CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, on Friday.
Ian Happ began the 10th on second as the automatic runner. Chad Green (3-3) walked Michael Busch before Suzuki lined a 2-2 pitch into left field.
Happ scored easily to give Chicago a sorely needed victory after it blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth. The Cubs had dropped three in a row in a sweep at Cleveland.
Happ, Cody Bellinger, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya homered for Chicago, and Tyson Miller (4-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Prior to his walk-off hit, Suzuki was hitless in four attempts at the plate. The Japanese-born outfielder said he tried to harness his frustration in his final at-bat.
“Today, I was mad at myself, so I kind of channeled that,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “I’m glad the results were good, but moving forward, I’ll try not to be mad at myself. I was frustrated in past at-bats, but for the last at-bat, I was able to stay calm.”
Despite the near collapse, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was quick to defend reliever Héctor Neris, who gave up Chicago’s three-run advantage in the ninth. Counsell cited the win as the game’s most important takeaway.
“No one likes to give up runs,” Counsell said. “Héctor did today. He gave up the lead, but he kept it there and we got the job done. And that’s a win, that’s the big thing. It’d be great to pick how every win (is) and make them beautiful, but a win’s a win.”
Last-place Toronto had won three in a row and five of seven overall. It was coming off a three-game sweep at the Angels.
The Blue Jays were down 5-2 when they loaded the bases against Neris with one out in the ninth. Will Wagner scored on a balk before Leo Jiménez struck out swinging. George Springer followed with a tying triple off the wall in left.
Daulton Varsho then struck out swinging, ending the inning.
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits in five innings. He credited his success on the mound Friday to his in-game adjustments.
“(We) just saw them kind of sitting soft, in a way,” Hendricks said. “We didn’t think we were going to have a lot of room in on a lot of these guys, but we really had to start pounding fastballs in. Made the adjustment, saw the swings from there and kind of opened up the zone. One thing I’d like to do better is just getting ahead. First-pitch strikes, that’s going to be a focus going forward, but still keep making the adjustments and keep working.”
Toronto right-hander Yariel Rodríguez permitted four runs and four hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Crow-Armstrong and Amaya hit consecutive solo drives in the fifth to give Chicago a 4-2 lead. Happ connected for his 21st homer in the seventh, a shot to center off Brendon Little.
Jiménez tied it at two with a solo shot in the fifth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf) has resumed baseball activities, but he isn’t running yet. ... RHP Jordan Romano, who had surgery on his right elbow last month, has not started throwing progressions during his rehab process.
Cubs: Bellinger returned to the outfield after spending 13 games as the team’s designated hitter. Bellinger had been recovering from a fractured finger.
UP NEXT
Chris Bassitt (9-11, 4.30 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday. The right-hander is looking to bounce back after allowing seven earned runs in just four innings against Oakland last weekend. Left-hander Justin Steele (3-5, 3.16 ERA) is in line to start for the Cubs.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Gavin Dorsey, The Associated Press