LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger did a lot of damage to their old organization late Monday night, leading a breakout effort for a Cubs offense that was coming off a rough series.
Busch went 4-for-5 with a homer and scored three runs, Bellinger belted a two-run homer and finished with three RBI, and the Cubs beat the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-4, to open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Chicago’s offense broke out for 16 hits — with every player getting at least one — after a weekend series loss to the American East-leading New York Yankees at Wrigley Field in which the Cubs had a combined seven hits and two runs in three games.
Bellinger and Busch gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead with two outs in the first inning against their old team.
“It was pretty awesome,” said Busch, a rookie who was drafted by the Dodgers in 2019 and traded to the Cubs last offseason. “Just trying to put a ton of pressure on them every inning.”
Bellinger slugged a first-pitch, two-run homer off Walker Buehler (1-5) that also scored Ian Happ, who singled leading off. The ball traveled 430 feet — halfway up the right-field pavilion — for his longest homer of the season and drew cheers from Chicago fans in the crowd of 50,495. Busch added an RBI single later in the inning.
Bellinger smiled as he circled the bases, taking in the scene on a 94-degree night with a strong, hot wind blowing the flags in center field. Bellinger was drafted by the Dodgers and spent his first six big-league seasons with them, winning NL MVP honors in 2019 and a World Series title in 2020.
“A lot of good memories here. I love the fans and the people and the stadium,” Bellinger said. “It’s a weird feeling, but it’s a cool feeling, and I always love coming back.”
With their second straight win over a division-leading team, the Cubs improved to 74-70 with 18 games remaining. Their playoff chances remain extremely slim, at 1.7% entering Monday per FanGraphs’ MLB Playoff Odds.
The streaking New York Mets, who’ve won nine of their last 10, won again Monday night to take sole possession of the third and final NL Wild Card position, five games ahead of the Cubs. The Mets also won the season series with the Cubs, so they own the tiebreaker.
The Cubs did move to four games behind the Atlanta Braves, who lost Monday to drop a game behind the Mets. The Braves also won the season series against the Cubs and thus own the tiebreaker.
Hendricks battles
In Monday’s game, Busch went deep down the left-field line with two strikes in the fourth, extending Chicago’s lead to 4-0.
“He’s been unbelievable for us,” Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks said. “Obviously, the pro at-bat every single time. Huge game that was really fun to see. He’s been a cornerstone for us.”
Hendricks, meanwhile, walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third — when Shohei Ohtani stole his 47th base of the season — but Max Muncy lined out to Busch at first base on the first pitch to end the threat.
Hendricks allowed two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Keegan Thompson (2-1) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win.
“Every single at-bat, two-strike hits, adding onto the lead, bullpen coming in, some unbelievable plays on defense, all around just a really good game for us,” Hendricks said. “We know we’ve got to pile up some wins.”
Buehler gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one.
“I screwed us from the jump. Obviously, three runs in the first, it kind of sucked the energy out of the building,” he said. “The first inning has been a weird thing for me this year. It’s a lot to ask of the rest of our guys to dig me out of a hole every game.”
The Dodgers scored twice in the fifth on Mookie Betts‘ RBI single and Muncy’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly to trail 4-2. Hendricks left after loading the bases for the second time.
The Cubs extended their lead to 7-2 in the sixth on Busch’s RBI single and Miguel Amaya’s two-run single off reliever Anthony Banda with two outs. Busch, like Bellinger, finished with three RBI.
The Dodgers closed to 7-4 in the seventh on Betts’ two-run homer and had the potential tying run at the plate before Shawn Armstrong struck out Gavin Lux to end the inning.
Busch scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Bellinger added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (tendinitis) will throw a bullpen on the road trip if all goes well.
Dodgers: OF Teoscar Hernández (bruised foot) did on-field drills with the hope he can return Tuesday. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (big toe) worked off a portable throwing ramp in tennis shoes. … RHP Tyler Glasnow (tendinitis) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and if all goes well a simulated game Friday in Atlanta. … RHP Brusdar Graterol (hamstring) is expected to be active Wednesday.
Up next
Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (12-3, 2.99 ERA) combined with two relievers on the 18th no-hitter in franchise history last week against Pittsburgh.
Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 2.92) starts Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain. He’s expected to throw three innings.
First pitch at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 9:10 p.m.