Contreras, Bote carry Cubs past Marlins

[April 16, 2019]    David Bote and Willson Contreras had three RBIs each as the Chicago Cubs defeated the host Miami Marlins 7-2 on Monday night.

Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish throws delivers a pitch in the fifth inning Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Javier Baez also starred for Chicago, going 3-for-5 with two runs and a double.

Yu Darvish (1-2) earned just his second win since signing a six-year, $126 million contract with Chicago in February 2018. Darvish allowed four hits, four walks and two runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight.

Trevor Richards (0-2) took the loss, allowing four hits, four walks and five runs in 4 2/3 innings. He fanned three.

One of the oddest sequences in the game came in the first inning, when Kris Bryant scored after being hit with a baseball three times.

He was plunked by a Richards changeup on his left leg. While on second, Bryant was hit on his back by an errant Richards pickoff throw, and when the ball trickled into short center field, Bryant ran to third and was hit on his right shoulder on a throw by Miguel Rojas.

Bryant finally scored on Contreras' bases-loaded walk, part of a three-run inning, all of the runs scoring with two outs. After Contreras' RBI walk, Bote lined a two-run double to left.

It was the first time this year that Richards allowed a hit with a runner in scoring position.

Miami, which didn't score despite loading the bases in the first, got a run without a hit in the second. Chad Wallach and Lewis Brinson opened the frame with consecutive walks on nine total pitches. Richards then hit a grounder to second, and Wallach scored when Baez's throw trying to complete a double play sailed wide of first base.

Wallach hit a first-pitch fastball in the fourth for a solo homer, closing Miami's deficit to 3-2. It was just the second career homer for Wallach, a backup catcher playing his 29th game in the majors.

Chicago extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth. Bryant lined a double to left and scored when Baez lofted a soft two-bagger to right, with Baez taking third on a throwing error by right fielder Austin Dean. Baez then scored on Bote's RBI groundout.

Contreras' solo homer -- he slugged a low curveball 420 feet to center -- gave Chicago a 6-2 lead in the seventh. And Contreras closed the scoring with his RBI single in the ninth.

--Field Level Media

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