Jul 19, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mike Montgomery (38) hits a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park. Photo Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
ATLANTA — The Chicago Cubs, who went into the All-Star break two games under .500, have won six straight since and are starting to look a little more like the team that won the World Series a year ago.
Left-hander Mike Montgomery allowed two hits over six innings and hit his first career homer Wednesday as the Cubs completed a second straight series sweep with an 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Addison Russell was 4-for-4 with two doubles and the Cubs got homers from Javier Baez and Tommy La Stella, who entered when Kris Bryant sprained a finger in the first inning.
Baez’s mammoth three-run homer to center field off reliever Jose Ramirez in the eighth inning locked up the victory for the Cubs (49-45). It was Baez’s 12th homer.
Montgomery (2-6) struck out five, walked one and hit a batter in his best start as a fill-in starter for Kyle Hendricks, who is about to come of the disabled list.
A sixth-inning leadoff homer by Ender Inciarte was the only damage against Montgomery, who had allowed at least four runs in each of his past three starts.
Braves starter R.A. Dickey (6-6) allowed four runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Montgomery’s homer came on a get-over 80-mph fastball from Dickey with two outs in the fifth inning, the blast easily getting over the 16-foot wall in right field.
Danny Santana doubled with one out in the fifth inning for the Braves’ first hit and Sean Rodriguez followed with a walk. A double steal put two runners in scoring position, but Montgomery struck out Dansby Swanson and got Dickey to bounce out.
La Stella’s second homer of the season came leading off the sixth inning. He had entered the game in the middle of the first after Bryant, who had doubled, sprained the little finger on his left hand in a head-first slide trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt.
X-rays ruled to a fracture Bryant was listed as day to day. The reigning National League MVP, hit the foot of Braves third baseman Johan Camargo with his hand as he was thrown out.
Tyler Flowers hit his seventh homer for the Braves (45-48) leading off the bottom of the seventh against reliever Justin Grimm.
NOTES: Braves 1B Freddie Freeman left the game after four innings because of illness. He was 0-for-2 with a strikeout. … The Braves optioned OF Lane Adams to Triple-A Gwinnett when RHP Arodys Vizcaino (strained right index finger) came off the 10-day disabled list. Vizcaino allowed a ninth-inning run on three hits. … The Braves open an 11-game road trip with a four-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles starting Thursday. … The Cubs are idle Thursday before a three-game weekend series in Chicago with St. Louis. … With Tuesday’s game not ending until after 1 a.m. ET, the teams had just 11 hours before Wednesday’s first pitch at 12:12 p.m. … The starts of the first two games in the series were delayed a total of three hours and 34 minutes. … The Braves have had 11 delays in their first season at SunTrust Park lasting nearly 40 hours.
