Cubs clinch 4th straight win

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 in Major League Baseball on Monday night for their fourth straight win.

Albert Almora Jr added a solo shot 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 pitched 3 1/3 innings for his second save in his first appearance since May 28.

Miami had won t hree 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.

In Cincinnati, Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett hit consecutive two-run doubles in the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds came from behind to beat the slumping Cardinals 4-2.

St Louis starter Carlos Martinez (4-5) was dominant through six innings before wilting in the seventh as the Cardinals dropped their fourth straight and eighth in 11 games.

The Reds had lost two in a row and five of six going into the opener of this four-game series.

Martinez, who was 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his previous six starts, faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings with the help of catcher Yadier Molina, who threw out major league stolen base leader Billy Hamilton trying to swipe third in the first inning and Adam Duvall attempting to steal second in the second.