Michael Busch finished a double short of a cycle and the Chicago Cubs opened a nine-game road trip with an 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
Busch finished 3-for-4 with a walk, drove in three runs and scored twice for the Cubs, who have won three straight games and 13 of 16. Nico Hoerner had a two-run single, and Dansby Swanson hit two sacrifice flies.
Cubs starter Cade Horton (3-0) navigated 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
Luis Garcia Jr. had three hits for the Nationals.
Trevor Williams (3-6) gave up five runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Chicago played without outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is day-to-day with a jammed finger.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first when CJ Abrams led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Garcia.
Chicago quickly tied it when Busch led off the second with a triple and scored on Swanson’s sacrifice fly.
In the Washington third, Jose Tena led off with a walk and Daylen Lile doubled to put runners on second and third. Tena then scored when Abrams grounded out and Lile came home on a sacrifice fly by James Wood to make it 3-1.
The Cubs quickly tied it again. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled leading off the fourth then stole third. Carson Kelly reached on a fielder’s choice with Crow-Armstrong holding at third. Busch singled home Crow-Armstrong and Kelly went to third. Swanson provided his second sacrifice fly of the night to tie it.
Chicago took command in the fifth. Matt Shaw doubled and Ian Happ singled him to third. Shaw scored on Seiya Suzuki’s sac fly and Andrew Chafin replaced Williams. Crow-Armstrong walked and Kelly singled to load the bases. Busch walked to make it 5-3 and Cole Henry replaced Chafin. Swanson struck out but Hoerner’s two-run single increased the lead to 7-3.
Busch made it 8-3 when he homered leading off the seventh.
–Field Level Media
