Jon Lester allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and the Chicago Cubs hit three home runs to defeat the host Seattle Mariners 11-0 Wednesday afternoon.
Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez hit solo shots for the Cubs, who won their fourth consecutive game.
The only hit Lester (2-1), a native of Tacoma, Wash., allowed was a one-out single to Ryon Healy in the second inning. The left-hander walked one and struck out eight.
The Mariners have lost four in a row, all at home, with three of those defeats by 11 or more runs. They have been outscored 46-7 over that stretch.
Mariners starter Marco Gonzales (5-1), who entered the game tied for the major league lead in victories, lasted just 1 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed six runs (three earned) on five hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.
Baez hit the first pitch of the second over the wall in right-center field, sparking a six-run inning.
Contreras followed with a groundball single to left, Kyle Schwarber bunted for a hit and David Bote reached when left fielder Domingo Santana dropped a fly ball, loading the bases.
Jason Heyward grounded a single to center to make it 2-0 and Ben Zobrist walked with the bases still loaded to drive in another run. With one out, Kris Bryant walked to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead, Rizzo added a sacrifice fly and Baez doubled to left to make it 6-0. After a walk to Contreras, Gonzales' afternoon was over.
Right-hander Chasen Bradford walked Bote to lead off the third and Heyward singled to left to send Bote to third. Zobrist's sacrifice fly increased the lead to 7-0.
The Cubs tacked on two more runs in the fourth on homers by Rizzo and Contreras.
Chicago capped the scoring with two runs off Mariners backup catcher Tom Murphy in the ninth inning on sacrifice flies by Contreras and Schwarber.
--Field Level Media
Chi. Cubs | Seattle | |
Jon Lester | Player | Marco Gonzales |
Win | W/L | Loss |
7.0 | IP | 1.2 |
8 | Strikeouts | 2 |
1 | Hits | 5 |
0.00 | ERA | 16.20 |
Chi. Cubs | Seattle | |
Jason Heyward | Player | Ryon Healy |
3 | Hits | 1 |
1 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 1 |
.750 | Avg | .333 |