CHICAGO -- So much for that little slump for Kris Bryant. One big swing against Clayton Kershaw's vaunted curveball was enough to get the rookie back on track.
Bryant connected twice for his first career multihomer game, and the Chicago Cubs beat Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Monday night.
"He's been struggling a bit lately, K.B. has," Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said, "and I just love the fact that he continues to battle."
Bryant had just one hit in his previous 18 at-bats before he drove a 1-2 curveball from Kershaw over the wall in right for a two-run home run in the third. His two-out drive on an elevated fastball from Adam Liberatore in the eighth was his 10th of the season and led to a curtain call for the slugger.
"It's a game of peaks and valleys, and I was on a valley," Bryant said. "I just went into the game telling myself I'm due, I'm due for a big game, and I got it."
Matt Szczur also had a home run against Kershaw as Chicago (38-30) moved eight games over .500 for the first time since it was 82-74 in 2009, according to STATS. It was the first home run of the season for Szczur, who was promoted from Class AAA Iowa before the game for his fourth major league stint of the year.
"It was a good game all around," Bryant said.
The two home runs off Kershaw (5-5) ran his total for the year to 11, two more than he allowed all of last season. The reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out nine in seven innings, ending a string of three consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts.
"A couple pitches here or there. Just wish they were doubles instead of homers, but it happens sometimes," Kershaw said. "You could say you can live with the solo homers, but a two-run homer with two outs and two strikes is tough there."
The Cubs got solid work from five relievers after Tsuyoshi Wada departed in the third because of cramping in the back of his left arm. Center fielder Dexter Fowler was replaced in the fifth after he sprained his left ankle.
Bryant's Travis Wood (4-3) pitched 3 1/3 innings and earned the victory. Jason Motte allowed Joc Pederson's 19th home run in the ninth before finishing for his second save on his 33rd birthday.
Wada gave up a leadoff home run to Kike Hernandez and a single by A.J. Ellis before he was replaced by Wood with no outs in the third. The team said Wada had cramping in his left deltoid muscle and would be evaluated again today.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 5 Jose Bautista hit his 15th home run during a four-run sixth inning and visiting Toronto beat Tampa Bay. Jose Reyes and Dioner Navarro also homered for the Blue Jays. Bautista's leadoff shot against Matt Andriese (2-2) broke a 3-3 tie. Reliever Ronald Belisario gave up the other three runs in the inning that included an RBI double by Chris Colabello. Tampa Bay's Asdrubal Cabrera was ejected by plate umpire Kerwin Danley for arguing a called third strike in the fifth. Heading back to the dugout, Cabrera threw his helmet and bat toward the mound, where crew chief Joe West picked them up and gave them to a stadium security official.
TIGERS 8, INDIANS 5 Yoenis Cespedes drove in three runs, Miguel Cabrera reached base four times and Detroit defeated host Cleveland for the 15th time in the past 18 meetings. Cespedes hit an RBI double off Trevor Bauer (6-4) in the first inning, homered in the third and added a sacrifice fly in Detroit's four-run fourth as the Tigers improved to 8-2 against the Indians this season.
TWINS 13, WHITE SOX 2 Kennys Vargas went 4 for 4 with a three-run home run and four RBI, rookie Byron Buxton had three hits in his first time batting leadoff in the majors, and host Minnesota defeated Chicago. Joe Mauer homered to start a five-run fourth against starter John Danks (3-8), and Eduardo Nunez punctuated the inning with a two-out, two-run shot.
INTERLEAGUE
PHILLIES 11, YANKEES 8 Maikel Franco homered twice among his career-high four hits and drove in five runs, helping Philadelphia snap a 12-game road skid against host New York. Ben Revere and Freddy Galvis each had three hits and everyone in the Phillies' starting lineup had at least one hit except for the struggling Chase Utley. Philadelphia, losers of 23 of 30, had season highs for runs and hits (18). New York was roughed up for 10 or more runs in consecutive home games for the second time this year.
Sports on 06/23/2015