LOS ANGELES – Michael Busch hit 4 for 5 with a home run and scored three runs, Cody Bellinger had three RBIs, including a two-run home run, and the Chicago Cubs beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 on Monday night.
The Cubs offense managed 16 hits – every player had at least one – following a losing streak against the AL East leaders New York Yankees in which they had scored a total of seven hits and two runs in three games.
Bellinger and Busch gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead against their old team with two outs in the first inning.
“It was pretty awesome,” said Busch, a rookie drafted by the Dodgers in 2019 and traded to the Cubs last offseason. “I just tried to put a lot of pressure on them every inning.”
Bellinger hit a two-run home run off the first pitch against Walker Buehler (1-5), who also scored Ian Happ, who hit a leadoff single. The ball flew 430 feet – halfway up the right-hand pavilion – making it his longest home run of the season. Chicago fans in the 50,495-strong crowd cheered him on. Busch added an RBI single.
Bellinger smiled as he circled the bases, taking in the scenery on a 93-degree night when a strong, hot wind sent the flags flying in center field.
“I have a lot of great memories here. I love the fans, the people and the stadium,” he said. “It’s a strange feeling, but it’s a cool feeling and I always like to come back.”
Busch drove two strikes down the left field line in the fourth inning to extend Chicago’s lead to 4-0.
“He was unbelievable for us,” said Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks. “Obviously a pro-style hit every time. A great game, really fun to watch. He was a cornerstone for us.”
Hendricks ran the bases with two outs in the third inning – Shohei Ohtani stole his 47th base of the season – but Max Muncy hit a line drive to Busch at first base on the first pitch, ending the threat.
Hendricks allowed two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Relief pitcher Keegan Thompson (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to secure the win.
“Every single at-bat, two strikes, extending the lead, bullpen action, some incredible plays on defense, just overall a really good game for us,” Hendricks said. “We know we need to get some wins.”
Buehler allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings. He struck out four times and walked once.
“I messed us up from the start. Three runs in the first inning obviously took the energy out of the building,” he said. “The first inning has been a weird one for me this year. It’s a lot to ask of the other guys to pull me out of a hole every game.”
The Dodgers scored twice in the fifth inning on Mookie Betts’ RBI single and Muncy’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to put them down 4-2. Hendricks left the field after loading the bases for the second time.
The Cubs extended their lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning thanks to Busch’s RBI single and Miguel Amaya’s two-run single against reliever Anthony Banda with two outs. Busch finished the game with three RBIs, as did Bellinger.
The Dodgers pulled within 7-4 in the seventh inning on Betts’ two-run homer and had the potential tying point before Shawn Armstrong ended Gavin Lux with a strikeout to end the inning.
Busch scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and Bellinger added a two-run RBI single in the ninth inning.
TRAINING ROOM
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (tendonitis) will, if all goes well, play in the bullpen on the road.
Dodgers: OF Teoscar Hernández (foot bruise) completed fielding drills in hopes of returning Tuesday. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (big toe) worked out in tennis shoes on a portable pitching ramp. … RHP Tyler Glasnow (tendonitis) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and, if all goes well, play a simulated game in Atlanta on Friday. … RHP Brusdar Graterol (hamstring) is expected to be active Wednesday.
Next
Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (12-3, 2.99 ERA) teamed with two relievers to pitch the 18th no-hitter in franchise history against Pittsburgh last week.
Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 2.92) starts Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain and is expected to throw three innings.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
