Justin Turner delivered a pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 win against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game series.
On the first pitch after Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg threw high to first on a Dansby Swanson grounder to open the ninth, Turner belted a middle-middle fastball from Keegan Akin (3-1) over the wall in left-center field for the first regular-season walk-off homer of the 40-year-old’s career.
Seiya Suzuki had two hits, one RBI and one run while Kyle Tucker and Nico Hoerner added two hits apiece for the Cubs, who have won three of four.
Cubs starter Colin Rea allowed two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one.
Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller combined for 3 1/3 shutout innings before Daniel Palencia (1-2) blew the save in the ninth but got the win.
Orioles starter Brandon Young could not claim his first major league win in his eighth try. The rookie right-hander allowed two runs (neither earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two.
Colton Cowser had two hits for Baltimore, which has dropped three of four.
Palencia took over in the ninth protecting a one-run lead before Cowser led off with a double into the right field corner.
Palencia got the next two outs, but pinch hitter Ryan Noda singled to right in his team debut to tie the score 3-3.
Michael Busch led off the first inning for Chicago with a high fly to right that was dropped by Jeremiah Jackson for a two-base error. Busch was sacrificed to third by Tucker and scored on Suzuki’s single to right.
After a lineout and a walk, Ian Happ doubled into the ivy in right to drive in Suzuki and make it 2-0. Carson Kelly was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Orioles put their first two runners aboard in the third as Alex Jackson was hit by a pitch and Jackson Holliday singled to right. A fly ball to right moved Jackson to third and he scored when Gunnar Henderson beat out a potential double-play grounder to cut it to 2-1.
Adley Rutschman led off the fourth with a deep drive to left that went off Happ’s glove when he leaped on the warning track, resulting in a double. He scored on a one-out single by Cowser to tie it 2-2.
The Cubs strung together three two-out singles off Dietrich Enns in the sixth and took a 3-2 lead on Swanson’s single up the middle.
–Field Level Media
