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SAN DIEGO -- Kyle Hendricks has another weapon, although its not a pitch.It was on display when the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-3 to complete a three-game sweep on Wednesday.Its confidence, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. The biggest thing from last year to this year is the confidence thing. I think he believes he is one of the best right now.Hendricks, the major league ERA leader, pitched six effective innings to pace the Cubs.Maybe he wasnt as sharp as usual, but he was really good, Maddon said.Hendricks (12-7) gave up two runs and four hits, striking out eight and leaving with a 2.19 ERA. He has allowed no more than three earned runs in 17 straight starts.Over that span, Hendricks has pitched to a 1.70 ERA.Today I had some bad at the beginning and some good at the end, he said. I had both ends of the spectrum there.At the beginning my command was a little off. I finally started getting the ball down and found the movement on my two-seamer and started spotting that better. I was one roll from there.Three Cubs relievers took over for the NL Central leaders, with Aroldis Chapman pitching the ninth for his 29th save in 32 chances.I knew (Hendricks) was going to be really good this year but he has taken it to another level, Maddon said.Willson Contreras homered and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs as the Cubs won for the 22nd time in 27 games. At 81-45, they are 36 games over .500 for the first time since ending the 1945 season at 98-56.That was really loud, Maddon said of Contreras blast. You knew that was a home run when he hit it.The Padres have dropped nine of their past 12. Paul Clemens (2-3) took the loss.Jorge Soler and Addison Russell also drove in runs for the Cubs as they scored at least three runs for the 23rd consecutive game, second this season only to the Baltimore Orioles (28).Ryan Schimpf tripled and doubled for the Padres.The Cubs started fast when Dexter Fowler led off the game with a double and Kris Bryant nearly launched his third homer of the series. Instead, his drive hit the top of the wall and ended up being a long single.Kris Bryant is a tough hitter, Padres manager Andy Green said. Some guys have lanes you can pitch through, some hitters have small little holes. Kris Bryant has small holes.Zobrist then hit a two-run triple and scored on Solers sacrifice fly.Thats been the story of the last two outings, that first inning, Clemens said. Maybe I just got to wind myself up more in the bullpen.Maddon said jumping ahead was a key.We came out nicely in the first inning and that gave us the edge, he said. And Kyle ran with it from there.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Mike Montgomery (1-1, 2.77) starts Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. He makes his second start for the Cubs, after taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.Padres: RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 4.54) opens Fridays three-game set at Miami. He was traded from the Marlins to San Diego last month. New Orleans Pelicans Shirts . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Josh Gray Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. https://www.cheappelicans.com/ . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Jamal Mashburn Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. New Orleans Pelicans Pro Shop . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- With a lot of scouts watching these days, Jake Odorizzi delivered rare win for the Tampa Bay Rays.Odorizzi earned his first victory at Tropicana Field this season, Evan Longoria hit two home runs and the Rays won for just the fourth time in 28 games, beating the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Sunday.Odorizzi (4-5), who was 0-3 in 10 previous starts at home, gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings. Overall, he had been 0-2 in six starts since winning June 8 at Arizona.Scouts from playoff contenders including Texas, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington, Boston, Miami and the New York Mets have attended Odorizzis starts recently.Ive been through it multiple times, Odorizzi said. It doesnt really bother me any. Usually theres a lot more smoke than there is fire for a lot of the times.Longoria had solo shots in both the first and eighth innings. He has 21 homers this season after his 17th career multihomer game.Oswaldo Arcia had a two-run shot during the second and Brad Miller added a third-inning solo drive as the Rays took a 4-1 lead against Dylan Bundy (2-2), who allowed four runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings in his first major league start.Bundy, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, has thrown 38 innings in 22 relief appearances this season. He was limited to a combined 17 minor league games the previous two years after Tommy John surgery in 2013.Its all part of the process, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Its more about us not scoring runs today.Showalter said Bundy will remain in the rotation.After Erasmo Ramirez went two scoreless innings for the Rays, AL All-Star Alex Colome got the final three outs to get his 20th save in as many chances.Manny Machado had a first-inning sacrifice fly and Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer in the sixth for the Orioles.Baltimore went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position through five innings, including a two-oout flyball by Chris Davis with the bases loaded in the fifth.ddddddddddddTRAINERS ROOMOrioles: Showalter said OF Hyun Soo Kim, who was out of the lineup for the third straight game due to a strained right hamstring, is getting close. Kim went through a running program.Rays: RHPs Chase Whitley (Tommy John surgery) and Brad Boxberger (left oblique) are both scheduled to make their first rehab appearance Monday night for Class A Charlotte. ... INF Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) is scheduled to be with Charlotte for the third consecutive day Monday.LONGOS LONG BALLLongoria (eight) is just the third third baseman, joining Eddie Mathews (nine) and Scott Rolen (eight) to reach 20 homers in at least eight of their first nine seasons. ... Longoria has 32 homers, including 31 while playing third base, off the Orioles. The only third baseman with more against Baltimore is Alex Rodriguez, who has 32.NUMBERS GAMEBundy allowed three homers in his 38 innings out of the bullpen. ... Arcia was hitless in 21 at-bats before his homer. ... Bundy struck out four and walked three during his 70-pitch outing.COBBS CONDITIONRays RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) had a 25-pitch bullpen session and the team said he might throw off a mound again Wednesday. He was originally scheduled to make his third rehab start for Charlotte Sunday but it was decided that he would work on mechanics instead. Cobb lasted a combined 1 2/3 innings in his first two starts.UP NEXTOrioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (1-6) goes against New York RHP Ivan Nova (6-5) Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.Rays: Tampa Bay looks to end a 10-game road losing streak when LHP Drew Smyly (2-10) faces Colorado LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3) Monday night. Smyly is winless in nine starts, including six losses. ' ' '