Joe Maddon wasn't about to give Cubs starter Jason Hammel a lot of rope Thursday night against the visiting Giants. The result was a no-decision when Hammel was on the verge of qualifying for a win.
Hammel pitched just four-plus innings and allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Those two walks led off the fifth and motivated Maddon to remove him from the game. None of the runs scored.
The runs that did score crossed the plate with two out in the fourth, when Hunter Pence doubled and Brandon Belt followed with a home run.
Hammel expressed disappointment after the game that Maddon removed him early. "I felt like I had earned the right to get out of that situation," he told CSNChicago.com.
Hammel has yielded nine runs in his last 13 2/3 innings over three starts.