NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 14, BRAVES 10
CHICAGO -- Although Javy Baez usually swings as if every pitch is a potential home run, the Cubs slugger knew the conditions at Wrigley Field on Saturday warranted a different approach.
Baez lined a three-run double as Chicago scored nine times in the eighth inning on just three hits, rallying past the wild Atlanta Braves 14-10 in miserable cold, wet and windy conditions.
"I didn't try to do too much to it," Baez said. "Obviously, a ball in the air wasn't going anywhere with the wind today. Just being smart and hitting the ball good."
The Cubs trailed 9-1 in the third inning, were still down 10-2 in the sixth and went into the eighth behind 10-5. Chicago then used 5 walks, 2 hit batters, 1 error and 1 wild pitch to come back against four Atlanta relievers -- all 9 runs scored after there were 2 outs.
Baez drove in four runs, with his bases-clearing double making it 10-10. Ben Zobrist had three hits and two RBI for the Cubs.
"How about our guys not quitting?" Chicago Manager Joe Maddon said. "It would have been easy to pack in that game."
Ozzie Albies had 3 hits, including 1 home run, and drove in 4 runs for the Braves. Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis had two hits and two RBI apiece for Atlanta.
"You like to hold on right there, but it was horrible conditions, about as bad as I have been in," Braves Manager Brian Snitker said. "I don't know how the guys on either team did it, quite honestly."
Despite a temperature of 38 degrees, a 24 mph wind and a steady mist at the start, the decision was made to play mainly because this was Atlanta's only visit to Chicago and the forecast for today was worse.
Jason Heyward led off the Cubs eighth by getting hit by a pitch from Luke Jackson and pinch hitter Tommy La Stella singled with one out. Right-hander Jose Ramirez fanned Efren Navarro for the second out, but hit Kris Bryant to load the bases.
Willson Contreras followed with an infield hit that made it 10-6 and Zobrist walked to force home another run.
Baez followed with his double to left-center for a tie at 10. After Addison Russell was walked intentionally, lefty Sam Freeman walked Heyward to load the bases again. Freeman then walked Schwarber and LaStella to plate two more runs and give Chicago a 12-10 lead.
Atlanta made another pitching change, bringing in right-handed reliever Peter Moylan. A wild pitch scored a run and another scored on a throwing error by catcher Kurt Suzuki.
NATIONALS 6, ROCKIES 2 Max Scherzer dominated after an early hiccup, striking out 11 and retiring his final 20 batters as host Washingon ended a three-game skid by beating Colorado. Scherzer (3-1) issued a one-out walk in the first and Charlie Blackmon followed with a home run.
CARDINALS 6, REDS 1 Cincinnati sunk to its worst start since the Great Depression, losing its seventh in a row when Greg Garcia hit two home runs for the first time in his career and led visiting St. Louis to a victory.
BREWERS 5, METS 1 Chase Anderson breezed into the seventh inning, Jonathan Villar sliced a three-run home run inside the foul pole and visiting Milwaukee stopped New York’s nine-game winning streak.
PIRATES 1, MARLINS 0 Corey Dickerson’s bunt single in the ninth inning scored the only run and Pittsburgh won a game of small ball, beating host Miami. Pirates starter Jameson Taillon and Miami counterpart Trevor Richards kept the game scoreless into the later innings.
PADRES 5, GIANTS 4 Hunter Renfroe hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the seventh, an inning after his outfield assist prevented a run from scoring, and San Diego beat visiting San Francisco. Renfroe lined a shot to left off Cory Gearrin (0-1), his second. Freddy Galvis was aboard on a leadoff single. Renfroe finished with three RBI.
DIAMONDBACKS 9, DODGERS 1 A.J. Pollock homered twice while Paul Goldschmidt and Alex Avila also went deep as Arizona beat host Los Angeles, continuing its recent dominance over the Dodgers. Arizona has won five of six games and improved to 11-3, its best start in franchise history.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RED SOX 10, ORIOLES 3 Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run home run and drove in three runs, and host Boston beat Baltimore to get to 12-2 — the best start in their 118-year history. Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a two-run single and an RBI double, and J.D. Martinez hit a solo home run for the Red Sox.
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 5 (10) Ronald Guz-man’s first career home run tied the game in the eighth inning, and he put visiting Texas ahead with an infield single in the 10th as his team rallied from five runs down to beat Houston.
ANGELS 5, ROYALS 3 Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Luis Valbuena homered as visiting Los Angeles won its seventh consecutive, beating Kan-sas City with the final innings played with snow falling. The Angels won their ninth consecutive game on the road.
INTERLEAGUE
PHILLIES 9, RAYS 4 Jake Arrieta won his first game for Philadelphia and rookies J.P. Craw-ford and Scott Kingery drove in two runs each in a victory over host Tampa Bay. Arrieta (1-0) gave up three runs in 62/3 innings after being spotted a 6-0 lead in the second.
Sports on 04/15/2018