Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs throws his bat after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Miami.
Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs hits an RBI triple during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Miami.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Miami.
12:54 JST, August 25, 2024
MIAMI (AP) — Seiya Suzuki hit two home runs and a triple, Shota Imanaga threw seven innings of two-run action and the Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 14-2 on Saturday.
A day after hitting an inside-the-park home run, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit the ball 430 feet (132 meters) into the top seats of the track for the Cubs.
Miguel Amaya had three hits and a walk. The Cubs catcher is 8 for 12 in the last three games. Patrick Wisdom also homered for Chicago, which finished with 17 hits.
“We were able to relax a little bit at the end of the game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It really sets up the pitching.”
Imanaga (10-3) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three. It was the rookie left-hander’s seventh start with seven completed innings.
“I could go into the seventh inning, but my goal is to go into the eighth inning,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “They were aggressive early in the count and I could tell. It was kind of my game plan: Let them hit it and go from there.”
The Cubs (65-65) are 14-7 since July 31 and have hit .500 for the first time since they were 31-31 on June 5. On July 3, they dropped to a season low of nine games below .500, at 39-48.
“We dug ourselves a big hole,” Counsell said. “It took us a while, but this period, especially late August, we’ve played consistent baseball. That means a lot of people contributing. Consistency means you get contributions from all sides of the roster.”
The Marlins have lost eight of nine games and are 46-83, their worst performer in the NL.
Chicago struck quickly against Miami starter Valente Bellozo (2-2) with Suzuki’s solo blast in the first. He drove Bellozo’s fastball over the wall in center.
Suzuki hit Bellozo again in the third inning with a 440-foot drive for his third career multi-home run and his 18th of the season.
“I’ve seen the ball well in the last few games,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “It’s nothing special today, just the results were good. I just want to continue with it (Sunday).”
Suzuki started in right field after serving as the designated hitter for the last seven games.
“It’s much easier to be involved, and of course to play on the field,” Suzuki said. “You feel the momentum of the game.”
Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer in the fifth made it 5-1. Later in the inning, a pitching error by Marlins reliever John McMillon allowed Amaya and Ian Happ to score.
Run-scoring doubles by Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger and Suzuki’s RBI triple in the seventh inning made it 10-2.
Imanaga had won the first nine until Miami’s Connor Norby hit a home run to lead off the fourth inning. David Hensley also hit a home run off Imanaga with a solo shot in the fifth.
Bellozo surrendered six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-handed pitcher walked five, struck out one and hit a batter.
“He was way behind in the count,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “(The Cubs) didn’t miss the fastball at the top of the zone. The walks caught up to him and they made him pay.”
Miami infielder Vidal Brujan pitched the ninth inning and allowed Wisdom’s two-run homer.
