CHICAGO _ The Cubs avoided being no-hit Wednesday night when Anthony Rizzo led off the seventh inning with a double off Adam Plutko, but they couldn't muster much else in a 1-0 loss that completed a two-game sweep by the Indians at Wrigley Field.
Willson Contreras followed Rizzo's hit with an infield single, but the Cubs failed to score as they were held to one run in two games.
That run came on a pinch-hit homer Tuesday from Ian Happ, who returned to the leadoff spot for the first time since April 17 and went 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout.
Happ led off the bottom of the first with a walk, but he wandered too far on a fly to left by Kyle Schwarber and was doubled off first.
Plutko, 26, an 11th round pick out of UCLA in the 2013 draft, retired the previous 13 batters while throwing 81 pitches through six. Plutko, making his fourth major-league appearance, walked the bases loaded in the second but induced Jon Lester to ground to shortstop.
Lester, who is 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his last six starts, allowed a single to Rajai Davis to open the third. Davis moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Plutko and scored on a two-out single by Michael Brantley.
