Cubs dominate Atlanta in 10th inning

The Cubs had runners on the corners with one out in the 10th when the Braves brought in their infield. Hoerner then hit a high chopper to the right side on an 0-2 pitch from Aaron Bummer (1-2).

First baseman Matt Olson and second baseman Ozzie Albies converged on the grounder, and Albies had no play as Cody Bellinger came home with the winning run. It was Hoerner’s first hit after missing six straight games with a left hamstring strain.

“We’re coming up two goals and obviously we want to put the ball in play first,” Hoerner said. “It’s lucky where it happened.”

Mike Tauchman had two hits and two RBIs for the Cubs, who had lost three of four. Luke Little (1-0) got three outs for his first career win, capping 5 1/3 scoreless innings on a hit for Chicago’s bullpen.

“Everybody did a great job,” reliever Mark Leiter Jr. said.

Chicago shortstop Dansby Swanson had two hits in his return to the lineup. The shortstop was activated from the 10-day injured list after being sidelined with a sprained right knee.

Michael Harris II homered and made two good defensive plays, but Atlanta lost for the fifth time in six games. Orlando Arcia hit a two-run drive and Charlie Morton struck out eight in five efficient innings on a hot and windy evening at Wrigley Field.

“I wish I could have played a few more innings,” Morton said.

The Braves had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, but they were thwarted by some impressive relief work from Leiter.

Leiter replaced Tyson Miller with runners on first and second. After the game was delayed while the grounds crew worked on the mound, Leiter struck out Olson, Travis d’Arnaud and Harris – all swinging.

The delay with the mound “maybe took some of the adrenaline out of the situation and kind of calmed me down a little bit,” Leiter said.

Harris gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead when he opened the fourth with an opposite-field shot into the left stands for his fifth homer.

“I feel like I have a really good mentality right now,” Harris said. “I guess I just wish I could overcome some of the other situations we had tonight.”

Chicago threatened in the bottom half, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Morton escaped the jam with help from Harris, who made a jump catch on the warning track on Tauchman’s long flyball.

Atlanta third baseman Zack Short dropped Michael Busch’s popup for an error in the sixth, and Tauchman hit an RBI single against Daysbel Hernández. But Harris made an impressive run to shallow center to keep the game tied at 3.

Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr. also made some big defensive plays for the Braves. Olson caught Ian Happ’s liner in the seventh and walked to first for a double play. Acuña picked up Patrick Wisdom’s flyball on the warning track deep in the eighth.

Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki entered the field in the ninth, robbing Acuña of a hit with a sliding catch.

Braves: Hernández was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. He takes the place of LHP Ray Kerr, who was sent off after Monday’s doubleheader against San Diego.

Braves: C Sean Murphy (strained left oblique) hit a 449-foot solo home run in his first rehab game with Gwinnett. He also walked and scored on a single in the fifth inning. … 3B Austin Riley (left side seal) made light work of an infield batting cage.