CHICAGO — The Braves once again came up on the short end of a tight ballgame. After rallying from an early 4-0 deficit, the Braves left the tying run at third base in the top of the ninth inning, as the Cubs held on for a 4-3 victory on Tuesday night.
After Chicago jumped all over losing pitcher Joey Wentz (5-5) for four runs in the bottom of the third inning, the Braves mounted a charge of their own.
The comeback began in the top of the fourth, when Matt Olson tripled and scored on a wild pitch for the Braves’ first run. Ozzie Albies homered later in the inning to make it 4-2.
Eli White’s solo shot in the fifth cut it to 4-3. But the Braves could never get the tying run home.
Wentz (5-5) yielded four runs on seven hits in four innings, striking out a season-high eight.
Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer that was the big blow for the Cubs in that four-run third inning. Shota Imanaga (9-6) allowed three runs on five hits in six innings for the win.
Nico Hoerner added two hits as Chicago won for the fourth time in five. The Cubs are five games behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
Daniel Palencia worked around two singles in the ninth for his 22nd save.
Tucker left the game in the seventh inning due to left calf tightness and was replaced in right field by Willi Castro.
Marcell Ozuna and Ha-Seong Kim each had two hits for Atlanta, which has dropped five of six.
Key moment
With Chicago clinging to a 4-3 lead, Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw ranged to his right to grab Ronald Acuña’s bouncer down the line in the eighth. The rookie pivoted and threw to first for the second out.
Key stat
Kevin Alcántara, recalled from Triple-A on Monday, started center field in place of slumping All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong and went 1-for-3 Crow-Armstrong entered batting .160 with one homer and five RBIs in 28 games since Aug 1.
Up next
Atlanta’s Bryce Elder (5-9, 5.85 ERA) faces Cade Horton (9-4, 2.92) on Wednesday to wrap up a three-game series.
Material from The Associated Press was used in the article.
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