CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs exercised their $20 million option on Cole Hamels on Friday http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-manny-pina-jersey , solidifying their rotation for next year, and traded fellow left-hander Drew Smyly to the Texas Rangers.Hamels, who turns 35 in December, went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts after he was acquired in a July 27 trade with Texas — a frequent trade partner for Chicago since Theo Epstein took over the Cubs’ front office in 2011. Had the Cubs declined the option and paid a $6 million buyout, the Rangers would have paid the Cubs an additional $6 million.The 29-year-old Smyly is heading to Texas after missing his only year in Chicago as part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery in June 2017. The Cubs also parted with a player to be named in exchange for a player to be named.Smyly signed a $10 million, two-year contract with Chicago last December. He was healthy at the end of last season, but the contending Cubs ran out of time in terms of bringing him back.Chicago also claimed infielder Jack Reinheimer off waivers from the New York Mets. The 26-year-old Reinheimer hit .167 in 21 games with New York this year.Hamels gives manager Joe Maddon a deep group of starting pitchers as the Cubs try for their fifth consecutive playoff appearance. Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish also are expected to return, with Mike Montgomery and Tyler Chatwood waiting in the wings.Hamels, a former first-round pick, made his major league debut with Philadelphia in 2006. He is 156-114 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 big league seasons.He was working on perhaps the worst season of his career when Chicago got him from Texas for right-hander Eddie Butler, minor league pitcher Rollie Lacy and a player to be named. He was 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts with the last-place Rangers at the time of the trade Cecil Cooper Jersey , but the Cubs felt a change of scenery and a pennant race might help him get back on track.They were right.Hamels had an instant impact with Chicago, going 4-0 with a sparkling 0.79 ERA in his first five starts with the team. He was unbeaten with the Cubs until he was hit hard in a loss at Arizona in his 10th start on Sept. 19.When the NL wild-card game went into extra innings, Hamels made just his second major league relief appearance and responded with two scoreless innings in Chicago’s 2-1 loss to Colorado. He is 7-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 career playoff appearances.The option completes the deal Hamels signed with Philadelphia in July 2012, bringing the total value to $158 million for seven years.Hamels struck out 13 while pitching a no-hitter at Wrigley Field in his final start with Philadelphia in 2015. He was traded to Texas six days later, and helped the Rangers to two AL West titles.Earlier this week, the Cubs exercised their $6.25 million option for Pedro Strop and fellow reliever Brandon Kintzler picked up his $5 million player option.Strop, one of the baseball’s most consistent relievers since he was acquired in a July 2013 trade with Baltimore, went 6-1 with 13 saves and a 2.26 ERA in 60 appearances last season. ATLANTA (AP) — DJ LeMahieu and the Colorado Rockies are quite comfortable on the road. Even against baseball’s best teams.LeMahieu homered, German Marquez pitched seven solid innings and the Rockies closed out their first four-game sweep in Atlanta with a 4-2 victory over the Braves on Sunday.Colorado improved to 30-16 since June 26, and each of those 46 games came against teams with winning records at the time. The Rockies are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston and Atlanta, facing the Astros and Braves on the road.“Yeah, it’s tough teams but we’re definitely not nervous or scared to play anyone with our team http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-hernan-perez-jersey ,” LeMahieu said. “We all know we have a really good team here. It makes it easy to show up at the park.”LeMahieu put Colorado in front with his third-inning drive to left field . He has hit nine of his 11 homers on the road, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the 10th inning of Saturday night’s 5-3 win.“No explanation,” LeMahieu said when asked about his road success. “Just kind of random, I guess.”Rockies manager Bud Black said his team, battling Arizona for the NL West lead, is playing “good, all-around clean baseball,” but still can hit better.Atlanta’s four straight losses, tied for its longest streak of the season, followed a five-game winning streak.“In this business, every time you think you have something figured out, you get kicked right in the teeth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.Marquez (11-9) won his fourth straight road decision. He allowed two runs and five hits Domingo Santana Jersey , struck out five and walked one.“Hopefully we can keep this rolling all the way to the World Series,” Marquez said through a translator.Marquez allowed a run in the first when Freddie Freeman doubled and scored on Johan Camargo’s single. He then threw four straight scoreless innings before Camargo’s single in the sixth drove in Freeman again.Trevor Story led off the second with a tying homer off Atlanta’s Anibal Sanchez (6-4) into the Colorado bullpen behind the left-field wall.Following LeMahieu’s homer in the third, David Dahl doubled and scored on Nolan Arenado’s single.Sanchez struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with three runs and five hits.Wade Davis gave up a one-out single to Inciarte but had three strikeouts in the ninth for his NL-leading 35th save.Colorado’s only previous sweep in Atlanta was a three-game series from Sept. 12-14, 1997.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies: LHP Mike Dunn (left shoulder inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. He has been out since July 7. “It’s going to be a lengthy rehab assignment,” Black said, adding Dunn will need “multiple outings.”Braves: LHP Sam Freeman (left shoulder inflammation) was activated off the 10-day disabled list. LHP Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.STREAKS ENDBraves rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. was 0 for 4, ending his 11-game hitting streak. His team-record streak of reaching safely in nine consecutive plate appearances leading off a game also ended with his fly ball to center in the first.WEST WOESThe Braves fell to 9-18 against the NL West this season. They are 40-19 against NL East teams.ROAD KINGSThe Rockies improved to 37-29 away from Coors Field. They have won their last four series in Atlanta; the Braves won two of three in Colorado from April 6-8.UP NEXTRockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (6-5, 4.39 ERA) tries to bounce from a rough outing at Houston when he gets the ball in the opener of a three-game series against visiting San Diego on Tuesday night. The Rockies are 16-5 at home since July 2.Braves: RHP Kevin Gausman (7-9, 4.22 ERA) starts when Atlanta opens a seven-game road trip at Pittsburgh on Monday night.