Cubs Game Day: Lead 9-3; Fowler, Bryant, Schwarber, Montero homer

Pierzynski gave the Braves the lead with a two-run single and after Wood struck out Adonis Garcia (who, incidentally, is the first big-league player named “Adonis” since 1897, when Adonis Terry retired – from Cap Anson’s Cubs), Swisher homered again, giving the Braves a 7-3 lead. After retiring the next two batters, Wisler walked Anthony Rizzo before Kris Bryant jumped on a first pitch fastball driving it deep into the right field bleachers to make the score 3-0.

A female fan was struck in the head by a line-drive foul ball and taken away on a stretcher in the first inning of the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Wrigley Field. The owner of a tough 5.43 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 41/23 K/BB ratio in 64 2/3 innings, Wisler will host the Yankees next weekend.

“Oh my God, awful”, Maddon said. “They were fly balls that just kept carrying”.

The Cubs will go for their fourth four-game sweep of 2015 – now that would be an unbelievable achievement!

Maddon thought Fowler rattled the rookie with his leadoff home run. Haren, who leads the National League with 28 homers allowed, gave up four runs on four hits. If the Chicago Cubs do fulfill his prediction, Anthony Rizzo’s name will emerge from the shadows of obscurity. Win or lose, you go on to the next one. “I’m trying to be aggressive and when they make mistakes, you try not to miss it. That’s the name of the game, especially at this level”.

“You think all kinds of insane stuff when that happens so that benefited us obviously, and we continued to add on”.

“Everything we threw in these four games, it either fell in the basket or went over the fence”, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It was really a stellar offensive performance for the last couple of days”, Maddon said.

Ryan Lavarnway homered and Nick Swisher had a pair of RBI singles for the Braves. With 42 games left in the season, Pedro Strop is only pace for just shy of 80 appearances, while Hector Rondon and Jason Motte are on track for more than 75. 500 and is 13-3 in its last 16 games. Atlanta has lost nine straight on the road, its longest such skid since dropping 10 in a row in 1996.

When asked if extending the screen behind home plate was the answer, Maddon said, “I don’t know how that plays”.

Russell hit a solo shot in the sixth to tie the game at 7.

The Braves will use Williams Perez (4-4, 4.34 ERA) in the third game in hopes of breaking the five-game losing streak.

Braves: Julio Teheran (8-6) is scheduled to start against the Rockies on Monday. He’s 0-4 with a 7.98 ERA in five starts since returning from a five-week stint on the disabled list for a foot contusion after being hit by a batted ball.

Wind wasn’t the only good fortune going for Montero as he put Chicago up 8-7 with his homer. Hammel allowed season highs of 9 hits and three house runs in final Tuesday’s 10-Eight loss to the Tigers.