CHICAGO _ The Cubs shook up their roster and their lineup entering Wednesday's two-game series finale against the Tigers at Wrigley Field, but those developments paled in comparison to the latest heroics by Javier Baez.
Baez stole home in the fourth inning, and Willson Contreras smacked a home run with one out in the sixth and added a two-run double in the seventh to give the Cubs a 5-2 victory and extend their winning streak to a season-high six games.
Baez opened the fourth with a single off Tigers starter Francisco Liriano and broke toward second as Liriano threw to first. The throw from first baseman John Hicks skipped into left center for an error that allowed Baez to advance to third.
After Addison Russell drew a walk, the left-handed Liriano made a pickoff throw to first base. Baez timed his break from third as soon as Liriano tried to pick off Russell. The throw home from Hicks appeared to beat Baez, but Baez tucked his left hand while swinging his right arm around to touch home plate before catcher James McCann could tag him.
Catcher Victor Caratini was recalled from Triple-A Iowa while Chris Gimenez was designated for assignment. With the Cubs' moves, their 40-man roster stands at 38.
Caratini started at first base in place of Anthony Rizzo, and Caratini flied to right in his first at-bat.
Jose Quintana allowed a home run to Nicholas Castellanos in the first and a homer to Hicks in the fourth.
The Cubs' first run came on a 440-foot homer by David Bote, his first in the majors, with two out in the second.
Meanwhile, Caratini will serve as a backup to Contreras at catcher as well as help carry manager Joe Maddon's mission of giving Rizzo more rest.
Caratini batted .262 with three doubles and four RBI in 26 games for the Cubs before being optioned to Iowa on May 25. Caratini was batting .313 with seven doubles, four home runs and 22 RBI in 32 games. He has played 18 games at catcher, 12 at first base and one at third base with Iowa this season.
The Cubs have 10 days to trade, waive or release Gimenez, 35, who batted .143 with one RBI in 12 games with the Cubs.
