Nico Hoerner’s infield single drove home the winning run with one out in the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
With automatic runner Cody Bellinger at third, Hoerner chopped a high grounder to Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson. He fielded the ball cleanly but had no play as Bellinger easily scored.
Luke Little (1-0) got the win while Aaron Bummer (1-2) took the loss.
The Cubs, who dropped two of three games last week in Atlanta, evened the season series at 2-2.
Chicago right-handed starter Javier Assad worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, a season-high five walks, four strikeouts and a pair of home runs.
Chicago reliever Tyson Miller worked 1 1/3 innings before Mark Leiter Jr., Hayden Wesneski and Hector Neris each pitched a scoreless inning. Leiter struck out the side in his one inning of work. Little pitched a 1-2-3 10th for the save.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton, who was knocked out by the Cubs after pitching only three innings last week, regained his form. The veteran righty pitched five innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts, matching his season high.
The Braves scored two runs in the second inning when Orlando Arcia hit a two-run homer, his fifth.
Chicago answered in the bottom of the second inning when Mike Tauchman singled in a run with the bases loaded, then added a run when Dansby Swanson — activated from the injured list before the game — scored on a passed ball.
The Braves regained the lead in the fourth when Michael Harris II lined an opposite-field solo homer, his fifth, into the stands in left field.
The wind — which began the game blowing out at 22 mph — helped the Cubs tie the game in the sixth against reliever Daysbel Hernandez. Atlanta third baseman Zack Short dropped Michael Busch’s high popup that was caught in the swirling wind. After Miguel Amaya’s single, Tauchman lined an RBI single to left to tie the game.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
–Field Level Media
