CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks began the season as the Cubs No. 5 starter. Hes on pace to finish it as the major leagues ERA leader and -- if manager Joe Maddon has his way -- potentially with an even bigger trophy.Hendricks threw seven dominant innings to lower the majors best ERA to 2.09 and Anthony Rizzo homered to lead the Cubs past the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Tuesday night for Chicagos 21st victory in August.He has to be in Cy Young contention, Maddon said. Put the radar gun in your back pocket and look at what hes doing. There has to be strong consideration, not just consideration.Hendricks (13-7) allowed three hits and has given up three or fewer runs in 18 straight starts. He didnt allow a hit until Gregory Polancos bloop to left-center in the fifth and faced the minimum 17 batters until John Jasos two-out double in the sixth.Not bad for a guy who doesnt often hit 90 mph with his fastball.Hes not the guy whos getting away with plus-plus stuff. Hes just executing his game plan and he knows how to attack hitters, Rizzo said. He studies hitters and he went to Dartmouth and he has a really good education. So he out-tricks guys.Rizzo belted a two-run homer off Chad Kuhl (3-2) in the first and Miguel Montero added an RBI single an inning later as the Cubs improved to 84-47 despite only five hits.Carl Edwards Jr. worked the eighth and Aroldis Chapman hit 103 mph in a perfect ninth to finished the four-hitter for his 31st save. The Cubs improved to 21-6 this month, one win shy of the best August in franchise history set in 1932.Hendricks is well ahead of No. 2 Madison Bumgarner of San Francisco (2.49) in the ERA race. He only struck out four, but the Pirates had little solid contact as he kept them off-balance with a mix of pitches, including two- and four-seam fastballs.My fastball command was really good, Hendricks said. My curveball may have been the best its been all year. I threw a lot of good ones today.Andrew McCutchens one-out single in the seventh was the other hit off the right-hander. Hendricks is seeking to become the first Cubs pitcher to win the major league ERA title since Bill Lee in 1938.Since Sept. 1, 2015, Hendricks is 18-7 with a 2.25 ERA, Cy Young Award-type numbers.Where I was at last year and my goals coming into this year, what I was trying to do, I definitely didnt see myself as being a part of that, Hendricks said. I had my sights set a little lower.Kuhl, in his ninth major league start, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings as the Pirates lost their second straight after winning four in a row.Jordy Mercer doubled with two outs off Edwards in the eighth before pinch-hitter Matt Joyce flied deep to center to end Pittsburghs best threat.The Pirates fell 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild-card as they flailed away against Hendricks.The command, the execution, manager Clint Hurdle said. I thought I was back in 1987 with Greg Maddux on the mound.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) played catch, a day after being put on the 15-day disabled list. He could return as soon as Sept. 9. Hopefully, (the rehab) will go quickly, Cole said. . INF Jung Ho Kang (shoulder), working out with Indianapolis, is expected to begin an official rehab stint with the Triple-A team this week.Cubs: RHP John Lackey (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Thursday. If it goes well, he could start Sunday vs. San Francisco.SUSPECT FIELDA large chunk of the outfield in center and right fields was re-sodded and looks chewed up after Wrigley Field hosted Pearl Jam and Billy Joel concerts while the Cubs were away.Its like a field after a concert, RF Jason Heyward said.UP NEXTRHP Jason Hammel (13-7, 3.21) was moved up to start Wednesday nights series finale against RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-3, 3.02). LHP Mike Montgomery was pushed to Thursday. Hammel was lifted after allowing three runs in 2 1/3 innings Saturday. He wants to get back out there, Maddon said. Discount Nike Air Max 1 . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Nike Air Max 1 2021 .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. https://www.cheapairmax1store.com/ . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Replica Nike Air Max 1 . LUCIE, Fla. Nike Air Max 1 2020 . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. NEWARK, N.J. -- Down by a goal and late in a four-minute power play in the closing minutes of the third period, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville took a chance and pulled his goaltender with more than two minutes to play.It didnt take long for Marian Hossa to make the gamble pay off, setting the stage for Artem Anisimov to be a hero in overtime.Hossa tied the score with 2:11 remaining in regulation and Anisimov scored on a rebound at 1:15 of overtime as the Blackhawks rallied to beat New Jersey 3-2 on Friday night, handing the Devils their first home loss.Time was running out and 6-on-4 is a pretty dangerous look, Quenneville said. Fortunately, we had a quick little play at the net. We had an ordinary 5-on-4 and it was running out, and I still figured with 2 1/2 (minutes) or two and change, youd like that 6-on-4.Hossa was the player who came off the bench with about 35-to-40 seconds left in the four-minute high-sticking penalty to Vernon Fiddler, and it only took about 10 seconds for him to score.Jonathan Toews sent the puck from the right circle through the crease and Richard Panik and Hossa swept their sticks at it simultaneously with Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid on the other side of the net.It was a free lane at the far post and I put everything I had just to make sure I put it in the net, Hossa said. I know Richard put his stick there also, and we just shoveled everything into the net. It doesnt matter who got the goal as long as it was the tying goal.Artemi Panarin, who also scored for Chicago, took a shot from the right circle on Anisimovs fifth goal of the season. Kinkaid, who made 26 saves, stopped the shot but he no chance on the rebound.The puck came to me in the right position, and I just put it in, Anisimov said.Crawford had kept the Blackhawks in the game in the first two periods, stopping 25 of 26 shots, including all 16 in the second period.Chicago outshot New Jersey 17-4 in the third period and overtime.PA Parenteau and John Moore scored for New Jersey, which was 3-0 at home. Kinkaid made 26 savess in his first start of the season.dddddddddddd.If you break this game down, we controlled the play, we played hard, dictated the play of the game, Devils coach John Hynes said. We played hard enough to earn a point, and didnt play smart enough to earn two points.Moore had given the Devils the lead early in the third period with a slam dunk in front.Taylor Hall did all the work on Moores first goal of the season. He carried the puck into the Blackhawks zone, skated into the right circle and sent a backhand pass toward the net. The puck hit off the skate of Devils forward Kyle Palmieri and went right to a wide-open Moore.Panarin, who hit a goalpost in the first period, tied the score 1-1 in the second period with a power-play goal just 13 seconds after Devils defenseman Damon Severson was called for hooking.Patrick Kane found last years rookie of the year in the left circle and he beat Kinkaid with a shot to the top corner with Anisimov screening the goaltender.Parenteau had given New Jersey the lead with a power-play goal with 4:28 left in the first period. Crawford stopped defenseman Yohann Auvitus point shot, but the puck popped in the air, hit off Devils forward Devante Smith-Pelly and Parenteau swatted in the rebound for his third goal.Crawford was the difference in second period, stopping all 16 shots by New Jersey. His best were a snapping glove on a Hall power-play chance with New Jersey ahead 1-0 and point-blank rebound stop of Beau Bennett with the game tied 1-all.Game notes Blackhawks assistant coach Kevin Dineen turned 53. ... Nick Lappin, a Geneva, Illinois, native who grew up a Blackhawks fan, make his NHL debut for the Devils. ... The Devils were 2-0 against Chicago last season. ... Anisimov leads the Blackhawk with 10 points.UP NEXTBlackhawks: Host Los Angeles on Sunday night to start a three-game homestand.Devils: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night to finish a four-game homestand. ' ' '