acknowledged the cheers by popping out of the dugout for a curtain call.But Cincinnati responded with Eugenio Suarez’s leadoff drive on a 2-2 pitch from Pedro Strop in the ninth, tying it at 2. It was Suarez’s 29th homer, extending his career high, and just the second blown save for Strop since closer Brandon Morrow was placed on the disabled list last month.NOT QUITE THERECincinnati jumped in front on consecutive doubles by Mason Williams and Phillip Ervin leading off the second. It looked as if Williams had connected for his second homer, but a replay review showed the ball caromed off the front of a post holding up the basket in left-center.Williams had to go back to second, but he scored anyway when Ervin followed with a liner into the gap in left-center.HMMMMMMills struck out eight while filling in for Mike Montgomery, who is on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. Montgomery threw a bullpen session before the win and is scheduled for another one on Sunday.“We’ll wait ’til Sunday to figure out what we want to do next,” manager Joe Maddon said. “But Alec really permitted us to think different thoughts.”Reliever Dillon Maples was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to make room for Mills on the roster.TRAINER’S ROOMReds: 1B Joey Votto (lower right leg) was scheduled for more work on Friday and Saturday. He could come off the disabled list on Sunday. “I’m getting more and more encouragement from him and the trainers,” Riggleman said.Cubs: OF Jason Heyward rested for the second straight day. Maddon said his left ankle has been bothering him. … 3B Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) hit in the cage. “He felt really good about what he did,” Maddon said. … Morrow (right biceps inflammation) had an MRI on Thursday. “Everything’s fine http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-yolmer-sanchez-jersey ,” Maddon said. “He’s still in his process of getting back.”UP NEXTReds right-hander Luis Castillo (7-10, 4.86 ERA) and Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana (10-9, 4.36 ERA) pitch on Saturday. Castillo is coming off a solid start against San Francisco, striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings in an 11-4 victory on Sunday. Quintana is winless in his last three starts, but he pitched four-hit ball into the sixth inning in a no-decision at Pittsburgh in his previous outing. CHICAGO (AP) — After dealing with ups and downs this season, Kyle Hendricks feels like he’s in a groove.Hendricks allowed two hits in seven innings, David Bote and Kyle Schwarber homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-0 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep.“My mechanics feel good now. Ball’s doing what I want it to,” said Hendricks, who is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in his last 11 starts. “Now it’s just concentration on making the good pitch, every pitch you’re out there. My fastball command has been a lot better, and everything works better off that.”Jason Heyward went 4 for 4 with a triple and drove in two runs for the NL Central-leading Cubs. Bote added two hits and three RBIs.Hendricks (10-10) struck out five and walked one. He has given up two runs in his last 14 innings.“I didn’t make many bad pitches at all and really changed speeds well,” Hendricks said. “(Catcher) Willson (Contreras) had a great game plan back there, calling good pitches.”Hendricks — who was 1-4 with a 7.03 ERA in June — said his change-up has been more effective.“Earlier in the season, I wasn’t able to locate my fastball, so they kind of saw the change-ups,” he said.Tucker Barnhart had two hits for the last-place Reds, who have dropped five straight and been shut out nine times.“They dominated us these four games, and you just have to take the day off and hopefully come back with the same energy but get different results Adam Engel Jersey ,” manager Jim Riggleman said.The Cubs have homered in a season-high 11 straight games and won five straight.Hendricks was lifted for a pinch-hitter after throwing 98 pitches. Randy Rosario worked the final two innings to complete the three-hitter.A balk by Robert Stephenson scored Anthony Rizzo in the seventh inning before Schwarber smacked a two-run home run to right field, his 24th of the season.Bote hit a two-run homer over the left-field bleachers for a 5-0 lead in the third. Five of his six home runs this season have given the Cubs the lead or tied a game. Bote’s previous homer was a walk-off against the Reds in the 10th inning on Friday.The Cubs scored three unearned runs in the first. Heyward tripled to bring in a run when center fielder Billy Hamilton fell trying to catch his line drive.“Jason just spun that ball, and I understand it looked like it was going to go right at him and it just hit that other gear and he slipped,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That was fortuitous for us because Billy’s that good.”Heyward’s single drove in another run in the fifth inning. He was 0 for 14 in his previous three games.Homer Bailey (1-12) allowed six runs — three earned — and eight hits in five innings to remain winless since May 12. The Reds have lost 17 of his 18 starts.“With all due respect to that lineup over there — they’ve got a really good lineup — but today there was numerous balls that were off the end of the bat, broken bats, bloops,” Riggleman said. “If it could go wrong, it went wrong.“As the game progressed, they squared up on a couple. But overall Homer threw very well. The numbers will never indicate that.”TRAINER’S ROOMReds: 1B Joey Votto (lower right leg) was eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list Sunday but won’t return to the field until Tuesday against Milwaukee at the earliest. Riggleman said the injury is affecting Votto’s ability to run and play in the field.Cubs: 3B/OF Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) and RHP Tyler Chatwood (left hip tightness) will begin rehab assignments with Triple-A Iowa on Monday. Bryant took batting practice Sunday and has been on the DL since July 24. The Cubs can make room for him on the roster if he’s ready before rosters expand Saturday, Maddon said. … Closer Brandon Morrow (right biceps inflammation) was scheduled to play catch Sunday.FLEXIBILITYWithout an off day until Sept. 13, the Cubs will use a six-man rotation for at least one turn. LHP Mike Montgomery — who is on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation — is expected to start Thursday in Atlanta. RHP Alec Mills — who joined the rotation to fill in for the injured Chatwood — will start Wednesday against the Mets.UP NEXTReds: After a day off, RHP Anthony DeSclafani (6-4, 4.26 ERA) is set to start Tuesday against visiting Milwaukee and RHP Junior Guerra (6-8, 3.72) to begin a three-game series.Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (14-5, 3.64) is scheduled to start against the visiting Mets and RHP Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 3.38) to open a three-game series Monday.