Lester leads the way for Cubs’ sixth victory in row
CHICAGO — Jon Lester pitched six innings, drove in two runs with a timely single off Noah Syndergaard and made two nice plays in the field, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-4 on Monday night for their sixth consecutive victory.
Anthony Rizzo homered and Daniel Murphy reached three more times from the leadoff spot as Natinal League-leading Chicago moved a season-high 24 games over .500 by improving to 5-0 against New York this year. Murphy, who began his career with the Mets, is batting .407 (11 for 27) in 6 games since he was acquired in a trade with Washington.
Lester was in line for his 15th victory before Kevin Plawecki hit a solo home run off Steve Cishek (41) in the seventh, tying it at 4-4 on a warm and windy night at Wrigley Field. But the Cubs went ahead to stay with two runs in the bottom half, including Ben Zobrist’s tiebreaking double off Jerry Blevins (1-2).
New York loaded the bases in the ninth before Jesse Chavez struck out Amed Rosario and Austin Jackson for his third save of the season, helping the Cubs (77-53) increase their NL Central lead to 41/2 games over idle St. Louis.
Michael Conforto also homered for New York, which had won four of six. Syndergaard allowed 4 runs and 9 hits, struck out 6 and walked 3 in 6 innings.
Lester was hit hard early on, including Conforto’s massive leadoff drive in the second — a projected 472 feet to the bleachers above the batter’s eye in center field. Rosario then made it 3-1 with a two-out RBI single, but the Mets lost out on a chance for more when Wilmer Flores popped up with the bases loaded.
The Cubs responded with three runs in the third, capped by Lester’s big hit. Syndergaard issued an intentional walk to Kyle Schwarber with two outs, loading the bases, but Lester wrecked the Mets’ strategy by dumping a two-run single into
left-center.
NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 3 Stephen Strasburg threw six effective innings, Matt Wieters hit a solo home run and visiting Washington beat the Philadelphia. Strasburg (7-7) gave up 2 runs and 5 hits, striking out 5. The Phillies fell 31/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East after losing the opener for the seventh consecutive series. They’re 6-12 since Aug. 8 and have dropped five games in the standings during that span.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
WHITE SOX 6, YANKEES 2 Carlos Rodon pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, Yoan Moncada doubled in two and visiting Chicago beat New York for its fourth consecutive victory. Rodon (6-3) allowed a two-run shot to Gleyber Torres but was strong otherwise, and Chicago’s bullpen closed out a three-hitter. The White Sox have won 10 of 13 and clinched their first winning month of the season by improving to 1510 in August. Rodon is 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his past nine starts. The 25-year-old left-hander hasn’t lost since June 30.
ORIOLES 7, BLUE JAYS 0 Kendrys Morales had his home run streak snapped at seven games by host Baltimore, which ended an eight-game skid by defeating Toronto. Striving to tie the major league record of homering in eight straight games, Morales went 0 for 3 with a walk and did not hit the ball out of the infield. In his final chance, the Toronto slugger swung through a slider from Paul Fry to strike out in the eighth inning. Though he failed to match the mark shared by Dale Long, Don Mattingly and Ken Griffey Jr., Morales owns the big league record for successive games with a home run by a switch-hitter. Facing Baltimore rookie David Hess, against whom he homered last week, Morales struck out in the first inning, grounded out in the fourth and drew a four-pitch walk in the sixth. ASTROS 11, ATHLETICS 4 Alex Bregman and Tyler White homered and drove in four runs each, and host Houston rallied a victory over Oakland. It was the sixth consecutive victory for the first-place Astros, who moved to 21/2 games ahead of Oakland in the American League West standings. George Springer and Jose Altuve helped, driving in a run each during a five-run third inning that erased an early 4-0 deficit. This was the first game Springer, Altuve and Carlos Correa were in the lineup together since June 25. Springer, who pinch-hit Sunday, missed the previous five games with a quadriceps injury.