Lester recovers from rut of bad starts, Cubs rout Mariners

The Cubs posted their highest-scoring game at home this season, routing the Seattle Mariners, 12-1, Friday in Chicago for their third straight win.

Jason Heyward and David Ross homered as the NL Central leaders won for the 10th time in their last 15 games after a 1-9 slump.

Coverage from Wrigley Field gets underway at 10:00 a.m. with the pregame show and an 11:20 a.m. first pitch on KPUG. Through 16 starts this season, Walker has a 3.66 ERA, throwing in 86 innings.

“I knew that was a big situation early in the game with two guys on to be able to put us out front especially with Jonny (Lester) throwing, I was grateful to come through”, Coghlan said. “I try to always tell them, 12 runs and an air-tight defence makes a pitcher’s job a lot easier, so that was good today”.

Everything before that was pretty grim, although the Mariners avoided a shutout on Shawn O’Malley’s two-out RBI single in the ninth inning against former teammates Mike Montgomery. While the Mariners really struggled in June, Felix Hernandez was just activated off the disabled list and Walker could soon follow, potentially setting up a late run at the postseason. The Cubs pushed through the Mariners bullpen by driving Hisashi Iwakuma from the game after just three innings.

Utility infielder Luis Sardinas pitched the eighth inning and, of course, retired three straight hitters.

Pirates rookie Steven Brault (0-1) gave up three runs and seven hits over six innings.

Kolten Wong had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer for St. Louis.

The Cubs banged out 14 hits, took a lead in the second inning in a game that never felt close. He singled twice, doubled and walked twice. Plate umpire Eric Cooper also needed a clean look, and with Baez lingering outside the batter’s box, shoved the player out of the way.

“Up and down the lineup it was a well-played game”, Maddon said. “This is definitely an advocacy for a 27- or 28-man roster”.

The Cubs rocked Iwakuma (11-7) for three two-out runs in the second inning, when Chris Coghlan supplied a two-run single. “Don’t want to do it, don’t like doing it, but sometimes the game calls for it”.

Seattle’s Guillermo Heredia made his major league debut when he went to right field in the seventh.

[Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images] Hernandez, Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager is a strong enough core for the Mariners to be successful. He went 0 for 2 with a walk.

“The home run to right would have been way, way gone had it not been for the elements”, Maddon said of the wind blowing in on Heyward’s third-inning blast. Lefty Wade Miley draws the game two start at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. He entered Saturday 6-8 with a 5.23 ERA.

Miley will be facing Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who is 3-4 since his no-hitter on May 16. Cubbies starter bounced back from a few poor efforts with six scoreless innings to pick up the win.