BALTIMORE (AP) — Ian Happ has more than shaken off a rough start to the season.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are hoping to shake off a team-wide rough patch as the All-Star break — and the all-important trade deadline — approach.
Happ homered to continue his torrid hitting of late, Michael Busch also homered, and Jameson Taillon and three relievers combined for a five-hitter as the Cubs beat the first-place Baltimore Orioles, 9-2, on Tuesday night to open a three-game interleague series in Baltimore.
Happ, who entered the game with a .171 batting average on the road — the lowest in the majors among qualifying hitters, according to STATS — finished 2-for-4 with a walk. His long three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning was his 14th of the season, and he joined Jason Heyward (July 14, 2017) as the only Cubs players to have a homer land on Eutaw Street at Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Happ has posted a 1.025 OPS with 41 RBI since May 26.
“The start of the season wasn’t what I wanted, but I knew it wasn’t going to last,” he said. “To be able to claw back into it and have some really good at-bats, I feel really good about that.”
The Cubs are feeling good, too, at least at the moment.
They improved to 10-4 against the Orioles since 2014 and have won four of their last five games overall since falling a season-worst nine games under .500 last week.
They’re still six games under (43-49) and remain in last place in the National League Central entering Wednesday’s games. They’re also just starting a tough pre-All-Star break road trip, with two more games against the Orioles — who at 57-34 have the third-best record in baseball entering Wednesday and lead the American League East — before four games in St. Louis against the surging Cardinals before the break.
But at least the Cubs have gained a little momentum as they try to play their way back into the playoff race by the time the July 30 trade deadline arrives.
Taillon sharp
Taillon (6-4) was sharp again Tuesday against Baltimore’s high-powered offense, allowing two runs and four hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over six innings. The 32-year-old right-hander retired the last 11 batters he faced.
Baltimore, which lost for the fourth time in 12 games, leads MLB with 147 home runs. The Orioles hit one Tuesday, rookie Jordan Westburg’s 15th blast of the season in the second inning, but Taillon allowed very little aside from that.
His season ERA moved just under 3, at 2.99, after Tuesday’s start.
“I thought it was what (Taillon) has been doing all year, and that’s just attacking the strike zone,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He just throws so many strikes, and he makes hitters swing. He makes them responsible for every single pitch.
“There are no free pitches. They are all very competitive pitches. He did a wonderful job.”
Busch, meanwhile, had three hits, including his 12th home run, a solo shot that was the first run allowed by Orioles starter Dean Kremer (4-5) in the first inning in 11 starts.
Tomás Nido hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second. A diving catch by Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander on a short fly by Nico Hoerner prevented another run from scoring.
The Cubs took a 4-1 lead in the third on an RBI single by Seiya Suzuki and fielder’s choice by Christopher Morel after Orioles third baseman Ramón Urías misplayed a potential inning-ending double play.
Suzuki added an RBI double in the eighth.
Cubs pitcher Hunter Bigge made his MLB debut in the bottom of the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 inning, including a strikeout of Ryan O’Hearn on a 100-mph fastball. Bigge was called up from Triple-A Iowa after reliever Colten Brewer was placed on the 60-day injured list with a broken left hand from punching a dugout wall.
Kremer, who made his second start since coming off the injured list on July 3 with a right triceps strain, allowed seven runs and seven hits over four innings. His ERA increased from 3.93 to 4.42.
“These guys are a good contact team, and they got a piece of just about everything,” Kremer said. “I was in and around the zone, and they just put some swings on some decent pitches.”
Before the game, Westburg was named to the AL All-Star team, replacing Boston’s Rafael Devers, who is dealing with a sore shoulder.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: Mark Leiter Jr. (right forearm strain) was reinstated from the 15-day IL. Leiter entered in the eighth and retired the three batters he faced. In a corresponding move, Ethan Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. … OF Pete Crow-Armstrong hit for the first time since getting the stitches on his left thumb and entered the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth.
Up next
A pair of All-Star pitchers will square off Wednesday, as the Orioles send RHP Corbin Burnes (9-3, 2.32 ERA) against Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (7-2, 3.16).
First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.