DENVER (AP) — Michael Busch had his first big league multi-homer game, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2 Sunday to stop a three-game losing streak.
Chicago went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 16 runners, tying the major league high for a nine-inning game this season.
“We left a small farming village in central Illinois of runners on base, but we played good offense,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We were missing the next hit, but in the ninth, to get those extra runs, certainly was a big deal.”
Chicago (76-73), which had lost seven of 11, began the day six games behind Atlanta and the New York Mets for the final NL wild card. The Mets lost at Philadelphia.
Busch had a go-ahead RBI single in the third, then hit solo homers in the seventh inning off Jake Bird and the ninth against Justin Lawrence, increasing the rookie’s season total to 20. He was 6 for 10 with three homers and seven RBIs in the series.
Busch’s first homer traveled 438 feet and the second a career-long 468 feet, both into the right field second deck,
“I’m just trying to be aggressive, trust my eyes and stick to my approach, no matter if I’m up or down in the count,” Busch said.
Kyle Hendricks (4-11) allowed one run and two hits in six innings with seven strikeouts. Hendricks became the first pitcher in Cubs history to throw at least six innings while allowing two or fewer hits and one or fewer runs in a start at Coors Field, which opened in 1995.
“Stuff moves differently (in Colorado), so you just really focus on execution and stay with it one pitch at a time, and with our lineup and defense, man, you just rely on all the guys around you,” Hendricks said.
Colorado pitchers walked 12 for the first time since a 12-11 win over Milwaukee on June 5, 1999.
Cal Quantrill (8-10) gave up two runs, four hits and six walks in 2 1/3 innings, throwing 69 pitches. He made his first appearance since recovering from right triceps inflammation, which had sidelined him since Aug. 27.
“He told me during the game and after the game that his arm felt great,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s one of those games over a long season, six months, where he didn’t throw strikes.”
Nico Hoerner had an RBI single in the third as Chicago took a 2-0 lead.
Jacob Stallings hit his career-best ninth homer in the bottom half.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his 10th home run this season. He has 21 RBIs in his past 22 games.
Colorado loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth and got an RBI grounder from Nolan Jones. Tyson Miller then struck out Brendan Rodgers and Ezequiel Tovar for his first career save in four big league seasons.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: Quantrill was activated from the 15-day IL and RHP Bradley Blalock was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (13-3, 3.03 ERA) starts Monday night at Wrigley Field against Oakland RHP Joey Estes (7-7, 4.36) and visiting Oakland.
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela makes his first big league appearance since May 10 last year, facing Arizona on Monday night. His 2022 season was cut short when he tore his left ACL that Aug. 18 during a game at St. Louis, and his only 2023 outings were on May 5 and 10 before a torn UCL that led to Tommy John surgery on July 26. The visiting Diamondbacks start RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.26 ERA).
