Cubs Snap Four-Game Skid; Cardinals Lose in 9th

MIAMI -- One week into his major league career, Chicago Cubs super-sub Willson Contreras says he is simply trying to contribute and enjoy himself.

So how much fun is he having?

"A lot," Contreras said, practically shouting the words. "A lot."

No wonder. He's batting .412 with three homers, and the latest helped the Cubs break their longest losing streak of the season at four games by beating the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Friday night. Contreras hit a two-run homer in a four-run first inning, and his RBI single in the seventh put the team with the best record in the majors ahead to stay.

Manager Joe Maddon said Contreras' contribution as a reinforcement for the injury-hampered Cubs has been indispensable.

"It's like oxygen. It's absolutely necessary," Maddon said. "The life he has brought to the group is absolutely necessary. He's different in all the best ways."

While Contreras again excelled as a reinforcement, the National League Central leaders endured another setback when second baseman Ben Zobrist left the game after he was hit by a pitch that bruised his left ankle. X-rays were negative, but Zobrist said he will likely miss at least one game.

Four pitchers held the Marlins to two hits, including Justin Bour's grand slam.

Each team scored four runs in the first inning, when Kris Bryant and Contreras homered for the Cubs. It was the first time in the majors this year that both teams scored at least four runs in the first, according to ESPN.

Despite the early onslaught, both starters settled down before departing with the score still 4-all.

The Cubs' Kyle Hendricks pitched five innings and allowed only one hit -- Bour's slam. All four runs were unearned because of an error by shortstopAddison Russell.

"That was the most grinding of a one-hitter," Hendricks said. "It was a weird game."

Miami's Tom Koehler gave up six consecutive hits in the first but still pitched six innings.

Trevor Cahill (1-2) threw a scoreless sixth. Hector Rondon retired all four batters he faced for his second four-out save in a row and his 13th overall.

Mike Dunn (0-1) retired only one of the five hitters he faced in the seventh, walking two and hitting Zobrist.

"I can't remember the last time I went out there and couldn't throw anything over the plate," Dunn said. "I didn't give the team a chance."

Dunn also allowed a one-out, run-scoring single by Contreras, who has eight RBIs after seven games in the big leagues.

"He looks like an established big league hitter," Hendricks said. "He just hits balls hard. It's really fun to watch. To be that young and come up and do it, it's unbelievable. And we need it right now."

Contreras started at catcher and moved to first base late in the game. He is expected to be in the lineup again Saturday, although he's unsure where.

"I don't know if I'm going to play left field or first base; I caught a few fly balls in right field today," he said. "So I'll be ready, man."

   --

SEATTLE -- Adam Lind provided the clutch hit that escaped the Seattle Mariners during their six-game losing streak.

It came in game-winning fashion.

Lind hit a winning three-run home run in the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal to give the Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night.

The long ball snapped Seattle's skid and provided a brief respite from an otherwise miserable stretch. Seattle was on the verge of losing for the fifth time in seven games after holding the lead before Lind's 11th homer that landed deep in the right-field seats.

"We've had a lot of tough ones lately, but we did pull it out," Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

The Mariners opened the ninth with a double by Kyle Seager just fair down the left-field line and a walk to Dae-Ho Lee on a 3-2 pitch. Lind reached down and drove a 1-1 pitch out to right field for his fourth career walk-off home run.

Lind had been hitless in his previous 10 at-bats before the homer.

"You know it's a long season, long road trip," Lind said. "We played some good teams, the Cardinals are a really good team as well. If you want to be good you have to play well against these teams."

It was the third home run allowed this season by Rosenthal (2-3) and his third blown save. Rosenthal has struggled of late, giving up at least two runs in three of his past five appearances.

"It was a changeup, it was probably more on the inner-part of the plate than we had hoped," Rosenthal said. "I don't remember the last time I've given up a hard-hit ball on my changeup. It was under the zone, but he just did a great job with it."

St. Louis had scored three times in the eighth inning without the help of a base hit. Seattle reliever Joaquin Benoit issued three walks and a hit batter, and Seager's error on Matt Holliday's hard ground ball allowed two runs to score.

Benoit's problems nearly ruined the night for Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc. Making his first start in the majors since 2014, LeBlanc threw six shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out three after being acquired in a trade with Toronto earlier this week.

LeBlanc left with a 1-0 lead after Lee's bases loaded groundout in the sixth scored Seth Smith from third. Nick Vincent pitched a perfect seventh but it fell apart for Seattle in the eighth.

"Throwing strikes, changing speeds, that's pretty much all I've got," LeBlanc said.

Benoit immediately put runners on first and second walking Yadier Molina -- who was replaced by Eric Fryer -- and hitting Greg Garcia on a 1-2 pitch. The pair advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Tommy Pham and Matt Carpenter was intentionally walked to load the bases. Aledmys Diaz fouled off a pair of 3-2 pitches before Benoit missed inside and forced in the tying run.

Benoit was replaced by Donn Roach and Holliday swung at the first pitch. Seager appeared to think the grounder was going to bounce higher, but it stayed down and rolled into left field allowing a pair to score.

Roach (1-0) escaped the eighth and pitched the ninth to get his first win.

"We were able to make something happen there in the eighth, it's just a shame we couldn't finish it off," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.