Cubs come back to edge Braves 3-2
ATLANTA — Cubs catcher Willson Contreras helped Chicago throw out two runners at home plate and another at third base before rallying for two runs in the ninth inning, pulling off a stunning 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
After Ronald Acuna Jr. broke a 1-1 tie with a mammoth homer in the eighth , the Cubs bounced back against closer Arodys Vizcaino to hand the Braves a loss that really stung — especially after a couple of questionable calls went against the home team in a wild fifth inning.
Back-to-back doubles by Albert Almora Jr. and Addison Russell tied it at 2, and Ben Zobrist came through with a two-out, runscoring single off Vizcaino (1-2).
Carl Edwards Jr. (2-0) earned the win despite surrendering Acuna’s homer over the 400-foot sign in center field. Brandon Morrow got the final three outs for his 10th save.
The Braves returned home with the National League’s best record after a 6-1 road trip, only to let one get away.
Chicago’s Yu Darvish returned from the disabled list after a bout with the flu. He worked four innings in his first appearance since May 2, allowing a homer to Ender Inciarte.
In the fifth, Javier Baez’s throwing error ruined a potential double play, but the Cubs escaped the jam when Contreras threw out runners at home and third after errant pitches got away from him.
The Braves sure didn’t see it that way. First, Mike Montgomery’s pitch skipped past Contreras but caught a fortuitous ricocheted off the backstop, bouncing right back to the catcher so he could make a quick throw to Montgomery covering home. The tag caught Johan Camargo on the left shoulder as he made a head-first slide , leading plate umpire Jim Wolf to call him out. The Braves challenged, and at least one replay angle appeared to show Camargo getting his left hand to the plate a splitsecond ahead of the tag.
After a two-minute review, the call was upheld. Braves manager Brian Snitker was irate, screaming and waving his arms in the dugout until Wolf mouthed to him, “Enough.”
Snitker was fuming again when another pitch got away from Contreras, who briefly struggled to find the ball. Charlie Culberson broke for third and appeared to get a foot to the bag before Kris Bryant tagged his ankle, but third-base umpire Sam Holbrook signaled out. With no more challenges, there was nothing the Braves could do.
Mike Foltynewicz struck out 10 in five innings, but the Cubs scored an unearned run in the fourth on Kurt Suzuki’s throwing error after a strikeout.
While the Atlanta defense let down Foltynewicz, Darvish benefitted from a brilliant throw by left fielder Kyle Schwarber after a Contreras’ errant throw on Freddie Freeman’s steal of second skipped into short left field.
Schwarber swooped in to pick up the ball and the throw landed perfectly in Contreras’ mitt just in time to tap Freeman’s left foot as he was sliding for home.
MIAMI — The Dodgers’ difficulty with last-place teams has become an issue coast to coast.
Los Angeles went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers and was beaten by a cellardweller for the fifth straight game, losing to the Miami Marlins.
The Dodgers managed only five hits after being swept in a four-game series at home by woeful Cincinnati.
Chen, who came into the game with an ERA of 10.22, allowed no runs but departed after 4 1/3 innings and 83 pitches.
Nick Wittgren (2-0) replaced Chen and worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to lower his ERA to 0.69. Brad Ziegler gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger in the ninth but earned his sixth save .
Dodgers infielders Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe were activated before the game from the disabled list but couldn’t spark the defending NL champions, who have scored 11 runs during their skid.
Turner lined out sharply with runners at second and third to end the fifth.
The manager said Chris Taylor’s popout with a runner at third and one out in the third was a pivotal moment.
The Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig hit his second homer of the season , and his second in two games.
Alex Wood (0-4) lost despite allowing only one earned run in six innings for the Dodgers (16-25), who are off to their worst start in 60 years. Miami (15-26) could pass them by sweeping the three-game series.
PITTSBURGH — Trevor Williams scattered six hits in seven innings, Former Mississippi State player Adam Frazier homered to start a four-run first, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the White Sox to send Chicago to its worst start since 1948.
Chicago has lost eight of nine and 12 of 14, dropping to a major league-worst 10-28. The White Sox have matched the poorest 38-game start in team history.