last hour and a half, we were so good in our areas and relentless. We didnt get the results we wanted but we knew today if we came back, it would change for us. This is one of those sessions we will

CHICAGO -- A year ago, Kyle Hendricks might have been satisfied giving up a couple runs in a start.Now, as a Cy Young candidate, Hendricks expects more from himself.Hendricks, the major league ERA leader, allowed two runs in six innings and remained stuck on 15 victories as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the NL Central champion Chicago Cubs 3-1 Sunday.It definitely means my mentality is just in a different place, Hendricks said. This game last year, I probably would have been a lot happier with it. Resulting in a loss, I feel like I could have done a little more just with the tools I have available to me, where Im at this year.Hendricks (15-8), making his first start since losing a no-hit bid in the ninth inning at St. Louis, struck out nine and gave up six hits. His ERA rose from 2.03 to 2.06 as he lost for the first time since July 26 at the White Sox.Last year, he went 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA in his second season.We have not supported him run-wise a lot this year, and theres another great example today, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. He definitely pitched well enough to win, and we only came up with the one run, so its just unfortunate. He didnt have his best stuff, but nine punchouts and two runs in six, pretty good day.Tyler Thornburg struck out Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo with two on in the ninth to earn his 11th save in 16 chances.The Cubs have lost four of six and are trying to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs. They resumed playing their regulars after clinching the division Thursday. The Cubs went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.We hit the ball well, Maddon said. This is one of those days (with) the culmination of the wind blowing in and their defense played well. We had good at-bats.Chris Carter homered and Martin Maldonado and pitcher Wily Peralta (7-10) added RBI singles for the Brewers, who took three of four games from the Cubs.Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun got a scheduled day off after hitting two home runs Saturday.As much as anything, it just speaks to them finishing the season and finishing it strong and continuing to play at a high level, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.Hendricks hasnt allowed more than two earned runs in a home start since April 15 against Colorado. In each of his last 21 starts, he has surrendered three or fewer earned runs.Fastball command just wasnt great, Hendricks said. So its something Ive got to hone back in this week in my bullpens. But that happens from time to time. It shouldnt be too much of an adjustment.The right-hander struck out the first three batters before allowing a single to Hernan Perez to start the second inning. The Brewers hit three straight singles to score two runs.Theyre playing good baseball right now, Hendricks said. Their lineup, everybody is putting together good at-bats. Theyre aggressive, but then theyll surprise you at times when theyre patient.Carter hit his 36th home run, a solo shot, off Felix Pena in the eighth.Tommy La Stella pinch hit for Hendricks in the sixth and doubled in a run. Anthony Rizzo missed a game-tying home run when he flied out to the right-field warning track in the seventh.Peralta gave up a run on nine hits and struck out five in six innings.LOOKING AHEADBeyond home-field advantage in the playoffs, Maddon wants to reach 100 victories. Theyre at 94 right now. Its a pretty neat number. Ive never done that before, said Maddon, who won 97 in 2008 with Tampa and last year with Chicago.A CHANGELHP Mike Montgomery will return to the bullpen after pitching as the sixth starter, Maddon said. The Cubs are expected to use a bullpen day during their Pittsburgh series Sept. 26-29.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler (tight side) is day-to-day after he underwent an MRI, Maddon said. Soler could resume playing Monday or Tuesday after taking swings in the batting cage.UP NEXTBrewers: After a day off Monday, RHP Matt Garza (5-7, 4.22 ERA) is to start the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Pirates.Cubs: RHP Jason Hammel (14-9, 3.60) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game set against the visiting Reds, who are expected to start RHP Tim Adleman (2-4, 4.21). Custom Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Michael Feliz Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/1212e-pie-traynor-jersey-pirates.html . 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We watched on TV for so many years how hard it was to was for South Africa to come here and do well, du Plessis said. I suppose the younger guys looking from back home can see that its possible to come here and to an extent and dominate an Australian team. It is extremely special for us. Its something we will remember as a team. Thats exactly what we came here to do, we want to create memories together.Not since the West Indies between 1984 and 1992 has a team won three successive series in Australia but that is not the only thing that stands out about this South African victory. It is that they did it without the two players who have been stalwarts for a decade - AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn who are both injured - and Morne Morkel about whom there are concerns about match fitness. Also Hashim Amla, the leader of the batting line-up, contributed only 48 runs across three innings.It has taken a total team effort, something du Plessis has lauded. This team has been very close to exceptional, he said. There havent been many things weve done wrong. We have been consistent in the way we perform. We are not relying on one or two players. All XI are putting our hands up at different times and thats what you want from your team.Australia were warned of South Africas ability to spread the load last month in the ODI series. Albeit in a different format, in different conditions, South Africas 5-0 victory did provide the springboard for this series. We came across here with a lot of confidence, du Plessis said.Self-belief helped South Africa bounce back from a poor first day in Perth to take 10 for 86 and set themselves up for victory there. It also propelled them to pluck Australia for 85 in the first innings in Hobart. The twin collapses showed South Africa that Australia had weaknesses they could exploit, especially if they targetted their senior players.When you are a team thats undeer the pump and under pressure and not playing as well as you like, confidence will fade away, du Plessis said.dddddddddddd Its hard to fake it. We didnt give them the opportunity to do it [assert themselves over a long period of time]. It was important to keep the important guys in the team quiet - David Warner and Steve Smith. If you can put a lot of pressure on them, the younger guys wont have that same punch. We made sure those guys have been relatively quiet in the series. Even guys like [Mitchell] Starc, he bowled well in that one spell but if you are on top, thats when you get a five-for and you clean the tail up. We were just really good in making sure we stopped that. On the other hand, once South Africa got an opening, they were unstoppable. It took just 95 minutes for them to finish Australia off on the fourth morning. Du Plessis did not expect the series win to come so quickly, although he suspected victory was inevitable after the pressure his bowlers piled on late on the third day. I didnt expect it to happen that quickly, du Plessis said. Yesterday, our bowling was exceptional. The last hour and a half, we were so good in our areas and relentless. We didnt get the results we wanted but we knew today if we came back, it would change for us. This is one of those sessions we will always remember as a team, that won us the series and it was unbelievable.It was unbelievable because it was more dominant than a South African side has ever been in Australia. Four years ago, South Africa battled through the first two drawn Tests and then won the third. Eight years ago, they won the first two Tests and lost the third. This time, du Plessis wants to take everything South Africa can from this trip, which means a win in their first day-night Test in Adelaide.That is the mission for us now, he said. We want to do that very badly. We wont rest on our laurels and be happy with 2-1 or even 2-0. Weve got Australia in a position where they are under pressure and we dont want to let that go. Its hard enough to get them in this position so we will do everything we can to make it 3-0.What memories that will make. ' ' '