The Chicago Cubs secured a series win to close out their homestand with a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Cubs SP Cole Hamels exited the game after allowing three earned runs on three hits in 5.1 IP with 7 SO, issuing an uncharacteristic six BB. With two outs in the bottom of the 6th inning, INF Javier Báez tied the game with a three-run blast to left field, scoring INFs Daniel Descalso and Anthony Rizzo.
Following El Mago’s dinger, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a pitching change, substituting lefty Scott Alexander for SP Walker Buehler. INF David Bote replaced OF Kyle Schwarber, doubling to center field and prompting Alexander to intentionally walk the Cubs’ current home run leader, C Willson Contreras, in order to face left-handed OF Jason Heyward. Heyward then hit a bomb to left-center field to give the Cubs a 6-3 lead in a magnificent display of oppo power.
Heyward has had a resurgent start to the 2019 season, currently leading the Northsiders in batting average with .333, and he is in third place on the team home runs leaderboard with five dingers following Wednesday’s go-ahead shot. So far this year, Heyward currently has a higher hard hit rate than has been seen from him since his rookie year with the Atlanta franchise, and he is also hitting nearly twice as many fly balls as his career average. If Heyward continues hitting at this rate, he deserves to earn the second All-Star selection of his career.
The Cubs will look for the sweep in the series finale on Thursday afternoon at 2:20 PM ET. Jon Lester will make his first start since being sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained in the home opener, against Ross Stripling of the Dodgers. Support the site by buying your tickets from SeatGeek!
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