Chicago Cubs unload four home runs on the Braves in 8-2 win

After dropping Friday’s series opener by the final score of 5-1, the Chicago Cubs quickly bounced back with their ace on the mound. The first-place North Siders launched four home runs in the 8-2 win over the Atlanta Braves to even the series at one a piece.

And with right-hander Jake Arrieta on the mound, Joe Maddon‘s boys felt the need to hammer Atlanta’s pitching staff, returning the favor for Friday evenings game. It just so happened to be fireworks night yesterday but the Cubs lit some fireworks of their own.

Arrieta (10-1, 1.86 ERA) was chasing his 10th victory for a bit but was finally able to record it after surrendering only two earned runs on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Jake The Snake gave up an RBI single off the bat of Adonis Garcia in the home half of the fourth inning and an RBI triple to Ender Inciarte later on in the seventh.

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These two men have contributed a few runs for their club to begin the series and could very well end up becoming trade candidates before the non-waiver deadline is up at the end of July. It’s Atlanta, it wouldn’t surprise me.

We’ll backtrack to the very first inning of the ballgame moments after center fielder Dexter Fowler was retired. Former Atlanta Brave, Jason Heyward turned on the third pitch of his at-bat and sent a no-doubter out into right field.

Before Atlanta (18-43) finally got up on the board, first baseman Anthony Rizzo clobbered Chicago’s (42-18) second home run of the game. It was a solo bomb to right field that made it a two-run ballgame in favor of the visiting team.

Veteran catcher Miguel Montero lifted a pitch delivered by Matt Wisler and sent it over the wall in right-center field, bringing Ben Zobrist, and Chris Coghlan around to score with him to bust things open. A three-run homer that just so happened to be Montero’s third big fly of the year.

Last year’s National League Rookie of the Year winner, Kris Bryant kept up with Rizzo by smashing a two-run homer in the fifth inning to regain the team lead with 15 on the season. Bryant’s two-run shot also gave him his 44th and 45th RBI.

Fowler tallied Chicago’s final run with an RBI double in the sixth inning, scoring Arrieta to make it 8-1 in the sixth. This will set up a rubber match between Jon Lester and John Grant tomorrow afternoon.