Chicago Cubs

Rangers start second half of season with loss to Cubs

Published Jul. 15, 2016 8:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Texas Rangers started the second half of the season the way they ended the first, struggling to get back to the form that has given them the best record in the American League.

The Chicago Cubs beat Texas 6-0 on Friday, handing the Rangers their eighth loss in 10 games -- and their third straight going back to before the All-Star break.

Addison Russell's two-run single keyed a five-run sixth inning for the Cubs, and Kyle Hendricks (8-6) combined with four relievers to hold the Rangers to five hits.

While the Cubs' sixth-inning outburst chased Rangers starter Martin Perez (7-6), Texas manager Jeff Banister said his club's pitching wasn't the problem -- it was the pitching performance by the Cubs' Hendricks.

"He was extremely stingy with the middle part of the plate today," Banister said. "We couldn't get anything off the barrel."

One of the Cubs' runs in the sixth came on a throwing error by Prince Fielder, in a rare start at first base due to interleague play.

"The sixth inning got away from us," Banister said. "I felt like Martin was still making good pitches, still had life on his pitches. We just didn't help him out."

Perez said the Rangers weren't worried by the recent slump. Despite the loss, Texas (54-37) still has the most wins in the AL.

"We just have to go back tomorrow and stay focused and find a way to go back to winning," Perez said.

The Cubs are trying to come out of their own slump, winning for just the seventh time in 22 games. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Hendricks' emergence as a solid starter has been key as aces Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have struggled.

"Kyle's one of the best pitchers in the National League right now and nobody is talking about it," Maddon said.

Carl Edwards Jr. struck out two in a perfect seventh and Travis Wood, Pedro Strop and Justin Grimm combined for the final six outs in Chicago's eighth shutout.

The Cubs, who entered percentage points ahead of Texas for the second-best record in the majors behind San Francisco, had seven hits on an unseasonably cool, drizzly day with the wind blowing in.

The breeze kept Anthony Rizzo's drive to right in the park in the sixth that helped load the bases and extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Two batters later Russell came through.

"We played poorly the last three weeks or so and showed our vulnerability and humanity as a team," Cubs president Theo Epstein said. "In the long run that might be a good thing because it means we know how hard we have to work and how well we have to play to get where we want to go."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: LHP Jake Diekman, who cut his left index finger on a beer mug earlier this month in Boston, was placed on the 15-day disabled list. It's retroactive to July 6. ... RHP Keone Kela (elbow) was activated. ... LF Shin-Soo Choo (back) was out of the lineup. Ryan Rua replaced him, while Odor led off.

Cubs: OF Dexter Fowler (hamstring) isn't expected back before the end of next week. ... C David Ross was activated off the seven-day concussion list. ... RHP Trevor Cahill (right knee tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day DL. ... OF Jorge Soler (hamstring) could start a rehab assignment soon. ... RHP Adam Warren returned to the bullpen, but could make another spot start.

PEREZ'S HIT

Perez recorded his first major league hit with a swinging bunt toward third base in the second. He had been 0 for 9. "I'm not a fast guy, I just hit the ball and I looked at third base and I just said, `He's far from the ball,'" said Perez, who was charged with five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

FORMER RANGERS HURT OLD CLUB

Four of the Cubs pitchers were formerly in the Rangers organization. Strop made his major league debut with the team in 2010 while Edwards, Grimm and Hendricks were all drafted by Texas. Banister said he didn't think much about what might have been had the club held on to Hendricks. "I don't covet other teams' players," Banister said. "He's a solid player for the Chicago Cubs... I like the players we got."

UP NEXT

Rangers RHP Yu Darvish (2-0, 2.87 ERA) returns from the disabled list and starts Saturday against Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (7-5, 3.46). Darvish is expected to throw 85-90 pitches.