Happ's Slam Leads Quintana, Cubs Over Athletics 10-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit his second career grand slam, José Quintana tossed two-hit ball through seven innings to win his sixth straight decision and the Chicago Cubs ripped the Oakland Athletics 10-1 on Wednesday.
Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer, Victor Caratini connected and Javier Báez kept up his latest hot streak with two hits and two RBIs as the Cubs responded with a rout of their own after Oakland pounded them 11-4 on Tuesday night. NL Central-leading Chicago took two of three from the A's and won its fifth in six games.
Báez was replaced at shortstop by David Bote in the eighth after fouling a pitch of his left leg in the seventh. Last year's NL MVP runner-up, Báez is batting .478 (11 for 23) with nine RBIs in a six-game hitting streak.
Quintana (10-7) allowed one run, struck out seven and walked one. David Phelps and Pedro Strop each followed with a scoreless inning to wrap up a three-hitter.
The Athletics got their only run off Quintana in the fourth when Marcus Semien led off with a double and scored on Matt Olson's sacrifice fly. Oakland lost for just the third time in its last 10.
Happ, recalled from Triple-A on July 26, went deep for second time in three games against Oakland as he made his first start at second base in nearly two years.
A's starter Homer Bailey (9-8) set down nine of the first 10 hitters before Chicago scored five runs in the fourth. The right-hander yielded seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in his fifth start since arriving in a arriving in a trade from Kansas City on July 14.
Báez singled in Chicago's first run in the fourth to tie at 1 before the Cubs loaded the bases with one out. Batting left-handed, the switch-hitting Happ stroked Bailey's first pitch into the left-center bleachers to make it 5-1.
Báez singled in another run off Bailey to start Chicago's four-run fifth. With two runners on, Schwarber muscled his 26th homer, an opposite-field shot to left-center, off reliever Lou Trivino to make it 9-1.
Caratini homered off Blake Treinen in the eighth.
HAPP-Y RETURN
Happ is 8 for 25 (.320) in 12 games since being called up from Triple-A Iowa. Happ's first grand slam was as a rookie on June 13, 2017, against the Mets at New York.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Athletics: Manager Bob Melvin said LH starter Sean Manaea (left shoulder surgery) might start playing catch Wednesday after he experienced soreness in a rehab start at Triple-A Las Vegas on July 30. Manaea is expected to make at least one more start in the minors. . C Josh Phegley (left thumb contusion) could start playing catch again Wednesday or Thursday. He's eligible to come off the 10-day IL Aug. 8.
Cubs: Báez crumpled when he fouled a pitch of his left leg in the seventh inning. After a trainer attended to him, he finished the at-bat and ran gingerly to first base as he grounded into a double play.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Following an off-day, the A's head across town to start a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday afternoon. Oakland RHP Mike Fiers (10-3, 3.46) faces Chicago LHP Ross Detwiler (1-2, 5.72). Fiers is 8-0 with a 2.26 ERA in 16 starts dating to his no-hitter on May 7 vs. Cincinnati.
Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels (6-3), 2.84) looks to stay on track against Reds LHP Alex Wood (1-0, 3.18) at Cincinnati on Thursday. Hamels pitched five shutout innings versus Milwaukee last Saturday in his return from a five-week stint on the IL, and is 2-2 with a 1.07 ERA in his last seven starts.
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