Marlins’ win streak ends at 3
Bryant’s two-run homer in first sets tone in loss at Cubs.
CHICAGO — Eddie Butler pitched three-hit ball into the sixth inning, Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.
Albert Almora Jr. added a solo homer as Chicago remained perfect on its 10-game homestand after going winless on a six-game West Coast trip. With closer Wade Davis on paternity leave, Mike Montgomery tossed 31/3 innings for his second save in his first appearance since May 28.
Miami had won three straight and seven of eight. Marcell Ozuna had two hits, but the Marlins’ lineup struggled for the most part on an unseasonably cool, breezy night at Wrigley Field.
Butler (3-1) was working on a shutout before Dee Gordon hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, trimming Chicago’s lead to 3-1. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a two-out double, chasing Butler.
Montgomery then got Christian Yelich to bounce to second to end the inning.
The Marlins threatened again in the seventh, getting Ozuna to third with one out, but Montgomery struck out Derek Dietrich and retired Tyler Moore on a grounder.
Butler struck out four and walked one, bouncing back nicely from a shaky start at San Diego last Tuesday. He threw just 66 pitches against the Marlins, 45 for strikes.
Miami right-hander Dan Straily (4-4) struggled with location early on, but eventually settled down and pitched seven solid innings. He had won his last three starts.
Ben Zobrist led off the first for the Cubs with a double off the wall and Bryant followed with a deep drive to the bleachers in left, powering the ball through a stiff wind. Bryant is 5 for 10 against Straily in his career with three homers and eight RBIs.
Almora homered in the fourth, hitting a drive to left-center for his first homer since April 28 and No. 3 on the season.
Trainer’s room
Marlins: RHP Edinson Volquez will test his injured right ankle with a bullpen session today. “I threw a little bit today. I’m going to wait until tomorrow and see how I feel after that,” he said. Volquez got hurt in the first inning Saturday against Arizona, but stayed in and pitched a no-hitter.
Up next
Marlins left-hander Jeff Locke (0-0, 1.59 ERA) and Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta (5-4, 4.60) pitch tonight in the second game of the series.
Locke tossed 52/3 innings of one-run ball Thursday against Arizona after missing the first part of the season with left shoulder tendinitis. Arrieta is coming off a solid performance at San Diego, in which he pitched six innings in a no-decision on Wednesday.
Bour sidelined: Justin Bour has been hitting better than any other first baseman in the NL for more than a month. Bour and the Marlins hope that progress doesn’t suffer a major setback.
The Marlins held Bour out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Monday as he underwent an MRI on his left ankle.
“We think he’s OK, but he was a little sore today so we took him to have an MRI,” manager Don Mattingly said.