Cubs starter Jason Hammel pitched well enough to win Friday against Miami. But counterpart Tom Koehler pitched just a little bit better.
Hammel allowed just two earned runs on five hits in seven innings with one walk and five strikeouts. But blasts by Christian Yelich in the first inning and Justin Bour in the sixth doomed him to his fourth loss in nine decisions.
Inconsistency has plagued Hammel recently. He has not managed successive quality starts since his first two outings in June. But his latest effort lowered his ERA on the season to a fine 2.89.