The Cubs are so flush with pitchers that right-hander Jason Hammel came to Turner Field on Friday with the NL’s sixth-best ERA but just third-best on his team. The Cubs’ offense is just as good, with 130 more runs scored than the Braves entering the weekend series.
It looked like a mismatch of the best team in baseball against the worst. Instead, the Braves rode Bud Norris’ best start of the season and early back-to-back homers by Adonis Garcia and Tyler Flowers to a 5-1 victory.
The Braves (18-42) won consecutive games for the first time since May 27-28 against the Marlins. After winning just one game during their six-game West Coast trip, the Braves returned home and handed the Cubs their 10th loss in 29 road games.
Garcia and Flowers put the Braves ahead for good with solo home runs in the second inning. It was the first time this season the Braves hit homers in consecutive at-bats.
“Definitely good to get a couple across early and kind of settle everybody down,” Flowers said. “That’s a pretty good starter on their end so you kind of get the offense excited that we can hit this guy, he will make mistakes.”
The Braves got eight hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings against Hammel. That was more than enough support for Norris, who held the Cubs to just four hits and a run while matching his season-long outing with seven innings.
The Cubs (41-18) trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the third inning when Albert Almora Jr. doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on Dexter Fowler’s ground out. Norris shut the Cubs down from there while retiring 15 of the next 16 batters.
Norris began the season as a starter before later going to the bullpen. He made an emergency start last weekend after Mike Foltynewicz went on the disabled list and held the Dodgers to a run over five innings.
Norris was even better against the Cubs with 10 ground-ball outs, six strikeouts and no walks. He threw 70 strikes among his 101 pitches.
“We know what kind of caliber club they have over there,” Norris said. “That’s a great ball club. Flowers and I had a good rapport going in and we’ve been working on some things mechanically. I’m happy with the results.”
The Braves added two runs in the eight against reliever Clayton Richard. Ender Inciarte singled with the bases loaded and Freddie Freeman hit a sacrifice fly.
The Braves totaled 12 hits but left 11 runners on base. The Cubs never could get anything going against Norris and the Braves’ defense, especially third baseman Garcia, didn’t allow any openings.
“That was a good-executed baseball game for us,” Norris said. “We just want to start this home stand off right.”
