Cubs 9, Braves 7
CHICAGO -- Catcher Miguel Montero and right fielder Jorge Soler hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to propel the Chicago Cubs to a 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Montero's 12th home run of the season, a solo shot off former Cubs reliever Edwin Jackson, gave Chicago the lead.
Shortstop Addison Russell and first baseman Anthony Rizzo also homered for the Cubs, who have won 18-of-22 and three straight against the Braves.
Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate for the Braves, who have lost six straight and 21-of-29. They are 21-46 on the road, the most losses away from home in the majors.
Cubs starter Dan Haren allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He hasn't pitched past the sixth inning since June 19.
Williams Perez of the Braves didn't fare much better. He gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He had lost four straight starts
after coming off the disabled list July 31 after recovering from a foot contusion.
The Cubs went ahead in the first inning, when center fielder Dexter Fowler led off with a triple and scored on Rizzo's groundout to first.
Swisher hit a two-run home run to give the Braves the lead in the
second. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski scored after leading off with a double. Haren has allowed 28 home runs this season.
Russell tied the game on a two-out RBI single to center field in the
bottom of the second.
Rizzo's 25th home run of the season gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the third. He has hit at least 25 homers in back-to-back seasons and is the fifth Cubs left-handed batter with multiple 25-homer seasons.
The Braves rallied for five runs in the fifth.
After Travis Wood replaced Haren with two on and one, first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a game-tying double and Pierzynski followed with a two-run single.
Swisher then hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot off the left-field videoboard. It was his 21st multi-homer game.
Third baseman Kris Bryant and catcher Miguel Montero hit back-to-back doubles to pull the Cubs to within one in the bottom of the fifth.
Russell's ninth home run tied the game, 7-7, in the sixth. A review
confirmed the home run after replays showed a fan leaned over the
center field basket to try to catch the ball.
NOTES: The Mets announced they have acquired INF/OF Eric Young Jr. from the Braves for cash considerations. Young was expected to report to Triple-A Las Vegas. He hit .169 in 35 games with Atlanta this season. ... Cubs 2B Chris Coghlan has hit four home runs in his last six games to give him 15 for the season. Manager Joe Maddon noted that Coghlan is becoming more comfortable playing second base and he has "an almost elite-level slugging percentage" at .456. Coghlan isn't pulling the ball and he can hit it to all fields, Maddon said. ... The Cubs' 42 home runs since the All-Star break rank second in the National League behind the Mets (43). ... The Braves are 5-for-40 with runners in scoring position during the first five games of their current trip.