The pitching, in particular another fine outing from Wilkel Hernandez, was good. The bats were ice cold. The only positive in the lineup was Matt Vierling’s return to the outfield. He played right field and got his three plate appearances in before Ryan Kreidler hit for him late in the game.
Wilkel Hernandez has been a nice story early on. With a more effective changeup, Hernandez has improved his ability to handle left-handed hitters. He blanked the Cubs for five innings in this one, scattering four hits and a walk with four strikeouts as he cut his ERA to 2.