Baez’s 2 HRs carries Cubs past the Athletics
Oakland’s Semien gets in the act with two shots of his own
CHICAGO — Javier Baez celebrated the five-year anniversary of his first major-league game Monday night with the same flair for dramatics that has made him a two-time All-Star.
Baez hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning, then hit a two-run shot that landed in the basket in center field to cap a four-run seventh as the Cubs held on for a 6-5 win over the Athletics at Wrigley Field.
It was the second multi-homer game of the season and the sixth of his career for Baez, who leads the team with 28 home runs.
Without closer Craig Kimbrel, placed on the 10-day injured list before the game because of right knee inflammation, the Cubs had to be more resourceful in the late innings.
After Steve Cishek allowed a two-run, pinch-hit home run by Nick Martini and Marcus Semien’s second homer of the night, Brandon Kintzler replaced Cishek and got Mark Canha to hit a hard grounder to Tony Kemp at second to end the eighth with the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Left-hander Kyle Ryan came within one out of earning his first major-league save before Khris Davis drew a walk and Chad Pinder singled. David Phelps retired Semien on a deep fly to left to end the game.
The Cubs relied on power to outlast the A’s. Nicholas Castellanos hit his first home run as a Cub — an opposite-field shot to right off starter Chris Bassitt in the first — and pinch hitter Ian Happ launched a tiebreaking home run off reliever Blake Treinen to start the seventh that traveled an estimated 474 feet.
The Cubs didn’t let up after Happ’s homer, as manager Joe Maddon is looking for contributions from several players to help offset the loss of catcher Willson Contreras for four weeks because of a Grade 2 right hamstring strain.
Jason Heyward pulled a single to right and scored on a double by Castellanos that capped a threehit game. It was Castellanos’ major-league-leading 40th double of the season.
The late offensive outburst arrived too late for Kyle Hendricks to earn the victory. Hendricks allowed one hit — Semien’s two-run homer in the third — in 6 1/3 innings.
Cubs starters’ streak of batters faced without allowing a walk
ended at 149 when Hendricks walked Jurickson Profar to start the third.
The streak covered six consecutive games, the first time Cubs starters accomplished that feat since at least 1905, according to historian Ed Hartig.
The last walk had been issued by Jose Quintana to Orlando Arcia in the fifth inning of a July 28 win in Milwaukee.
The timing was bad for Hendricks, as Semien followed with his first homer.