Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/3/20): Cubs 2, Royals 0 – Mills Great, KB Homers in Shutout Win

The Cubs have had terrific starting pitching all season long and that trend continued Monday as Alec Mills completely shut down his former team in a dominant win at Wrigley Field.

Kansas City starter Danny Duffy matched Mills zero for zero through four innings, but the Cubs finally got to him in the 5th. The KC lefty almost escaped unscathed from a bases-loaded jam, but Javy Báez hit a sacrifice fly to right to give Chicago the lead.

Mills really settled in after allowing a couple runners early and retired the last 11 batters he faced in seven scoreless innings. Kris Bryant announced his return to the lineup with a solo homer to left in the 7th off Ian Kennedy.

Casey Sadler and Rowan Wick came out of the bullpen and closed out the Cubs shutout victory. (Box score)

Why the Cubs Won

Mills and the relief corps kept the Royals off the board. A light offensive day doesn’t hurt in that scenario.

Key Moment

Bryant’s homer was his first of the season and provided crucial insurance in a one-run game.

Stats That Matter

• Mills has been so impressive in his two starts: 7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 K, and 3 BB.
• David Bote had three terrific plays in the field that were huge in a tight game.
• Wick picked up his second save of the year as he tries to stake a claim on the closer spot.

Bottom Line

Pitching and defense will win you a lot of games, The Cubs have displayed a lot of that recently and wins have followed.

On Deck

The second game of the series is Tuesday night at 7:15pm CT. Kyle Hendricks faces young Brady Singer in a game airing on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score.