Cubs Snap Four-Game Losing Streak, Cardinals Edge Pirates

By ESPN

Despite a large early deficit against a surging offense, Kyle Schwarber had little doubt the Chicago Cubs would rally.

"Crazier things have happened," he said. "I just think it shows the character of our team. We're not gonna give up just because we're trading blows."

Schwarber and Miguel Montero each hit a two-run homer, Albert Almora Jr. and Jon Jay added run-scoring hits in a four-run sixth inning and Chicago rallied from five down for a 9-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Brewers slugger Eric Thames had two doubles and three hits but ended his franchise record-tying homer streak at five games.

Wade Davis got his third save and the bullpen retired 15 of its final 16 batters as the Cubs snapped a four-game skid. The bullpen had blown three straight save attempts in a weekend series against Pittsburgh.

"We're gonna be fine out there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It's all about confidence. We just have to keep getting them out there. As they get more successful innings -- which they shall -- their confidence will come on because they're really good."

The Brewers staked Jimmy Nelson to a 5-0 lead in the third, but the right-hander couldn't make it hold, allowing seven runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Reliever Jared Hughes (1-1) took the loss.

"Jimmy pitched much better than his line," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "I thought he could have gotten a lot better fate."

Brett Anderson pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed six runs and eight hits. Justin Grimm (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth for the win.

Thames set a Brewers record by getting a hit in his 12th straight start to begin the season. The former Korean star has an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games.

Travis Shaw went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI for Milwaukee.

"The middle of our lineup is carrying our offense," Counsell said. "(Ryan) Braun and Thames are doing a heck of a job. Shaw a nice night."

In the sixth, Montero singled with one out and Javier Baez followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Pinch hitter Almora drove in both with a single to left field to make it 7-6.

That chased Nelson, and then Jay greeted Hughes with a triple off the base of the wall in right-center to score Almora and tie it.

"It was just terrible execution on my behalf," Hughes said.

After Schwarber grounded out with the infield in, Jay scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Hughes with Kris Bryant at the plate.

Bryant drove in an insurance run in the eighth.

Cardnals 2, Pirates 1

Mike Leake doesn't have too many secrets on the mound. For the Cardinals right-hander, location is everything.

Leake owned the strike zone while pitching into the seventh inning, Dexter Fowler tripled and scored, and St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 2-1 on Tuesday night after Pirates outfielder Starling Marte was suspended 80 games for a banned substance earlier in the day.

"It's just where he's putting every pitch, and he's able to throw every pitch on both sides of the plate and I'd say that sinker and cutter are closer to the same velocity, but you're kind of working off the middle and running it to both sides," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Leake. "That's a tough at-bat if you're putting it on the corner."

Seung Hwan Oh allowed three hits in the ninth but escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam for his second save.

Leake (2-1) allowed seven hits and only struck out one, but he held the Pirates to a run over 6 1/3 innings. He has won nine of his last 11 decisions against the Pirates dating to Sept. 11, 2012.

"He throws strikes," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "... He makes pitches, he's very effective, he competes very well on the mound. He's a guy that we've been challenged by."

Leake has continued a strong spring through his first three starts of the season. He leads the rotation in wins, ERA (0.84) and innings pitched (21 1/3).

"I think this spring was a big spring for me and just kind of letting it translate into the season is as big," Leake said.

The Cardinals have won back-to-back games for the first time this season to improve to 5-9.

"We get some positive ju-ju going our way and we're eliminating our mistakes and that's how we're winning games," Fowler said.

Chad Kuhl (1-1) gave up two runs over six innings. He allowed three hits and struck out three.

Fowler led off the first with a triple to right and scored on Stephen Piscotty's ground out.

Greg Garcia's double in the fifth scored Jose Martinez to make it 2-0 Cardinals. Garcia was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

Brett Cecil, Matt Bowman and Oh pitched scoreless relief for St. Louis. Bowman extended his scoreless streak to 17 1/3 innings dating to last season.

Adam Frazier scored the Pirates' run on a groundout by Gregory Polanco in the sixth.

White Sox 4, Yankees 1

Miguel Gonzalez ended his road woes with a flourish.

He had been 0-7 in 19 starts away from home since winning at Tampa Bay for Baltimore on July 25, 2015. The 32-year-old right-hander's first road victory for the Chicago White Sox was one to savor.

Gonzalez pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning, Leury Garcia and Avisail Garcia homered off Luis Severino, and the White Sox beat the Yankees 4-1 Tuesday night to stop New York's eight-game winning streak.

"I never thought about it," Gonzalez said of the skid.

Gonzalez (2-0) allowed four hits -- all infield singles -- and one run in 8 1/3 innings, struck out four and walked one. He threw just 88 pitches -- needing three in the seventh despite Jacoby Ellsbury's leadoff bunt single. Matt Holliday grounded into a double play and Starlin Castro bounced out, both on the first pitch.

"His stuff was moving all over. He was living on the edges," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Gonzalez retired his first 12 batters before Castro's infield single on a slow bouncer to shortstop leading off the fifth. David Robertson relieved with a 4-0 lead and two on in the ninth after a four-pitch walk to Brett Gardner.

"I was getting a little tired towards the end, leaving the ball up," Gonzalez said.

Robertson loaded the bases with a walk to Ellsbury, struck out Holliday and forced in a run with a walk to Castro.Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout for Robertson's fourth save, ending a game that breezed by in just 2 hours, 16 minutes.

On the 94th anniversary of the first game at original Yankee Stadium across 161st Street, the Yankees lost for the first time in eight home games this season.

Severino (1-1) was dominant for much of the night, throwing his fastball at up to 99 mph. He allowed just three hits in a career-high eight innings, struck out 10 and walked none. But two of the hits were homers, and three of the four runs off him were earned.

Leury Garcia reached down to drive a 96 mph pitch into the Yankees bullpen in the third for his first home run this season.

Chicago made it 4-0 in the seventh after Tim Anderson singled, just the second ball the White Sox hit out of the infield. Melky Cabrera hit a double-play ball to shortstop Pete Kozma, who allowed the grounder to glance off his glove for an error.

Cleanup hitter Jose Abreu, just 8 for 49 (.163) at the plate this year, popped up a bunt to the catcher.

"I can't fault him for that," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said.

Avisail Garcia then sent a hanging slider on a 2-0 count into the visitors' bullpen in left-center.

"I was trying to throw a slider for a strike and he got me with it," Severino said.

Tuesday, April 18 Scoreboard

Chicago  White 4, New York Yankees 1

Boston 8, Toronto 7

Cincinnati 9, Baltimore 3

Philadelphia 6, New York Mets 2 (F/10)

Tampa Bay 5, Detroit 1

Washington 3, Atlanta 1

Chicago Cubs 9, Milwaukee 7

Cleveland 11, Minnesota 4

Los Angeles Angels 5, Houston 2

San Francisco 2, Kansas City 1 (F/11)

St. Louis 2, Pittsburgh 1

Oakland 4, Texas 2

Miami 5, Seattle 0

Colorado 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Arizona 11,  San Diego 2

Wednesday, April 19 Schedule (All Times Central)

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 12:45 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Texas at Oakland, 2:35 p.m.

Miami at Seattle, 2:40 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Baltimore at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia ta New York Mets, 6;10 p.m.

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 6;10 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Cleveland at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Houston, 7;10 p.m.

San Francisco at Kansas City, 7;15 p.m.

Colorado at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Arizona at San Diego, 9:10 p.m.