ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nico Hoerner had an RBI double against former teammate Kyle Hendricks and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.
Hoerner and Matt Shaw each had two hits in backing right-hander Jameson Taillon (9-6), who allowed one run in five innings as the Cubs improved to 8-2 in winning their third straight series. Right-hander Daniel Palencia worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 20th save.
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Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Chase Silseth tries to field a ball during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Los Angeles Angels' Bryce Teodosio makes contact with the ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto, right, steals second base as Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, tries to tag him during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner hits a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Taylor Ward hit his 30th homer for the Angels, who fell to 2-7 since a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.
Hendricks (6-9) gave up four runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts in his first start against his former club. He joined the Angels this season after 11 seasons with Chicago, where he played a key role in their 2016 World Series title.
Ward reached 30 homers for the first time in his career with a first-inning blast for a 1-0 lead.
Kyle Tucker had a game-tying RBI single in the third inning and Hoerner had his run-scoring double in the fourth. The Cubs chased Hendricks in the fifth when they got a sacrifice fly from Pete Crow-Armstrong and an RBI single from Carson Kelly for a 4-1 lead.
The Angels pulled within a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Ward and a run-scoring grounder by Luis Rengifo.
After he walked the go-ahead run with one out in the ninth, Palencia struck out rookie Christian Moore on a full-count, 99.9-mph fastball, then ended it with a strikeout of Bryce Teodoso.
Tucker went 5 for 12 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the series, after he was given a three-game rest against Milwaukee last week,
Angels RHP Jose Soriano (8-9, 4.00 ERA) will face Texas on Monday.
The Cubs have not named a starter for their series opener at San Francisco on Tuesday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Chase Silseth tries to field a ball during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Los Angeles Angels' Bryce Teodosio makes contact with the ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto, right, steals second base as Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, tries to tag him during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner hits a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are opening the practice window for star linebacker Fred Warner with the hope that he could return if the team reaches the NFC title game.
Warner has been out since breaking and dislocating his right ankle in a loss at Tampa Bay on Oct. 12, with coach Kyle Shanahan initially describing it as a season-ending injury.
But Warner has been rehabbing since then and even was able to run on a side field last week during practice. Now he will be back officially at practice as the 49ers prepare to play Seattle in the divisional round on Saturday night and could return if San Francisco wins.
“We’re not doing much so he’ll walk through out there with us today and things like that, but hoping he can be ready for next week,” Shanahan said Tuesday.
Warner's presence on the practice field even for a walkthrough provided an emotional lift for the 49ers.
“For someone who really set the standard here, I would do anything to play with him again this year,” defensive tackle Kalia Davis said. “We want him back out there.”
Eric Kendricks is currently manning Warner's spot at middle linebacker after backup Tatum Bethune got hurt but wasn't ready to talk about what Warner's possible return would do for the team.
“We’re aren’t going to talk about next week, right? We’ve got Seattle,” Kendricks said. “We’ve got to beat Seattle. Let’s pump our brakes. We have to beat Seattle this week. .. This is what meaningful football is all about.”
The 49ers have made it this far despite losing their top two defensive players to injuries early in the season, with defensive end Nick Bosa going down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 and Warner getting hurt in Week 6.
Warner has been pushing to make a return and if he can, that would provide a needed boost. But Shanahan said the final decision will be in the hands of the team doctors.
“If he feels good and tells me he’s good, I’m probably going to think he is and trust him to get out there,” Shanahan said. “But you can't always think with your heart and emotionally. So you ask doctors where he’s at, all the things that these guys have to pass, just protocols that we have in with just sprinting and jumping and things like that. He’s got to hit all those before we feel it’s safe.”
But Shanahan added that as soon as the doctors clear Warner, "obviously it’ll be zero decision on my part.”
Warner had been a first-team All-Pro three straight seasons from 2022-24 and made the squad in 2020. His 947 career tackles are the second most for the team, behind Patrick Willis’ 950, as far as records go back to 2000.
Warner had missed only one game in his eight-year career before this injury, sitting out in 2021 with a hamstring injury. He played most of last season with a broken bone in his ankle and still earned All-Pro honors.
Warner signed a three-year extension worth $63 million in the offseason, keeping him under contract with the team through the 2029 season.
In other injury news, safety Ji'Ayir Brown (hamstring) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) all would have been unable to practice had the team held a session. Receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee), linebacker Dee Winters (ankle), guard Dominick Puni (ankle) and defensive lineman Keion White (groin, hamstring) all would have been limited.
Shanahan also said tight end George Kittle is set to have surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon on Wednesday. Kittle went on injured reserve Tuesday and tight end Brayden Willis was signed from the practice squad.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
FILE - San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner is carted off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)
FILE - San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) runs to the locker room after pregame warm-ups before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct 12, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit, File)
