May 09--Javier Baez homered to help lift the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals 4-3 in 13 innings Sunday at Wrigley Field.
The win gave the Cubs a sweep of the four-game series and was their seventh consecutive overall to raise their record to 24-6.
Despite a rare rocky outing from ace Jake Arrieta, the Cubs kept rolling behind Baez's homer and Kris Bryant's key two-run single in seventh inning that tied the game at 3-3.
At the plate
After being silenced for much of the game by Nationals starter Tanner Roark (two walks, seven strikeouts), the Cubs broke through against reliever Oliver Perez. On the day, Bryant led the way at the plate by going 3-for-6 with two RBIs while Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Jason Heyward each had two hits.
On the mound
Arrieta lacked command and walked four (one intentional) while unleashing three wild pitches. The veteran threw 100 pitches, 64 for strikes, and allowed two earned runs while striking out seven.
In the field
Jason Heyward made a diving grab of a Ryan Zimmerman liner with one out in the sixth inning and two runners on base to keep the Nationals' lead at 3-1.
The quote
"KB said that? Why would he ever say that? Because of the cool things I say to him before he goes to hit? I'll say some goofy things in the dugout and sometimes they happen. Maybe that's what he's talking about. I'm just totally being flippant and sometimes it sticks. If you say the same thing over and over again in the dugout like, 'this guy is going to go deep,' eventually you're going to be right." -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon upon hearing Kris Bryant called him a "genius out there"
Big number
12: Times Nationals slugger Bryce Harper walked during the four-game series. On Sunday he walked five times and was hit by a pitch.
Up next
Vs. Padres, 7:05 p.m. Monday; CSN.
