Cubs stay hot, crush Bucs
PITTSBURGH — Addison Russell set a career high with four hits and Jason Heyward homered for the third time in four games and drove in four runs as Chicago jumped on Pittsburgh early in a 14-3 victory Monday night.
Ben Zobrist added three RBIs for Chicago as the defending World Series champions won for the fifth time in six games. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero had two hits apiece for Chicago.
Chicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off Chad Kuhl (1-2) and added five in the second.
Kuhl lasted just 12⁄3 innings, giving up nine runs as his ERA ballooned from 2.60 to 6.63 in less than an hour.
Chicago is starting to get it going after a sluggish start, averaging 8.8 runs during its surge to first in the NL Central.
By the time Kuhl left the mound with two outs in the second in favor of reliever Trevor Williams, Pittsburgh trailed by eight and its three-game sweep of Chicago at Wrigley Field this month felt like a distant memory.
ROCKIES 8, NATIONALS 4: Charlie Blackmon hit a tworun homer in the seventh at Coors Field, Colorado’s bullpen threw three-plus scoreless innings and Colorado ended Washington’s seven-game winning streak. Colorado’s bullpen is 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA, which is tops in the NL. At 14-6, the Rockies are off to one of their best starts in franchise history.
TWINS 3, RANGERS 2: Brian Dozier hit a bases-clearing double as Minnesota beat host Texas, ending the Rangers’ AL-best, four-game winning streak. Texas (9-11), the AL West champion the past two seasons, missed a chance to reach .500 for the first time this year. It was coming off a four-game series sweep of Kansas City.
ORIOLES 6, RAYS 3: Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking, tworun homer in the seventh inning, Hyun Soo Kim and Jonathan Schoop also went deep, and Baltimore beat Tampa Bay on a cold, damp night at Camden Yards.
BREWERS 11, REDS 7: Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10 and Hernan Perez added a three-run shot as Milwaukee beat visiting Cincinnati. Seven of Thames’ 10 major league-leading home runs have come off Cincinnati pitchers.
WHITE SOX 12, ROYALS 1: Matt Davidson had two hits and three RBIs in an eight-run sixth as Chicago routed visiting Kansas City. Davidson set a career high with three hits.