CHICAGO -- Manager David Ross noted ahead of Friday’s game against a vaunted Braves lineup that, if starter Kyle Hendricks executed his game plan well on the mound, he would give the Cubs a chance to win.

For three innings, Hendricks did just that, effectively quieting an Atlanta offense known for sending souvenirs into the bleachers at a historic pace. The veteran right-hander made it into the top of the fourth unscathed, looking as though he’d give his team an opportunity to continue its torrid second-half success.

Come the fourth inning, the Braves provided another example of how hard it is to contain their potent bats. Atlanta sent 11 hitters to the plate amid a seven-run outburst that ended Hendricks’ solid start on a sour note in an 8-0 loss at Wrigley Field.

“Just one of those days,” Hendricks said. “That’s just obviously a really good lineup over there. They put some good swings on some balls. [I] maybe made two mistakes there. Not trying to give in, just trying to keep our team in the game. And it just blew up on me.”

The fourth-inning barrage snapped what had been a strong stretch for Hendricks coming into Friday. He’d just strung together three consecutive quality starts, having thrown a season-high-tying seven innings in his previous outing Sunday in St. Louis. 

Hendricks carried that momentum into Friday, unleashing his mix of sinkers, four-seamers and changeups to hold Atlanta hitless through the first three frames. Only one of the seven batted balls the Braves produced exceeded an exit velocity of 84.5 mph. 

Said quiet at-bats became a thing of the past one inning later.  

Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the frame with a 115.4 mph single, which was followed by a 103.1 mph double from Ozzie Albies. After Hendricks got Austin Riley out on a run-scoring fielder’s choice, Matt Olson connected on an RBI double that Sean Murphy and Marcell Ozuna followed up with back-to-back blasts. 

In the blink of an eye, the Braves were up 5-0. 

“They jumped on him,” Ross said. "That’s the kind of lineup they’ve got. They can put a big number on you really fast, which they did in that one inning.”

Michael Harris II added an RBI single, and Acuña followed with an RBI triple that capped off the onslaught. It marked the first time the Braves had six extra-base hits in a single inning since June 11, 2002.

Per Hendricks, Atlanta’s aggression was something he and the Cubs expected heading into the fourth.

“We kind of knew after those first three innings, they were all takes first pitch,” Hendricks said. “We evaluated in the dugout that they’re probably going to come out swinging. So we tried to do a couple different things there. Some pitches off the plate they still got to. Again, you’ve got to tip your cap sometimes.”

The Braves’ sudden explosiveness made it appear they figured out all of Hendricks’ tricks after one trip through the lineup. That may have been the case with Murphy and Ozuna’s homers.

Both players homered on the first pitch they saw in the fourth, and both blasts came on offerings that they each had produced weak contact on in the second inning. Hendricks used a middle-away changeup to get Murphy out on a weak grounder to third that frame. Atlanta’s catcher sent that same pitch -- located mere inches closer to the strike zone -- just over the wall in left in his next at-bat.

Likewise, Hendricks got Ozuna to chase a sinker inside for a soft groundout. He offered Ozuna a first-pitch sinker that broke over the plate in the fourth, and the designated hitter blasted it onto Waveland Avenue. 

"He was making pitches and keeping the ball on the corners,” Murphy said. “I think we just adjusted our approach, made sure we didn't chase what we didn't want, didn't swing at the pitches he wanted us to swing at and get the ones that we can get." 

Despite the rough showing, Atlanta’s outburst did little to quell the good vibes the Cubs have established since the All-Star break. No longer under the microscope of an impending Trade Deadline, Hendricks was quick to note his plan moving forward from Friday. 

“Flush it, move on,” he said. “Disappointed I didn’t keep us close with how good we’ve been playing and give us a chance there. But yeah, it’s going to happen in baseball. One of those days, flush it and move on to tomorrow.”