Cubs top Dodgers in Bellinger's return to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yan Gomes homered twice, Ian Happ had four hits and three RBIs, Cody Bellinger scored in his return to Los Angeles and the Chicago Cubs beat the Dodgers 8-2 on Friday night.
Justin Steele (2-0) allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings. He has given up just three runs in 19 innings this season. The Cubs have won three of four.
Chris Taylor and Max Muncy homered for Los Angeles, and Noah Syndergaard (0-2) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. The Dodgers have lost five of seven.
The Cubs tagged Syndergaard for one run in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
Happ's ground-rule double to right drove in Gomes in the top of the third, before Taylor crushed the first pitch he saw in the bottom half to tie it at 1.
Bellinger scored on a ground out by Eric Hosmer in the fourth to retake the lead, and Gomes homered to left center in the fifth for the 3-1 margin.
Muncy clobbered his sixth of the season, five of which have come in the past three games, in the seventh to pull the Dodgers to 3-2.
But Chicago responded with back-to-back homers by Happ and Seiya Suzuki and another from Patrick Wisdom off Andre Jackson in the eighth, and Gomes got a fourth solo homer off the reliever in the ninth.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
Bellinger made his first appearance in Chavez Ravine since the Dodgers non-tendered him in November, ending a 10-year association that began when the team drafted him in 2013 and included 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2019 Most Valuable Player honors and a World Series title in 2020. A video tribute played pregame, and Bellinger received a standing ovation.
"When I knew I wasn't coming back here, I think it hit me just how many amazing memories I had," Bellinger said before the game. "My younger self would be really proud of me. The fans showed me nothing but love for six or seven years, so I'm excited to go out here and roam center field." TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: C Will Smith (illness) was not available, leaving Muncy as the emergency backup to starter Austin Barnes.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-2) will make his first road start Saturday. Taillon gave up four earned runs in five innings against Texas on Sunday.
