La Stella’s pinch-hit homer carries Cubs past Braves

ATLANTA — Tommy La Stella hit the first pinch-hit homer of his career against his former team, carrying the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in a matchup of NL division leaders Thursday night.

Chicago stopped off at SunTrust Park for a single game before the start of a regularly scheduled 10-game road trip, making up a contest that was washed out May 17.

La Stella, who got his start with the Braves organization, made it a fruitful layover. After Atlanta went ahead with a three-run fifth, the infielder launched a two-run shot off Mike Foltynewicz that nearly reached the Chop House restaurant above the right-field seats .

It was also La Stella’s first homer of the season.

Freddie Freeman had three RBIs for the Braves.

Foltynewicz (10-9) was roughed up after an otherwise dominating August in which he went 3-1 with a 1.38 ERA over his first five starts. The right-hander surrendered six hits and five runs (four earned) over six innings.

Mike Montgomery came off the disabled list to make his first start for the Cubs since Aug. 7. He allowed four runs on eight hits in 42/3 innings.

Brandon Kintzler (2-3) claimed the win by getting the final out of the fifth. Pedro Strop worked the ninth for his 11th save.

The Cubs jumped ahead with two runs in the second, taking advantage of Foltynewicz’s balk and an error by shortstop Ozzie Albies, who unleashed a bad throw trying to get Jason Heyward at the plate. Chicago increased the lead to 3-0 on Willson Contreras’ run-scoring double in the third.

Atlanta broke through in the fourth, scoring a run after Montgomery retired the first two hitters. Ronald Acuna Jr. singled, Johan Camargo was hit by a pitch and Freeman singled to right.

Those three were in the middle of things again in the fifth as the Braves surged ahead. Acuna and Camargo started the inning with singles, before Freeman drove one the opposite way to left center. Heyward stretched out but failed to get a glove on the ball, which rolled all the way to the wall for a two-run triple .

Making matters worse for Chicago, Heyward had leave the game

because of tightness in his right hamstring. He was able to walk slowly off the field, getting a hug from former teammate Freeman on his way to the Cubs dugout.

Kurt Suzuki put the Braves for the first time, driving home Freeman with a sacrifice fly.

The lead didn’t last long.

BREWERS 2, REDS 1, 11 INNINGS Lorenzo Cain hit a home run off the top of the left field fence in the 11th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers, a day after winning a slugfest that went extras, edged the Cincinnati Reds. NL batting leader Christian Yelich went 0 for 4 with a bases-loaded walk for Milwaukee. On Wednesday night, he went 6 for 6 and hit for the

cycle as the Brewers outlasted Cincinnati 13-12 in 10 innings. The playoff-contending Brewers totaled just six hits in their latest victory. Cain hit the first pitch from Austin Brice (2-3) that hit the wall and bounced over for his 10th home run. Brice, recalled from Triple-A Louisville before the game, left with an apparent injury one out into the 11th. Milwaukee has homered in 22 straight games at Great American Ball Park streak. It’s the longest streak by any team at the stadium, including the Reds. Joakim Soria (1-0) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in a scoreless 10th to get the win. Josh Hader pitched the 11th for his 11th save. CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 0 Harrison Bader and John Gant hit back-to-back home runs, Gant pitched into the sixth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cardinals have won 17 of 21 and took their tenth consecutive series, their longest series winning streak since 2009, when they also won ten in a row. Gant (6-5) pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the first and a two-on, no-out jam in the third to win for the third time in his last four tries. He struck out six in 52/3 innings and has allowed one earned run in his last 122/3 innings. Pirates starter Joe Musgrove (5-8) opened the game with 21 consecutive strikes, a first in the majors since pitch tracking began in 1988, according to Stats. That control didn’t do him much good, though. He gave up five runs in six innings. Musgrove’s strike streak ended with a first-pitch ball to Bader in the third, and two pitches later, Bader went deep to left. Gant then homered on a 2-1 pitch, giving St. Louis consecutive home runs for the seventh time this season. It was Gant’s second homer of the year,

tying him with Miles Mikolas for most among St. Louis pitchers. After starting his career 0 for 30, Gant has homered twice in his last five atbats. He is the third pitcher in the expansion era to have his first two career hits as home runs. Jose Martinez singled and scored in the fourth and drove in two more with a single in the fifth to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. Martinez has hit safely in 20 of 25 games in August and has a team-high 18 multi-RBI games. Pittsburgh lost for the seventh time in its last nine games. The Pirates stranded 12 runners and went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. AMERICAN LEAGUE

INDIANS 5, TWINS 3 Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer that broke a sixth-inning tie and sent the Cleveland Indians over the Minnesota Twins. The AL Central-leading Indians opened a 14-game lead over second-place Minnesota. Cleveland is 31-11 against division opponents, and needed this win to beat the Twins 10-9 in the season series. Kipnis’ high drive off reliever Alan Busenitz barely cleared the wall in right field and capped a four-run inning. Mike Clevinger (10-7) allowed two unearned runs in 62/3 innings. The right-hander struck out nine and gave up four hits. Brad Hand, the Indians’ third reliever, allowed a leadoff homer to Miguel Sano in the ninth. Mitch Garver drew a oneout walk, but Hand struck out Jake Cave and Tyler Austin for his 30th save overall, and sixth since being acquired from San Diego at the trade deadline. Cleveland reliever Cody Allen, who allowed two runs in the seventh inning and was the losing pitcher Wednesday, was booed when he entered the game with one out in the eighth.

TIGERS 8, YANKEES 7 Victor Martinez hit his second home run of the game and Niko Goodrum followed with a homer off Dellin Betances in the ninth inning, rallying the Detroit Tigers past the New York Yankees. The Tigers, last in the majors in home runs, connected five times and ended a five-game losing streak. Giancarlo Stanton hit his 300th career home run for the Yankees, who have lost three of four. They began the day 7½ games behind Boston in the AL East and 4½ games ahead of Oakland for the top wild-card spot. Luke Voit hit a tworun homer in the seventh that put the Yankees ahead 7-5. But Betances (4-4) walked Nicholas Castellanos with one out in the ninth and Martinez lined a drive to right for his 12th career multihomer game. Goodrum followed with a flyball that curled around the foul pole. Betances had allowed a total of two runs in his past 35 appearances dating to late May, and had never given up two homers in a game. Alex Wilson (2-4) earned the win with a perfect eighth and Shane Greene recorded his 28th save.