Seiya Suzuki belted a two-run homer and Michael Busch added a three-run double, fueling the red-hot Chicago Cubs to a 7-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
Chicago’s Ian Happ had an RBI single in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 29 games. He also scored on Suzuki’s seventh homer of the season as the Cubs opened their nine-game road trip by recording their second 10-game winning streak of the season. They also won 10 in a row from April 14-24.
Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI double in the sixth inning to reach base safely for the 12th straight game.
Busch scored on that play and provided the final big blow in the seventh inning with a shot to the left-center field gap.
Ben Brown did not allow a hit and struck out three batters over four scoreless innings. He was making his first start of the season in place of Matthew Boyd, who underwent surgery on his left meniscus Thursday morning.
Ryan Rolison relieved Brown and promptly walked the first two batters he faced. Rolison allowed a one-out RBI single to pinch-hitter Justin Foscue before Javier Assad (3-1) retired the final two batters to end the inning.
Assad yielded one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
The reeling Rangers mustered just two hits en route to sustaining their eighth loss in the last 11 games.
Michael Conforto had a ground-rule double with one out in the first inning before coming home on Happ’s two-out single to left field to open the scoring.
Happ walked to lead off the fourth inning before Suzuki capped an eight-pitch at-bat by depositing a sinker from Kumar Rocker (1-4) over the wall in center field.
Rocker sustained his third loss in as many starts after permitting three runs on four hits with three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Foscue trimmed Texas’ deficit to 3-1 in the fifth before Crow-Armstrong regained Chicago’s three-run advantage with a ground-rule RBI double in the sixth.
