CHICAGO _ Three walks in the fifth inning kept Adbert Alzolay from pitching deeper in his first major league start Tuesday night.
Alzolay managed to limit the Braves to one run in 4 2/3 innings, but the Cubs' inability to solve Ozzie Albies cost them in a 3-2 loss before a crowd of 37,333 at Wrigley Field.
Albies hit a two-run homer off left-hander Mike Montgomery with one out in the seventh inning that wiped out a 2-1 Cubs lead and raised his lifetime average against the Cubs to .483 (29 for 60) with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
Alzolay allowed one hit _ a homer to Ronald Acuna Jr. on the first pitch of the game _ but walked four. He also struck out four.
Willson Contreras ripped a two-run double in the fourth to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.
The Cubs were guilty of horrific baserunning. They loaded the bases with one out in the second when Alzolay attempted a safety squeeze. Javier Baez wandered too far off third base and was caught in a rundown, and Contreras was nailed trying to advance to third.
The Cubs put the tying and go-ahead runs on base with no outs in the eighth, but Kris Bryant grounded into a double play and Anthony Rizzo took a called third strike against Anthony Swarzak.
At Triple-A Iowa, closer Craig Kimbrel struck out two in a perfect ninth to finish a 5-1 win over Omaha. The Cubs and Kimbrel will assess whether he will join the team before the end of the week.
