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John Lackey led the Chicago Cubs on the mound, and Willson Contreras delivered the big blow at the plate as the Cubs down the Braves for their 5th straight.
It took a few hours, but even Mother Nature couldn’t slow down a hot Cubs squad.
Part of a four-run third inning, the Cubs kept their hot approach at the plate and on the mound, as the Cubs won their fifth straight 5-1 over the Atlanta Braves late Tuesday night.
Stayin’ hot
John Lackey went five innings, allowing just one run. His only run allowed came via a Nick Markakis blast in the second inning. Lackey leads the league with 25 home runs given up.
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It was the first time the Cubs have trailed so far in the second half, and it was rather short-lived.
Javier Baez knocked out his 11th home run in the third, and Willson Contreras stayed red-hot with a three-run blast later in the inning. Contreras is hitting .380 the month of July.
Ben Zobrist added the fifth run on a ground out in the sixth.
Braves’ starter Sean Newcomb took the loss. He was tagged for five runs on eight hits.
In relief of Lackey, Brian Duensing and Pedro Strop each pitched a perfect inning. Carl Edwards Jr. also pitched a scoreless eighth and struck out three. It was vintage Héctor Rondon in the ninth, striking out three to seal the win.
Lackey picked up his sixth win. The Cubs have matched their season-high win streak of five games.
Next: Ian Happ is quietly settling in nicely in the big leagues
What’s next
Wednesday concludes the three-game series between Chicago and Atlanta at SunTrust Park.
Mike Montgomery (1-6, 4.01 ERA) gets the start against R.A. Dickey (6-5, 4.08 ERA). First pitch Wednesday is at 11:10 a.m. CT from Atlanta.