López lousy again as Braves beaten by Cubs
CHICAGO — The Braves couldn’t overcome a second straight bad outing from Reynaldo López and dropped a 7-3 decision Monday to the Cubs in the first of three games at Wrigley Field.
López allowed five runs on six hits and two walks in just three innings of work and was pulled after just 62 pitches. In two starts since returning from the injured list Wednesday, López has a 12.91 ERA across 7 2/3 innings.
López (4-5) has completed six innings of work out of 13 starts only once this season — his first start March 28 against the Royals. The right-hander’s next turn in the rotation is scheduled for Sunday in Houston against the Astros.
The ineffectiveness of López put the Braves (88-63) in a hole they couldn’t climb out of and left their magic number to clinch the National League East at seven (the second-place Phillies were off Monday). The earliest the Braves can clinch a postseason berth is now Wednesday.
The Cubs (84-67) put up a three-spot in the second inning on López and never relented. A double, single, RBI fielder’s choice and walk loaded the bases in front of Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Cubs’ center fielder wrapped a two-run double into the right field corner.
Nico Hoerner’s two-out bloop single to right in the third brought in Michael Busch from third and made it 4-0. Michael Conforto’s double into the right field corner followed that and made it 5-0.
AJ Smith-Shawver, making his first relief appearance of the season, had thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings when Carson Kelly lobbed a single to right in the sixth. Crow-Armstrong came up and yanked a 1-0 fastball into the right field bleachers, making it 7-0.
Crow-Armstrong finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in four runs.
AJ Smith-Shawver ate five innings and allowed just the two runs. He gave up four hits and three walks while throwing 81 pitches (53 for strikes).
Cubs starter David Peterson (8-8) was the opposite of López, shutting out the Braves for six innings while working around three walks and two hits. He struck out seven, including Matt Olson thrice, and threw 85 pitches, the last of which was lined into center field by Michael Harris II to begin the seventh inning that ended Peterson’s evening.
It was just the fourth time this season Peterson had pitched at least six innings.
Harris came around to score after Peterson’s departure, crossing home on a Sean Murphy’s fielder’s choice with right-hander Javier Assad on the mound. Mike Yastrzemski then hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer to cut the deficit to 7-3, but it was much too little, too late.