2 Cubs tossed in key NL Central win

CHICAGO — John Lackey screamed at the plate umpire. Willson Contreras slammed his catcher’s mask.

The rest of the Cubs kept their cool.

Kris Bryant had three hits, including his 27th home run, and the Cubs overcame the ejections of Lackey and Contreras for an 8-2 victory over the Cardinals on Friday.

Bryant went deep in the fourth and singled twice in a seven-run sixth, helping the NL Central leaders open a big weekend series on a winning note.

The Cubs moved four games ahead of the Cardinals. The Brewers, who began the day tied with the Cardinals, played Marlins on Friday night.

Lackey and Contreras were thrown out with the Cubs trailing 2-1 in the fifth. The Cardinals had runners on first and second with two out when Lackey screamed at plate umpire Jordan Baker after he called a ball on a 2-2 pitch to Cards starter Carlos Martinez that was near the knees and outside corner.

Martinez said through an interpreter that he also thought it was strike three. Instead, he lined the next pitch for an RBI single, and Lackey yelled at the umpire again as he ran toward the plate to back up the play.

Contreras also got into it with Baker. He slammed his mask, which bounced up and grazed the the umpire,

Lackey said Baker missed a pitch and threw him out “halfheartedly because he knew he messed up.”

Lackey expressed about getting ejected.

“It’s a pretty big spot right there,” he said. “It cost me a big-league win. Those don’t grow on trees.”

A contrite Contreras, meanwhile, insisted he wasn’t trying to hit Baker.

“I apologize to everybody,” he said. “To the fans. To MLB. To the umpire. Other than that, I’m just happy that the team was able to come back and win the game.”

Martinez gave up seven runs on six hits in 5 innings. and had to no be restrained. regrets