Cubs clobber South Siders
The Cubs passed out bobbleheads of Willson Contreras, and then watched him perform like an action figure.
Contreras hit two homers and drove in a careerhigh seven runs, and the Cubs pounded the crosstown White Sox, 11-2, yesterday in Chicago.
Kris Bryant stayed hot, too, hitting his fourth homer in five games. But the afternoon belonged to Contreras.
He capped a five-run first against Carson Fulmer with his second career grand slam. He doubled in the fourth, hit a solo homer in the sixth and added a tworun double in the seventh.
That gave him three doubles, two triples and two homers in his past 10 atbats. Contreras is also the first Cubs player with seven extra-base hits in two games since at least 1913, according to STATS. He has driving in eight runs and scored four while raising his average from .230 to .268.
“I just think it was a matter of time,” manager Joe Maddon said.
Did the bobblehead have anything to do with it?
“That’s absolutely correct,” Maddon joked. “It had everything to do with the bobblehead.”
National League
Marlins 6, Braves 3 — J.T. Realmuto had three hits, including his fifth homer, and host Miami broke a fourgame losing streak by beating Atlanta.
Pirates 11, Giants 2 — Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Jose Osuna all hit tworun homers, Max Moroff added a three-run blast and Pittsburgh beat visiting San Francisco in Andrew McCutchen’s return to PNC Park.
McCutchen, a five-time All-Star, played his first nine seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Giants in January. The right fielder went 1-for-5 with a double and threw out Pittsburgh’s Colin Moran at home plate to end the sixth inning.
Mets 3, Phillies 1 — Michael Conforto hit a tworun homer in the ninth inning off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris and host New York rallied for the win.
American League
Orioles 9, Rays 4 — Manny Machado hit two home runs, including his eighth career grand slam, and host Baltimore beat Tampa Bay for its third straight victory.
The Orioles placed struggling right-hander Chris Tillman on the 10day disabled list with a lower back strain.
Royals 10, Indians 9 — Andrew Miller, activated from the disabled list before the game, gave up Salvador Perez’ two-run homer in the seventh inning and Kansas City rallied to defeat host Cleveland.
Athletics 10, Yankees 5 — Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Jed Lowrie and Matt Joyce all homered and visiting Oakland beat New York. It was the first backto-back losses for the Yankees in more than a month.
Mariners-Tigers, ppd. — Seattle and host Detroit were rained out and are set to play a doubleheader today.
The twinbill is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m., with the second game beginning about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.