CHICAGO — Third baseman Kris Bryant clubbed a pair of home runs for his first career multi-homer game as the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Monday night.
Bryant collected three RBIs, including a pair with his two-run homer in the third off Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, who took the loss in the opener of a four-game series.
Bryant’s solo shot in the eighth to the left-field bleachers came off Los Angeles left-handed reliever Adam Liberatore and opened a three-run lead.
Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson greeted Cubs right-handed reliever Jason Motte with a solo home run — his 19th — to center in the ninth to trim the Chicago lead to 4-2.
Chicago left-handed reliever Travis Wood (4-3) worked 3 1/3 innings for the victory. He allowed one hit, struck out four and walked three.
Cubs left-handed starter Tsuyoshi Wada worked two-plus innings before leaving the game trailing 1-0 after suffering a cramp in his left deltoid.
Cubs left fielder Matt Szczur, called up earlier Monday from Triple-A Iowa, made it a 3-1 game with a solo home run to left to open the seventh inning.
Kershaw (5-5) left after the seventh, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out nine and walking two.
He missed a chance for 10 or more strikeouts in four straight starts.
Shortstop Enrique Hernandez slammed a first-pitch solo home run to left off Wada to open the third. It was the third homer of the season for Hernandez, who was filling in with Jimmy Rollins sitting out a start.
Wada then gave up a single to catcher A.J. Ellis and abruptly departed with cramping in his left deltoid. Wood was called in as replacement and turned a Kershaw bunt into a 1-6-4 double play.
Wada allowed two hits and one run and struck out one in his two-plus innings.
Bryant gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer that landed a dozen rows into the right-field bleachers and scored center fielder Dexter Fowler. Bryant’s homer, his ninth of the season, came on a 1-2 pitch from Kershaw.
NOTES: The Dodgers activated RHP Joel Peralta from the disabled list after he was out since late April due to right shoulder soreness and a pinched nerve in his neck. Los Angeles also called up LHP Ian Thomas from Oklahoma City and optioned RHP Matt West and LHP Daniel Coulombe to the Triple-A club. … Despite having three hits Sunday and eight hits in his past 24 at-bats, Los Angeles SS Jimmy Rollins was out of the starting lineup Monday. … In the second game of the four-game series, Los Angeles RHP Zack Greinke (5-2, 1.81 ERA) will oppose Chicago RHP Jason Hammel (5-2, 2.89 ERA) on Tuesday. … Two rehabbing Cubs made appearances at Double-A Tennessee on Sunday. 3B Mike Olt (right wrist fracture) went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs. RHP Neil Ramirez (right shoulder inflammation) faced three batters and struck out all three.