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Baez Homers Twice As Cubs Pound Pirates 13-5

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CHICAGO (AP) - Javier Baez homered twice for the second straight day and scored the go-ahead run on a daring dash around the bases, helping the Chicago Cubs pound the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-5 on Wednesday.

Kris Bryant added three hits and two RBIs as Chicago got its first home win in the first night game at Wrigley Field this season. Albert Almora Jr. also had three hits and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs in the Cubs' highest scoring performance in their first 11 games.

Baez belted a three-run shot to right-center against Steven Brault in the second and connected against Dovydas Neverauskas in the eighth, sending a solo drive to back of the bleachers in left. The crowd of 35,596 chanted "Ja-vy! Ja-vy!" after he rounded the bases, and he obliged the cheers with a curtain call.

Pittsburgh Pirates v Chicago Cubs
(Photo Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Baez also hit two solo homers in Tuesday's 8-5 loss in the series opener. The dynamic infielder became the first player with consecutive multihomer games for the Cubs since Alfonso Soriano from May 16-17, 2008.

Pittsburgh had won four of five for its first 8-2 start since 1992. Sean Rodriguez belted a three-run homer and David Freese connected for a solo shot, but the game got away from the Pirates during the Cubs' four-run sixth.

Baez struck out swinging leading off the inning against Tyler Glasnow (0-1), but he reached safely when the ball got past catcher Francisco Cervelli for a wild pitch. He advanced on Jason Heyward's bouncer to first and then swiped third with pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella at the plate.

Pittsburgh then brought its infield in and La Stella hit a grounder to second baseman Josh Harrison. Baez broke for the plate and Harrison's throw was wild as Chicago grabbed a 5-4 lead.

The Cubs poured it on from there. Zobrist capped the sixth-inning outburst with a two-run single back up the middle. Pinch-hitter Ian Happ connected for a two-run homer in the seventh, and Bryant tacked on his second RBI double of the game.

Brian Duensing (1-0) pitched a perfect sixth for the win.

Rodriguez's massive drive to center off Jon Lester put Pittsburgh in front in the second, but Chicago responded with four in the bottom half against Steven Brault. Zobrist scored on a wild pitch before Baez went deep for his third of the season.

A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT

The dugouts at Wrigley were moved farther down the lines and revamped over the winter. The result is a different viewpoint from each side of the field, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon is already working on a couple small changes with team executives.

"Everybody's on the same page," Maddon said. "Like I said, I think the adjustments are minimal. Just something that permits us better egress and regress out of the dugout for the hitters, and just some sightlines from a coaching perspective, too."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP A.J. Schuegel (shoulder discomfort) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on Thursday. ... RHP Joe Musgrove (right shoulder strain) has played catch on flat ground from 75 feet twice, director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh right-hander Trevor Williams (2-0, 1.59 ERA) tries for his third straight win to begin the season when he starts the series finale on Thursday afternoon. Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 4.09 ERA) gets the ball for the Cubs after he went 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts against the Pirates last year.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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