WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Just one more game, then the Cubs will finally get to play at Wrigley Field.
And they’re aiming to return home on a three-game winning streak.
Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer in the first inning, offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker added a solo shot in the third to give him a career-best four straight games with a homer, and the Cubs slugged away for a second consecutive night to beat the Athletics, 7-4, out West on Tuesday.
The Cubs were playing their eighth of nine road games to start the 2025 season, including the two-game Tokyo Series to open the MLB regular-season calendar in mid-March. After one more game against the A’s in West Sacramento on Wednesday afternoon, the Cubs finally return home.
They’ll have a day off on Thursday, followed by the home opener at 1:20 p.m. Friday against the San Diego Padres.
Chicago didn’t put up near the offensive numbers Tuesday night as it did in Monday night’s 18-3 rout of the A’s, which featured 21 hits, four home runs and catcher Carson Kelly hitting for the first cycle by a Cubs player since Mark Grace in 1993.
But the Cubs still had plenty of offense in the second game of the series, as Dansby Swanson added an RBI double after hitting home runs the previous two games.
The A’s answered the Cubs’ three-run top of the first in the bottom of the frame on Brent Rooker’s two-run drive, and Shea Langeliers had a two-run shot in the third for the A’s.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (2-1) was solid otherwise, striking out six over 6 2/3 innings and continuing his impressive interleague success in his third start of 2025 to help Chicago win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Ryan Pressly, like Tucker an offseason acquisition from the Houston Astros, worked a scoreless ninth for his second save. Tucker’s four home runs, meanwhile, are tied with Aaron Judge for second-most in the majors.
A night after a sellout of 12,119 for the first major league game at Sutter Health Park, the A’s drew 10,095 on Tuesday.
Key moment
Chicago came out swinging against A’s starter Luis Severino (0-1).
The right-hander had been stellar throughout his career against the Cubs, but that changed in his second start of the year. Severino entered with a 1.00 ERA in four starts versus Chicago — three earned runs over 27 innings — before being tagged for six runs, five earned, in six innings.
He signed a $67 million, three-year contract with the Athletics in December.
Key stat
Steele is 10-4 with a 2.33 ERA in 23 interleague games. Since the beginning of last year, he’s 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in nine interleague outings.
Up next
Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (0-1, 12.46 ERA) faces A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 0.00) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:35 p.m.