Cubs score 9 in odd 8th inning, beat Braves 14-10

CHICAGO — Although Javy Baez usually swings as if every pitch is a potential home run, the Cubs slugger knew the conditions at Wrigley Field on Saturday warranted a different approach.

Baez lined a three-run double as Chicago scored nine times in the eighth inning on just three hits, rallying past the wild Atlanta Braves 14-10 in miserable cold, wet and windy conditions.

“I didn’t try to do too much to it,” Baez said. “Obviously, a ball in the air wasn’t going anywhere with the wind today. Just being smart and hitting the ball good.”

The Cubs trailed 9-1 in the third inning, were still down 10-2 in the sixth and went into the eighth behind 10-5. Chicago then used five walks, two hit batters, an error and a wild pitch to come back against four Atlanta relievers — all nine runs scored after there were two outs.

Baez drove in four runs, with his bases-clearing double making it 10-all. Ben Zobrist had three hits and two RBIs for the Cubs.

“How about our guys not quitting?” Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. “It would have been easy to pack in that game.”

Ozzie Albies had three hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs for the Braves. Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Atlanta.

“You like to hold on right there, but it was horrible conditions, about as bad as I have been in,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t know how the guys on either team did it, quite honestly.”

Despite a temperature of 38 degrees, a 24 mph wind and a steady mist at the start, the decision was made to play mainly because this was Atlanta’s only visit to Chicago and the forecast for Sunday was worse.

The temperature fell and the wind increased as the game progressed.

“Hopefully, we don’t play too many more games that are in these conditions,” Atlanta reliever Peter Moylan said. “Clearly, they didn’t want us to come back on our off day, so we had to play through.”

Jason Heyward led off the Cubs eighth by getting hit by a pitch from Luke Jackson and pinch hitter Tommy La Stella singled with one out. Right-hander Jose Ramirez fanned Efren Navarro for the second out, but hit Kris Bryant to load the bases.

Willson Contreras followed with an infield hit that made it 10-6 and Zobrist walked to force home another run.

Baez followed with his double to left-center for a tie at 10. After Addison Russell was walked intentionally, lefty Sam Freeman walked Heyward to load the bases again. Freeman then walked Schwarber and LaStella to plate two more runs and give Chicago a 12-10 lead.

Atlanta made another pitching change, bringing in the right-handed Moylan. A wild pitch scored a run and another scored on a throwing error by catcher Kurt Suzuki.

Players from both sides agreed that the conditions were a major factor in the wildness of the Braves pitchers.

“I give both teams a lot of credit for being professional under the circumstances, because the game really shouldn’t have been played,” Maddon said.

RED SOX 10, ORIOLES 3

BOSTON — Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-3 on Saturday to get to 12-2 — the best start in their 118-year history.

Andrew Benintendi had a two-run single and an RBI double, and J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer for the Red Sox.

Only once — in 1918 — had Boston started 11-2.

Alex Cobb (0-1) was roughed up in his Orioles debut, giving up eight runs — seven earned — in 3 2/3 innings. Pedro Alvarez had a two-run homer for Baltimore, which has lost four of five.

Hector Velazquez (2-0) gave up two runs in five innings. Marcus Walden pitched the final three innings for his first big-league save.

BREWERS 5, METS 1

NEW YORK — Chase Anderson breezed into the seventh inning, Jonathan Villar sliced a three-run homer inside the foul pole and Milwaukee stopped the Mets’ nine-game winning streak.

Jett Bandy also went deep against Matt Harvey (0-1) on a windy Fireworks Night at Citi Field as the Brewers cooled off New York and improved to 6-2 away from home. Slumping shortstop Orlando Arcia came off the bench and homered in the ninth inning.

About the only bit of bad news for the banged-up Brewers was another injury: Ryan Braun was removed in the fifth inning with back tightness.

Anderson (1-1) allowed just two hits in 6 1/3 innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, DODGERS 1

LOS ANGELES — A.J. Pollock homered twice while Paul Goldschmidt and Alex Avila also went deep and Arizona beat Los Angeles.

Arizona has beaten the Dodgers five times this season and in 11 consecutive regular-season games dating to August 2017.

Goldschmidt’s third homer of the season — a two out, two-run blast to left — highlighted a three-run, third inning.

Arizona third basemen Deven Marrero hit what appeared to be a one-out, three-run homer to left center in the fourth inning off of Rich Hill (1-1), but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts argued that Marrero passed Avila on the base path between first and second base. After a review, Marrero was credited with a single and ruled out for passing Avila and the Diamondbacks were awarded only two runs, making it 5-1.

Pollock had a two-run homer in the fifth and a solo shot in the eighth, and Avila connected in the ninth. Arizona starter pitcher Taijuan Walker pitched two innings and left due right forearm tightness. T.J. McFarland (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings of relief.

PHILLIES 9, RAYS 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jake Arrieta won his first game for Philadelphia and rookies J.P. Crawford and Scott Kingery drove in two runs each against Tampa Bay.

It was the fifth straight win for the Phillies.

Arrieta (1-0) gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings after being spotted a 6-0 lead in the second. The 32-year-old right-hander gave up seven hits and two walks in his second start for Philadelphia.

Crawford hit a double and his second home run off Rays starter Chris Archer (1-1). Kingery, who had scored the winning run Friday night after a ninth-inning double, hit two more doubles.

Doubles by Nick Williams, Kingery and Crawford were among six Phillies hits in a six-run second inning off Archer.

CARDINALS 6, REDS 1

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati sunk to its worst start since 1931, losing its seventh in a row when Greg Garcia hit two home runs to lead St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds fell to a major league-worst 2-12. The Cardinals have won three in a row.

Garcia had a solo homer and a two-run shot off left-hander Brandon Finnegan (0-1). He also doubled.

Miles Mikolas (2-0) limited the Reds’ struggling offense to four hits in seven innings, including Tucker Barnhart’s homer.

RANGERS 6, ASTROS 5, 10 INNINGS

HOUSTON — Ronald Guzman’s first career homer tied the game in the eighth inning, and he put the Rangers ahead with an infield single in the 10th as Texas rallied from five runs down to beat Houston.

The Rangers, who snapped a five-game losing streak, loaded the bases with one out off Will Harris (0-1) before Guzman sent a hard grounder up the middle that Harris tried to grab. It ricocheted off Harris’ glove, allowing Jurickson Profar to score.

Keone Kela (1-0) pitched the ninth for the win. Chris Martin allowed consecutive singles to start the 10th but induced lineouts from Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel. Alex Claudio came on and retired Josh Reddick on a grounder to earn his first save.

Houston has lost three of four after starting the season 9-2.

PADRES 5, GIANTS 4

SAN DIEGO — Hunter Renfroe hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh, an inning after his outfield assist prevented a run from scoring, and San Diego beat San Francisco.

Renfroe lined a shot to left off Cory Gearrin (0-1), his second. Freddy Galvis was aboard on a leadoff single. Renfroe finished with three RBIs.

San Francisco’s Joe Panik tripled with one out in the seventh and the Giants seemed poised to add to their 4-3 lead. But Andrew McCutchen lined out to Renfroe in right. Renfroe’s strong throw was cut off by first baseman Christian Villanueva, who threw to catcher A.J. Ellis to tag the sliding Panik. The play was upheld after a review of 2 minutes, 41 seconds. After Renfroe’s homer, the Padres loaded the bases but Tony Watson retired the side on two strikeouts and a line out to shortstop.

Rookie Adam Cimber (1-1) earned his first big league win by allowing only a hit in two scoreless innings, while striking out three. Brad Hand got a four-out save, his sixth.

PIRATES 1, MARLINS 0

MIAMI — Corey Dickerson’s bunt single in the ninth inning scored the only run and Pittsburgh edged Miami.

Pirates starter Jameson Taillon and Miami counterpart Trevor Richards kept the game scoreless into the later innings.

Brad Ziegler (0-3) retired the first batter in the Pittsburgh ninth before Starling Marte reached on a bunt hit. Josh Bell followed with a single that sent Marte to third.

Dickerson popped up a bunt that landed between Ziegler and second baseman Starlin Castro, allowing Marte to score. Dickerson is 16 for 36 (.444) with nine RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.

George Kontos (1-1) worked a scoreless inning and Felipe Vazquez got his fifth save.

NATIONALS 6, ROCKIES 2

WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer dominated after an early hiccup, striking out 11 and retiring his final 20 batters as Washington stopped a three-game skid.

Scherzer (3-1) issued a one-out walk in the first and Charlie Blackmon followed with a home run. That was all the Rockies managed in seven innings against Scherzer, who has won the last two NL Cy Young Awards.

Jon Gray (1-3) allowed five runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Slugger Nolan Arenado didn’t play as Colorado’s three-game winning streak ended. He dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension for a fight earlier this week and began serving the penalty.

ANGELS 5, ROYALS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Luis Valbuena homered as Los Angeles won its seventh straight, beating Kansas City as snow fell during the final innings.

The Angels won their ninth consecutive road game, and will have Shohei Ohtani as their starting pitcher Sunday. The Royals have lost five straight.

Trout hit his AL-leading sixth homer, a two-run drive in the fifth off Jakob Junis (2-1).

Upton homered to lead off the fourth. Valbuena snapped Junis’ 16-inning scoreless streak with a leadoff drive in the third.

Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (2-0) did not allow a baserunner until the fifth. Keynan Middleton worked the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.

MARINERS 10, ATHLETICS 8

SEATTLE — Jean Segura hit a three-run homer, Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager and Daniel Vogelbach all added solo shots, and Seattle battered Oakland pitching for 17 hits in the Mariners’ win over the Athletics.

Segura’s first home run of the season off Oakland starter Kendall Graveman (0-3) staked Seattle to an early lead, and the Mariners kept adding on via the long ball. Seattle continued to show the potency of its lineup, scoring five or more runs for the seventh time in 12 games.

Seattle’s Chasen Bradford (1-0) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief after starter Marco Gonzales was lifted in the fourth. Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his sixth save.