HOUSTON — Addison Russell and Javier Baez produced multi-hit games, and the Chicago Cubs claimed the rubber match of an interleague series against the Houston Astros with a 9-5 win Sunday night at Minute Maid Park.
Russell finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored plus his 20th home run, while Baez went 2-for-4 with an RBI in support of right-hander Jake Arrieta (17-6).
The Cubs (91-51) finished 15-5 against the American League. With the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers earlier Sunday, Chicago reduced its magic number to win the National League Central to five with a three-game series in St. Louis beginning Monday.
The Astros (75-68) fell 3 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays for the second AL wild card.
Houston rallied in the middle innings against Arrieta, starting with a solo home run by Jose Altuve, his 23rd, in the fourth inning, and a two-run uprising in the sixth that led to Arrieta departing with one out. Justin Grimm emerged from the bullpen to retire Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus with the bases loaded.
Arrieta allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Yulieski Gurriel and Gattis clubbed back-to-back home runs to open the ninth off Cubs right-hander Trevor Cahill.
The Cubs wasted little time doing damage against Astros right-hander Mike Fiers (10-7). Kris Bryant following a leadoff walk from Dexter Fowler with an RBI double down the third base line and into the left field corner. Fiers recovered to strand Bryant at third base and limit the dame to one run, but the Cubs put the first two runners on base again in the second inning to cause Fiers additional misery.
After Russell and Baez singled in succession, with Russell going first to third on the Baez hit to center field, David Ross produced a sacrifice fly to right field. After Baez took third on an error by third baseman Gurriel, Fiers uncorked his major-league-leading 17th wild pitch to usher Baez home for a 3-0 Cubs lead.
Five batters and one out into the third, Fiers was gone having allowed a titanic blast to Jorge Soler, his 11th home run, and an RBI single to Baez that chased him from the mound. Soler took Fiers 411 feet to left-center field before Ben Zobrist followed with a walk and Russell hit his second single in as many at-bats. Both Russell and Baez scored when Albert Almora later dropped a two-run single into center.
Fiers surrendered seven runs on seven hits and two walks while failing to record a strikeout for the first time this season. When Russell homered off Jandel Gustave in the fourth, Chicago led 9-0 and matched its scoring output from the previous four games. Surprisingly, the Astros mustered enough of a fight to chase Arrieta in the sixth.
NOTES: With Cubs RF Jason Heyward 0-for-8 in his career against Astros RHP Mike Fiers, manager Joe Maddon opted to start rookie Albert Almora in right field in the series finale. Almora opened a game in right field for just the second time this season. … Astros SS Carlos Correa rejoined the starting lineup after missing four games with left shoulder inflammation. … Cubs LHPs Jon Lester and Mike Montgomery flipped upcoming turns in the rotation, with Lester moved up to Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals and Montgomery bumped back to Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers. … Triple-A Fresno manager Tony DeFrancesco will join the Astros’ coaching staff Monday in advance of the three-game series against the American League West-leading Texas Rangers.