Baez and his teammates showed why he feels that way on Saturday.
Baez homered and had four hits – including a game-tying infield single in the eighth – and the Cubs rallied from a five-run deficit for an 8-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Anthony Rizzo’s RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.
”That’s what we do,” Baez said. ”We fight to the end. We’ve been coming back since 2016.”
Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its five-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.
Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Morrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.
The Reds took a 7-4 lead into the eighth, but reliever Amir Garrett – who retired three straight batters in the seventh – walked Victor Caratini and Addison Russell to start the inning. Pinch hitter David Bote then singled to load the bases.
Jared Hughes (2-3) replaced Garrett and Ben Zobrist greeted him with a two-run double to left-center to trim the deficit to 7-6. Baez followed with a comebacker, but Hughes bobbled the ball and then fell down as he picked it up. Baez was credited with an RBI infield hit as Bote scored for a tie at 7.
”It was right there; it hit my glove,” Hughes said. ”I think it was a hit, but still, I should have made the play.”
Rizzo then drove in Zobrist with a groundout to second base to put Chicago on top.
”Amir gave us a clean seventh inning Authentic Customized Chargers Jerseys , and the wheels fell off in the eighth,” Cincinnati manager Jim Riggleman said.
The five-run deficit was the largest the Cubs have overcome during the eight comeback wins.
”It’s fantastic,” Bote said of Chicago’s string of comebacks. ”The quality at-bats the last two weeks have been incredible.”
Suarez’s three-run blast in the third gave the Reds a 5-0 lead.
Chicago moved closer with a pair of runs in the fourth. Caratini drove in the first with a double and then scored on an RBI groundout by Russell.
Cincinnati reclaimed the five-run advantage with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI singles by Jesse Winker and Joey Votto.
The Cubs made it 7-3 in the bottom of the sixth as Rosario drove in a run with a single for his first major league hit and RBI.
Baez’s 17th homer leading off the seventh trimmed the deficit to three runs.
HARVEY SOLID
Reds starter Matt Harvey was in line to win his fourth straight start before the eighth-inning meltdown. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. He has a 1.88 ERA over his last four starts. ”It’s a good sign that I can go out, not feel great, be out of whack and still get somewhat deep in the game and limit the damage,” Harvey said.
SUN FIELD
Harvey might have completed the sixth without giving up a third run had right fielder Scott Schebler not lost a pop fly by Russell in the sun with one out. It dropped in for a double. Rosario followed with a single to drive in Russell.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: OF Jason Heyward left the game after taking a foul ball to the groin in the third inning. 3B Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) took batting practice, fielded grounders and ran the bases before the game. Manager Joe Maddon said Bryant will go on a rehab assignment before being activated, although the details haven’t been worked out yet.
UP NEXT
LHP Jon Lester (11-2, 2.25 ERA) looks to become the NL’s first 12-game winner on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series. Lester has won seven straight starts. RHP Luis Castillo (5-8 Authentic Customized Dolphins Jerseys , 5.53) pitches for the Reds.
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John Brebbia pitched in 70 major league games before earning his first career win. When the wait was over, the individual accomplishment was an afterthought compared to the exhilaration of stopping his team’s archrival from earning its first sweep in nearly eight years at Busch Stadium.
Jack Flaherty and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, Matt Carpenter homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 on Sunday night.
Brebbia (1-1) worked around two hits in a scoreless sixth inning to earn his first major league win. Austin Gomber, Jordan Hicks and Bud Norris each pitched a hitless inning to finish the shutout. It ended the Cardinals’ season-high four-game losing streak and prevented the Cubs from getting their first series sweep in St. Louis since Sept. 13-15, 2010.
”It’s definitely nice to get a win for sure,” Brebbia said. ”What’s really nice is we got a win against the Cubs in the division, in what I think is a tight division right now so that’s probably the best part.”
Flaherty allowed just two hits while striking out seven in five innings, but he walked three and hit two batters and was pulled after throwing 97 pitches. He escaped a jam in the third inning when he struck out Kris Bryant with the bases loaded to keep the game scoreless.
”I was able to battle and execute when I needed to,” Flaherty said. ”I threw a lot of pitches in a short amount of time. I was hoping to go deeper Authentic Customized Vikings Jerseys , but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
Harrison Bader, Tommy Pham, and Marcell Ozuna each singled to open the sixth inning and load the bases. Pham’s single extended his hitting streak to a National League-best 11 games to chase Jose Quintana (6-5) from the game.
Bader scored the game’s first run when Yadier Molina grounded into a double play and Jedd Gyorko’s RBI single drove in Pham to make it 2-0.
Quintana was charged with the two runs and four hits in five-plus innings in his 200th career major league game.
”I felt pretty good,” Quintana said. ”I had all my stuff.”
Carpenter hit his 10th home run of the season and second of this series in the seventh inning off Brian Duensing to push the lead to 3-0.
Molina had an RBI double in the eighth, moved to third on Yairo Munoz’s infield single and scored on shortstop Addison Russell’s throwing error on the play.
Cubs shortstop Javier Baez left the game with a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch from Flaherty in the top of the third inning. Baez, who leads the team with 14 home runs, was replaced by Russell.
”I’m fine. Just really sore,” Baez said. ”He got me really good. Right on the elbow.”
Chicago manager Joe Maddon was content with taking two of three in St. Louis.
He had reporters listen to a minute of the Meat Loaf song, ”Two out of Three Ain’t Bad Authentic Customized Patriots Jerseys ,” before starting his press conference.
”We’ll take two out of three any day of the week, especially in this ball park,” Maddon said. ”We played well. We just didn’t get any hits tonight.”
BABY CUBS
The Cubs announced the signing of draft picks OF Brennen Davis (62nd overall) and RHP Paul Richan (78th overall) prior to Sunday’s game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) will throw a simulated game on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Cardinals: RHP Greg Holland will travel with the team to Philadelphia after tossing a scoreless inning Saturday night on a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Springfield.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 4.12) opposes Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.61) as Chicago opens a a three-game series against Los Angeles on Monday. Chatwood has issued a major league-leading 58 walks.
Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (7-2, 2.43) starts the opener of a three-game series in Philadelphia as St. Louis starts a seven-game trip. He will be opposed by Phillies RHP Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.25).
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