Contreras, Baez lead Cubs over Tigers

[July 05, 2018]  Willson Contreras homered and drove in three runs, Javy Baez stole home for the second time this season and the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to six games by downing the visiting Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon.

Contreras' seventh homer this season broke a 2-2 tie. David Bote smashed his first career homer.

Jose Quintana (7-6) held the Tigers to two runs and five hits in six innings to collect the victory as Chicago won the two-game series. Brandon Morrow got the last three outs for his 19th save.

Detroit's Francisco Liriano (3-5) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. Nicholas Castellanos homered and walked twice to lead the Tigers' attack. John Hicks also hit a solo shot for Detroit, and Jose Iglesias contributed three hits.

Castellanos, the second hitter in the game, gave Detroit a 1-0 lead when he ripped a hanging breaking ball into the stands in left-center field.

The Tigers turned a double play in the second, and that proved valuable as Bote then launched his homer into the center field bleachers.

Hicks gave Detroit a 2-1 advantage with his two-out homer in the third.

Baez then manufactured a run in the fourth to tie it up. He led off with a single, stole second and reached third on a throwing error by first baseman Hicks. Addison Russell walked, and when Liriano attempted a pickoff at first, Baez broke for home and slid around the tag of catcher James McCann.

Contreras put the Cubs on top 3-2 with his one-out homer in the sixth.

Cubs second baseman Javier Baez (9) steals home plate against Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann (34) during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit put three runners on base in the seventh but couldn't push across the tying run. Iglesias was thrown out at home by center fielder Albert Almora Jr. after a single by Victor Martinez. Later in the inning, with runners on scoring position, reliever Anthony Bass struck out Jeimer Candelario.

Chicago extended its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the inning against Louis Coleman. Almora walked and advanced on Ben Zobrist's single. A groundout advanced both runners, and Contreras delivered a two-out double to bring home both baserunners.

Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire departed the game in the fourth inning due to the excessive heat in Chicago. The temperature was 92 at first pitch, with a heat index of 102.

Bench coach Steve Liddle took over the managerial duties and told reporters after the contest that Gardenhire was feeling better.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.