May 15, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park.
16:34 JST, May 16, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings and the Chicago Cubs avoided a sweep for the first time this season by beating the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Assad (4-0) allowed just four hits and walked one while tying a season high with seven strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.49 through nine starts.
“I’m very happy that I could just stay healthy,” Assad said through an interpreter. “The ability to generally start and go out every five or six days. I’m just really happy to get out there.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored, and Seiya Suzuki and Mike Tauchman homered for the Cubs, who had 13 hits on just eight hits while being shut out in the first two games of the series. .
May 15, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park.
Nick Madrigal had three singles and Michael Busch scored two runs.
Assad has allowed just four earned runs in his last six starts and has not conceded more than two points in a game this season.
“He’s pitching at an elite level,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s just exceptional what he does. He’s had a great start and I’m happy for him.”
Charlie Morton (3-1) lasted just three innings for the Braves, giving up four runs (three earned) and five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
“Obviously they pitched really well the first two nights and we didn’t get anything, so early runs were just a good spot for us and we got a good starting pitcher out of the game quickly,” Counsell said.
Chicago’s Ben Brown gave up a run in two innings of relief, and Luke Little finished with a scoreless ninth.
Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña, who played in each of Atlanta’s first 39 games, was given a day of rest. He’s off to a slow start, hitting just .245 with three home runs.
“He could get two days,” manager Brian Snitker said, referring to the Braves having Thursday off. “I spoke to him on Tuesday evening after the match. Just let him relax a bit and wake up (Wednesday) knowing he has two days to detox a bit.
The Cubs immediately shook off their offensive woes from the first two games of the series when Tauchman lifted the first pitch of the game – one of 35 thrown by Morton in the first inning – over the left field wall.
Suzuki followed with a double and Cody Bellinger singled. Christopher Morel’s grounder to the shortstop accounted for another run, before Madrigal’s infield single loaded the bases. Crow-Armstrong was hit on the shin to force in a run and give the Cubs a 3–0 lead.
The Cubs scored another run against Morton in the third. After Miles Mastrobuoni walked and Madrigal singled to put runners on first and third base, Morton threw wildly to first base on a pick-off attempt, flattening Mastrobuoni.
May 15, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park.
The Braves avoided a shutout in the seventh inning on a pair of doubles by Orlando Arcia and Zack Short.
After losing 2-0 and 7-0 in the first two games of the series, the Cubs will leave Atlanta with some momentum.
“They’re a good team there,” Cubs catcher Yan Gomes said. “You tip your cap and move on. There are some good teams in front of us and we are a good team and still competing in the division.”
The Cubs are 3-13 in their last 16 games at Truist Field.
