Stanton helps Marlins hand Cubs fourth straight loss
MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered and hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning to lift the Miami Marlins over the suddenly slumping Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Thursday night at Marlins Park.
The Cubs (47-24) have the best record in baseball, but they have lost four games in a row, their longest skid of the season.
Miami (39-34) broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the eighth. Christian Yelich walked, advanced on a wild pitch by reliever Pedro Strop (1-2) and scored on Stanton's two-out, opposite-field single to right. Stanton, who has been slumping for weeks and is hitting .216, hit a 3-2 pitch.
The Marlins got an extra run in the eighth when J.T. Realmuto doubled to drive in Stanton.
David Phelps, normally Miami's set-up reliever, pitched the ninth and earned his third save of the year and the fourth of his career. Phelps worked himself into a jam, loading the bases by allowing two singles and a walk. But he struck out pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan swinging and got Ben Zobrist to fly out to center to end the game.
Neither starting pitcher -- Miami's Wei-Yin Chen or Chicago's Jon Lester -- earned a decision. Although Lester's ERA (2.10) is less than half of that of Chen (5.00), the Miami starter matched the Chicago star in hits allowed (five), runs allowed (two) and strikeouts (seven).
Miami reliever Kyle Barraclough (4-2) earned the win.
Chicago scored a cheap run in the fourth. Jason Heyward led off with a line-drive single, reaching third when the ball got past centerfielder Marcell Ozuna for a two-base error. Ozuna, lax in his approach, did not get his body in front of the ball, and Chicago's Kris Bryant made Miami pay with a sacrifice fly.
Miami tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth on Giancarlo Stanton's 14th homer of the season. Stanton's blast to left could have been a two-run shot, but -- on the preceding pitch -- Cubs catcher David Ross caught Christian Yelich attempting to steal third.
The teams traded solo homers to left in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively. Ozuna, making up for his previous mistake, gave Miami a 2-1 lead with his 16th homer of the season. David Ross led off the eighth with his sixth homer, tying the score 2-2.
NOTES: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo, a South Florida native, did not start due to a back injury. ... Cubs rookie CF Albert Almora, a Miami native, made his first start in his hometown. In the stands was his father, Albert Sr., who is battling prostate cancer. ... Cubs C Miguel Montero (knee) sat out. ... Miami started SS Adeiny Hechavarria in the leadoff spot for just the fifth time this season. ... Marlins RHP Bryan Morris (herniated disc) plans to start throwing again in August and hopes to return in September. ... The Marlins have signed 25 of their 39 draft picks ahead of the July 15 deadline. Among the unsigned players are their top two picks, both in high school: first-round LHP Braxton Garrett and third-round CF Thomas Jones. Garrett, drafted seventh overall and compared favorably to Cliff Lee, has a scholarship to Vanderbilt. ... Of the Cubs' 25 active players, 11 are age 26 or younger.