The Chicago Cubs extended their impressive winning streak to ten games Friday night, mounting a spectacular comeback to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in the series opener.
Dansby Swanson delivered the decisive blow with a clutch two-run homer in the ninth inning, capping off Chicago’s remarkable rally from a 4-0 deficit. The Cubs managed to score all six of their runs during the final three frames of the contest.
Swanson turned in an outstanding performance, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a triple, the game-winning home run, and four RBIs. Alex Bregman contributed with a 2-for-5 effort that included a solo blast, while Moises Ballesteros added two hits and crossed home plate once.
The winning rally began when Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the ninth with a base hit and came around to score on Swanson’s decisive long ball off reliever Tanner Scott (0-1).
Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan dominated Chicago’s lineup for most of the evening, surrendering just one run on four hits across 6 1/3 innings while recording ten strikeouts.
In other Friday action, the New York Yankees extended their own hot streak to seven games with a commanding 12-4 victory over Houston. Jazz Chisholm Jr. powered the offensive attack with four RBIs and a home run, while the Yankees took control early against the struggling Astros.
New York suffered a setback when Giancarlo Stanton left the game in the sixth inning due to tightness in his lower right leg. Will Warren (3-0) earned the victory by allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings. Chisholm recorded his first three-hit performance of the season, while Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice, and Jose Caballero each contributed solo homers.
Houston’s Yainer Diaz homered and added an RBI single, but the Astros dropped their 14th contest in 18 games.
Baltimore overwhelmed visiting Boston 10-3 behind Adley Rutschman’s explosive performance. Rutschman blasted two two-run homers and finished with six RBIs, helping the Orioles launch six home runs total in the rout.
The offensive fireworks began in the first inning when Gunnar Henderson, Rutschman, and Dylan Beavers all went deep. Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo added solo shots later in the game. Rutschman now has three homers in just two games since returning from the injury list earlier this week.
Boston’s Wilyer Abreu connected for a homer in the second inning, and he joined Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story with two hits each in the losing effort. The Red Sox have now dropped four straight games.
Miami opened a six-game West Coast trip with a 9-4 triumph over San Francisco. Liam Hicks and Connor Norby provided the power with home runs, while Kyle Stowers, Xavier Edwards, and Otto Lopez each collected three hits in the victory.
Sandy Alcantara (3-2) broke a three-game personal winless streak with six solid innings, benefiting from a season-high 16 hits from his teammates. The Marlins have now won four of their last five contests.
Cleveland held on for an 8-6 victory over Toronto, with Angel Martinez launching two two-run homers to lead the offensive charge. Daniel Schneemann added a solo shot for the Guardians in the series opener, while Gavin Williams (4-1) allowed six runs and seven hits over six innings to earn the win.
Colorado defeated New York 4-3 in the Mets series opener, with Michael Lorenzen tossing a season-high seven innings for the victory. Jake McCarthy delivered the go-ahead RBI double in the sixth, and Troy Johnston provided what proved to be the winning two-run single in the seventh.
Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes carried a perfect game into the seventh inning before settling for a dominant one-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over Milwaukee. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner retired the first 20 batters before Jake Bauers lined a single up the middle with two outs in the seventh for the Brewers’ only hit.
Skenes (4-1) struck out seven without issuing a walk in his 93-pitch masterpiece. Konnor Griffin celebrated his 20th birthday with his first career homer to pace Pittsburgh’s offense.
Tampa Bay defeated visiting Minnesota 6-2 behind Junior Caminero’s pair of tape-measure home runs and three RBIs. Jonathan Aranda also homered twice in the victory, while Drew Rasmussen (2-0) earned the win with six strong innings.
Atlanta rallied for a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia, handing the visiting Phillies their tenth consecutive loss. Michael Harris II delivered a pinch-hit double to drive in two runs and complete the comeback, while Ronald Acuna crushed a two-run homer to tie the game in the fifth.
Seattle snapped an eight-game road losing streak with a 3-2 victory over St. Louis. Josh Naylor’s leadoff homer in the sixth inning proved to be the difference, while George Kirby (4-2) won his third straight start by allowing two runs over six-plus innings.
Chicago defeated Washington 5-4 on Sam Antonacci’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Munetaka Murakami’s home run. Kansas City topped Los Angeles 5-3 despite Mike Trout setting a franchise record with his 1,367th appearance in center field.
Oakland opened their series with Texas by winning 8-1, getting solo homers from Nick Kurtz, Carlos Cortes, and Tyler Soderstrom all in the first inning. Cincinnati completed the night’s action with a thrilling 9-8 walk-off victory over Detroit on Nathaniel Lowe’s two-run homer in the ninth inning.
