Atlanta improved to 101-56 and evened the
season series with the Cubs at 2-2. Chicago (82-75) retained a
half-game lead for the final National League wild card over the
Miami Marlins (81-75), who had their scheduled road game against
the New York Mets rained out.
The winning pitcher was Brad Hand (5-2), who pitched a scoreless
eighth, and Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth, allowing a one-out
single but then striking out two to earn his 31st save.
Neither starting pitcher earned a decision. Chicago's Justin
Steele threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits
and one walk with six strikeouts. Atlanta's Bryce Elder tossed 3
2/3 innings and gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks.
He fanned two.
The Cubs scored twice in the second inning on RBI singles from
Yan Gomes and Miles Mastrobuoni, then made it 4-0 in the third
inning when Suzuki tripled in a pair runs after right fielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. missed a diving catch.
Chicago upped the lead to 6-0 thanks to Cody Bellinger's
run-scoring single in the fourth and an RBI single by Ian Happ
in the sixth.
Atlanta cut the deficit in half in the sixth inning. Kevin
Pillar hit a home run to lead off the inning, his ninth. It was
the club's 300th home run, making the Braves only the third team
to reach that milestone.
Later in the frame, Olson added a run-scoring single, his
major-league-best 134th RBI, and Marcell Ozuna followed with a
run-scoring double off the left field wall.
The Braves drew to within 6-5 in the seventh on a two-run homer
by Acuna, his 41st. Atlanta is six homers short of tying the
record set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
--Field Level Media
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