Christopher Morel hit the go-ahead double in the ninth inning and the visiting Chicago Cubs went on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Dansby Swanson hit a three-run home run for the Cubs, who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Whit Merrifield hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who have lost three in a row.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt allowed four runs, six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings. Jordan Hicks (1-7) suffered the loss.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele gave up three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in five innings. Julian Merryweather (4-0) was credited with the win.
Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the third. Daulton Varsho led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Cubs took a 4-1 lead in the fourth. Nico Hoerner led off with a double, Ian Happ walked and Cody Bellinger hit a long RBI single to right. Swanson followed with his 18th homer of the season, a blast to the second deck in left.
Toronto cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth. Santiago Espinal led off with a single and Merrifield hit a one-out drive to center for his 11th homer.
Michael Fulmer replaced Steele in the sixth and allowed Davis Schneider’s one-out double. Mark Leiter Jr. took over and walked Cavan Biggio before allowing Espinal’s ground-rule double to center that tied the game at 4.
Former Blue Jay Merryweather pitched around a walk in the home eighth with two strikeouts.
Hicks allowed Bellinger’s leadoff double in the ninth and Morel’s one-out double that gave the Cubs the lead.
Adbert Alzolay pitched a perfect ninth with one strikeout to earn his 16th save.
The start of the game Saturday was delayed for about 40 minutes by the ceremony for former Toronto slugger Jose Bautista, who was added to the team’s level of excellence.
Toronto put right-hander Hagen Danner (left oblique strain) on the 15-day injured list Saturday and recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Triple-A Buffalo. Danner was injured in the ninth inning on Friday in his major league debut.
–Field Level Media
