Cubs 7, Orioles 2
Chris Coghlan delivered a bases-clearing triple to cap a four-run second inning as host Chicago overcame its second long rain delay in less than a week.
Javier Baez went deep for the seventh time in 19 career games and fellow rookie Logan Watkins plated a pair for the Cubs, who completed Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over San Francisco on Thursday in a game that was initially called by rain after a 4 hour, 34 minute delay before the Giants lobbied the first successful appeal in Major League Baseball since 1986. Justin Grimm (4-2) came on in relief of Kyle Hendricks following the 3:09 delay Saturday, yielding only a walk over 3 1/3 scoreless frames.
Adam Jones tallied two hits and an RBI for the first-place Orioles, who have dropped two straight since learning they will be without 2013 All-Star third baseman Manny Machado for the rest of the season. Bud Norris (11-8) saw his three-start winning streak come to an end after yielding four runs on four hits over two innings.
Baltimore pushed across a run in each of the first two innings as Steve Pearce and Jones hit back-to-back doubles in the first before J.J. Hardy singled and scored in the second when he just beat the tag of catcher Nick Hundley on an infield single by Norris. Chicago answered in the bottom half, getting a leadoff walk from Luis Valbuena before Watkins’ one-out single with the bases loaded made it 2-1.
Norris rebounded to strike out Hendricks, but Coghlan lined a 3-2 slider into the right-field corner to put the Cubs in front before play was halted. Chris Valaika delivered a two-out RBI single off demoted starter Ubaldo Jimenez in the sixth and Baez homered for the second time in as many games in the seventh with a solo shot to right off Tommy Hunter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hendricks, who had won each of his previous four turns, allowed two runs over two innings. The 24-year-old rookie has permitted two runs or fewer in his each of his last seven outings after giving four in his major-league debut. … Baltimore fell to 26-19 without Machado this season. … Coghlan’s triple was his first hit in 16 career at-bats against Norris.