Cubs score 9 in 8th on just 3 hits, rally past Braves 14-10

By JOHN JACKSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Although Javy Baez usually swings as if every pitch is a potential home run, the Cubs slugger knew the conditions at Wrigley Field on Saturday warranted a different approach.

Baez lined a three-run double as Chicago scored nine times in the eighth inning on just three hits, rallying past the wild Atlanta Braves 1410 in miserable cold, wet and windy conditions.

“I didn’t try to do too much to it,” Baez said. “Obviously, a ball in the air wasn’t going anywhere with the wind today. Just being smart and hitting the ball good.”

The Cubs trailed 9-1 in the third inning, were still down 10-2 in the sixth and went into the eighth behind 10-5. Chicago then used five walks, two hit batters, an error and a wild pitch to come back against four Atlanta relievers — all nine runs scored after there were two outs.

Baez drove in four runs, with his bases-clearing double making it 10-all. Ben Zobrist had three hits and two RBIs for the Cubs.

“How about our guys not quitting?” Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. “It would have been easy to pack in that game.”

Ozzie Albies had three hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs for the Braves. Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Atlanta.

“You like to hold on right there, but it was horrible conditions, about as bad as I have been in,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t know how the guys on either team did it, quite honestly.”

Despite a temperature of 38 degrees, a 24 mph wind and a steady midst at the start, the decision was made to play mainly because this was Atlanta’s only visit to Chicago and the forecast for Sunday was worse.