Jun 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Eddie Butler (33) pitches against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning at Nationals Park. The Cubs won 5-4. Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
WASHINGTON — Starter Eddie Butler and the Chicago bullpen combined to hold off Washington until the ninth inning, and Willson Contreras led off the game with a homer as the Cubs beat the Nationals 5-4 on Monday night.
The Nationals scored four runs in the ninth before Chicago closer Wade Davis recorded the last two outs, getting Ryan Zimmerman on strikes for the last out with runners on second and third.
Butler (4-2) went five scoreless innings before he was lifted for pinch hitter Addison Russell in the top of the sixth. Russell struck out with two runners on base to end the inning with the Cubs ahead 1-0.
Butler gave up four hits and threw just 64 pitches, 42 for strikes.
Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. fanned all three batters he faced in the sixth. Pedro Strop threw a scoreless seventh. Koji Uehara, Brian Duensing and Justin Grimm handled the eighth, and Hector Rondon and Davis pitched the ninth, the latter pair allowing two runs apiece.
The Cubs got an insurance run in the eighth when the Washington defense fell apart, and Chicago added three runs in the ninth.
Jeimer Candelario reached on a fielder’s choice in the eighth when Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy was late with a relay throw on the lead runner at second. Javier Baez, ruled safe on the video review, then stole third and scored on a squeeze bunt by Albert Almora Jr. to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Anthony Rizzo and Ian Happ had RBI singles in the ninth against le Matt Grace, and Baez (two hits) hit an RBI double off Matt Albers for a 5-0 cushion.
Matt Wieters (two hits) had an RBI single in the ninth for Washington, and Stephen Drew added a two-run double to make it 5-3. Wilmer Difo scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-4.
Washington starter Gio Gonzalez (7-2) gave up one run and two hits in six innings.
The Cubs (39-37) are 17-21 on the road, while the Nationals (45-31) improved to 20-16 at home.
Contreras also had two hits for the Cubs, and Bryce Harper had three for the Nationals.
Contreras gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the first inning. It was the first time he batted leadoff at any level of pro ball and hit the fourth leadoff homer by the Cubs this year. The last came June 20 by Rizzo.
Baez made a highlight-reel catch at short as he speared a line drive off the bat of Harper to end the third inning. Harper singled in the first after he had walked 13 times in a four-game series against the Cubs in May 2016.
NOTES: Cubs 3B Jeimer Candelario (1-for-3) was called up from Triple-A Iowa to start. To make room on the roster, RHP Dylan Floro was sent to Iowa. … Cubs INF Addison Russell was not in the starting lineup, a day after he left the game in Miami with a sore shoulder. On Monday, he exited after fanning as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. … Washington LF Jayson Werth, who has been on the disabled list since June 5 due to a left foot contusion, may not return until after the All-Star break, according to manager Dusty Baker.
