Cubs start fast, get big hits to bury Dodgers

[April 24, 2019]  Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez each homered, Jose Quintana registered his third straight quality start, and the Chicago Cubs coasted to a 7-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Willson Contreras added a three-run double for Chicago, which won for the sixth time in seven games.

Justin Turner and Chris Taylor drove in one run apiece for Los Angeles. The Dodgers have lost two of three since posting a six-game winning streak.

Quintana (3-1) held the Dodgers to two runs on four hits in seven innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out seven, and he pushed his streak to 16 scoreless innings over two-plus starts before he allowed a run in the third.

Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (3-2) surrendered six runs on seven hits in four innings. He walked three and fanned five as his ERA ballooned from 3.80 to 5.20.

The Cubs pounced on Maeda to seize a 4-0 lead in the first.

Contreras started the scoring with a two-out, bases-loaded double to left field that scored Ben Zobrist from third base, Kris Bryant from second and Baez from first. Daniel Descalso doubled in the next at-bat to drive in Contreras.

In the second, Chicago added two more runs to make it 6-0. Zobrist hit a leadoff single for the second straight inning, and Rizzo followed two batters later with a two-run, opposite-field shot into the left-field bleachers. It was Rizzo's fourth homer of the season and his first since April 12.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles snapped the shutout in the third when Turner hit an RBI double to center. The hit scored Austin Barnes, who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maeda.

The Dodgers pulled within 6-2 in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Taylor.

Baez quickly responded in the bottom of the seventh with an opposite-field blast over the right-field wall. He leads the team with seven home runs.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the eighth but could not take advantage. Cubs left-hander Kyle Ryan struck out A.J. Pollock and prompted a groundout by Cody Bellinger to end the threat.

--Field Level Media

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