Cubs push across 2 runs in 10th to top Nationals
WASHINGTON — Pinch-hitter David Bote had an RBI double and scored in the 10th inning as the Chicago Cubs came back to beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Bote, who hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Cubs a 4-3 win over the Nationals on Aug. 12 in Chicago, knocked a 100-mph fastball from Jimmy Cordero (1-2) into right field to score Albert Almora Jr. Bote came home on a single by pinch-hitter Taylor Davis.
Daniel Murphy went 1 for 5 with a strikeout in his first return to Washington since the Nationals traded him to the Cubs on Aug 21.
Chicago has won two consecutive and leads the National League Central by 4½ games over Milwaukee.
Washington has lost three consecutive to fall to 69-72. The Nationals are three games under .500 for the first time since April 30.
Pedro Strop (5-1) pitched a scoreless ninth, and Jesse Chavez earned his third save.
Washington took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Mark Reynolds belted his 13th home run of the season, a two-out, two-run shot to left field.
Murphy scored on Ben Zobrist’s sacrifice fly to tie it at 3-3 in the fifth.
Spencer Kieboom had a career-high three hits for Washington.
Stephen Strasburg pitched 52/3 innings for the Nationals, allowing 6 hits while walking 3 and striking out 6. He gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, while throwing 111 pitches.
PADRES 6, REDS 2 Francisco Mejia hit a solo home run and a three-run shot during his first start as the Padres’ catcher, leading visiting San Diego over Cincinnati. Left-hander Eric Lauer made his second consecutive solid start since returning from a stint on the disabled list with a sore forearm that cost him 25 days. Lauer allowed 2 hits in 4 innings Thursday, matching his career high with 8 strikeouts. He escaped a bases-loaded, no-out threat in the fourth with two strikeouts and Hunter Renfroe’s catch in left field.