AJ Ramos melts down in ninth, Marlins swept by Cubs

Another was caught in a rundown between third and home.

The Cubs rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning – capped by a bases-loaded walk for a tie and a wild pitch to score the winning run – for a 5-4 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday and a sweep of the three-game series. Ramos allowed a string of hits before issuing a bases-loaded walk to Ben Zobrist to knot the score.

Hammel, who has an 11-5 record with a 3.07 ERA in 21 starts with the Cubs this season, will be replaced on the 25-man roster by reliever Justin Grimm. “We have a group that fights until the last out”.

“They had so much energy”, Maddon said. So we know the end goal, and we are still a long way from there. “All those different mental factors, and our fans picked us up”. By this time Ramos had thrown 33 pitches, the most he had thrown in any appearance this season.

Miguel Montero started the rally with a leadoff double and went to third on a single by Javier Baez. Dexter Fowler made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to right as all runners advanced.

Rizzo was intentionally walked to load the bases, and that brought Zobrist up again. In the next at-bat against Willson Contreras, Ramos whiffed a wild pitch wide left of the plate, allowing Matt Szczur to scoot in for the game-winning run. He got Martin Prado to fly to left, and then my friend Dave, right as usual, said, “I don’t like this matchup”, with Yelich to be the next hitter. “I was trying to go for the strikeout or get some weak contact”. “I wanted to give him the day off”.

Hammel has varied his mix of pitches from start to start, going fastball-heavy against the Marlins and Brewers (at least 60 percent fastballs in each), but using his curve and slider more against the Braves, White Sox and Rangers (at least 46 percent against each).

But Mattingly said he preferred for Ramos to face Ben Zobrist, the Cubs’ cleanup hitter, and not Rizzo.

“Fair expectations?” Lackey said incredulously.

“I came here to win a World Series”, Lackey said. “I came here for the jewelry”.

Edwin Jackson, a 14-year veteran, pitched seven scoreless innings and had an RBI double, and rookie right fielder Jabari Blash got his first major league home run.

Cubs starter John Lackey allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings while striking out eight. The Padres made it 8-0 on Yangervis Solarte’s two-run, two-out home run in the sixth. Eddie Rosario had three hits and three RBIs, and Max Kepler had two hits and drove in two runs.

Junior Guerra (7-3) was the loser. Arizona lost its fourth straight and sixth in seven games. Ichiro came in to pinch-hit, but remains stuck at 2,298 hits after failing to get a hit.

ATLANTA (AP) – Ender Inciarte broke a tie with an RBI single in the fifth inning and offensively challenged Atlanta had 15 hits in its victory over Pittsburgh.

Lackey opposes right-hander Tom Koehler, who didn’t get a decision when he faced the Cubs on June 24 in Miami and allowed four runs and seven hits over six innings in a 5-4 Chicago victory.

BALTIMORE – Kevin Gausman outpitched Cole Hamels, and Baltimore rode a three-run first inning to a victory over Texas.

Chicago scored a run off Fernando Rodney in the eighth inning and then added another three runs in the ninth.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Jake Odorizzi had his third consecutive scoreless start, Steven Souza Jr. homered for the first time in two months and Tampa Bay routed Kansas City.

Christian Yelich had a solid day of his own with a double and a home run.

Tigers 2, White Sox 1:J.D.

CARDINALS 5, REDS 4: Brandon Moss singled home two runs in St. Louis’ four-run first inning, extending his season-long streak against Cincinnati. Benintendi was stranded when Xander Bogaerts fouled out to end the inning.

The Cubs celebrate Wednesday’s ninth-inning comeback win – their second walk-off win in four days.