 allowed four runs, two of them earned, and nine hits in five-plus innings.Javier Baez, who doubled twice, Happ and Willson Contreras each had three hits for the Cubs.Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer off reliever Dillon Maples as the Twins scored five times in the eighth. Maples, called up from Triple-A before the game when pitcher Brian Duensing went on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder, also allowed an RBI single to Logan Morrison and a two-run triple to Willians Astudillo.Cubs closer Brandon Morrow got one out in the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances.Brian Dozier hit a two-run homer and Jake Cave also homered for the Twins. Minnesota concluded a 1-5 Chicago road trip that began with two losses in three tries to the White Sox, and fell 10 games below .500 for the first time this season.In the third consecutive sweltering day at Wrigley Field with a gametime temperature at 93 degrees and a heat index at 101, the Cubs jumped all over Twins starter Lance Lynn (5-7) in the second inning.Lester hit his second career home run, prompting a curtain call from the cheering fans. Baez doubled home two runs and Anthony Rizzo had an RBI double. Kyle Schwarber met reliever Matt Magill with the Cubs' third straight double.Cubs shortstop Addison Russell added an RBI single in the fourth inning and made a highlight grab in the sixth inning before leaving the game with an apparent injury resulting in the catch. Russell bumped into Baez while making the running catch on Eduardo Escobar's ball down the left-field line in foul territory. He walked off the field and into the dugout after talking to a team trainer and manager Joe Madddon.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: LF Eddie Rosario, one of three Twins to leave Saturday's game due to heat was in the lineup on Sunday. Teammates Bobby Wilson and Max Kepler were available, as was infielder Ehire Adrianza, who received intravenous fluids after finishing the game.''We just encouraged everyone last night to rest and hydrate the best they could again this morning to get themselves in positions to get through the game,'' Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. ''You just try to be aware of it. There's not much you can do: You've got to play people and you've got to get through the game.'' . SS Jorge Polanco's 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension ends Monday and Molitor said he expects him to rejoin the club in Milwaukee after a stint with Triple-A Rochester.Cubs: OF Albert Almora didn't start, but he came in the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement after leaving Saturday's game due to dehydration. Almora suffered cramps in his legs and was removed in the fifth inning. Almora had a nice sliding catch in center to rob Kepler in the ninthUP NEXTTwins: Visit Milwaukee on Monday as they continue their interleague schedule. Kyle Gibson (2-6) is the scheduled starter. He had another rough outing against the White Sox in his last start on June 27. He allowed five runs on a season-high 11 hits.Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-8) will try to bounce back from his shortest outing of season on Tuesday against the Tigers. Hendricks allowed six runs on eight hits in 2 2-3 innings as his ERA moved up to 4.21 in a loss to the Dodgers on June 27. He finished the 2017 season with a 3.03 ERA.)
TICKETSTICKETSCubs' Lester tries to stay hot versus Twins 5h ago• 2 min read CHICAGO -- Jon Lester may be having the best season of his career and the timing couldn't have been better for the Chicago Cubs.While the starting rotation has experienced its share of issues and the Cubs have struggled to find consistency, Lester has been more than steady. Lester takes a 10-2 mark into his 17th start of the season Sunday when the Cubs attempt to finish off a three-game sweep of the Minnesta Twins at Wrigley Field.Lester has won six straight starts and allowed four runs in his five starts in June, which bodes well for a team that won its third straight game after Saturday's 14-9 back-and-forth victory over the Twins.Lester threw 119 pitches -- a sign that at age 34 he has plenty of good work left in him -- two starts back. He had thrown 106 pitches in six innings when manager Joe Maddon elected to keep Lester on the mound."At that point, what's 15 or 20 more pitches," Lester told reporters, according to the Chicago Tribune.Said Maddon: "Jon gave what we needed." Lester has provided consistency while fellow starters Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood have struggled and Yu Darvish has battled injury. Lester will attempt to keep rolling Sunday against the Twins, against whom he is 3-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 12 career starts.The Twins continued to struggle Saturday and lost for the seventh time in their last nine games. For the second straight day, Minnesota blew leads as the Cubs rallied from behind twice before scoring five runs in the seventh inning to snap a 9-9 tie.Minnesota's bullpen allowed 10 runs and for the second straight day the Twins were unable to match the Cubs' offense, which pounded out 20 hits on a day when the temperatures were in the 90s and the heat index registered 107 degrees.The Twins lost left fielder Eddie Rosario, catcher Bobby Wilson and outfielder Max Kepler during the game to heat illness. Cubs' center fielder Albert Almora, Jr. also left with cramping because of the conditions."When the conditions are like that, you do the best you can to prepare them with nutrition and hydration and all those things, but it overtook three of our guys today," Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters. "So it was just tough." Twins right-hander Lance Lynn will take the mound against a team he is familiar with from his days with the St. Louis Cardinals. Lynn enters Sunday's start with a 5-6 record and a 4.81 ERA. He allowed five runs (four earned) and struck out eight in his last start against the Chicago White Sox.Lynn is 6-6 with a 4.06 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) against the Cubs.Lynn will try to bounce back from an outing in which he had a lead but couldn't pitch out of trouble in his final inning."It's frustrating, especially with the way things had been going all night. I had eight strikeouts in five and you've got 8-9 up, bases are loaded, even though it's been kind of a funky inning, you want to have that chance," Lynn told the team's official website. "But with the way things had unfolded that inning, you get it. We're trying to win the game."
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