 and later scored on a two-out single by Javier Baez for the go-ahead run.In his seventh start since being acquired in a trade from the White Sox, Quintana (4-2) gave up two runs and four hits. He struck out eight and walked two.?Cubs closer Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save in as many chances. He tied the franchise record for consecutive saves converted.Anthony Rizzo added an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out RBI single.The Blue Jays cut the lead in the eighth with the help of Kris Bryant's throwing error. Bryant fielded Steve Pearce's grounder at third, but threw wildly to first allowing Pearce to advance to second. Kevin Pillar followed with an RBI single to cut the Chicago lead to 4-3.In the fourth, Toronto got three straight hits off Quintana. Pillar led off with a single and former Cub Darwin Barney doubled down the left-field line. Raffy Lopez followed with a two-run bloop single to left-center to put the Blue Jays ahead 2-1.Happ tied it with his opposite-field homer to left off Nick Tepesch.Quintana got out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning when he struck out Tepesch.TRAINER'S ROOMBlue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (finger) played catch for the first time in a while. He has pitched just 36 innings this season due to blister issues. Manager John Gibbons said he hopes to use the starting pitcher out of the bullpen when he returns. . C Russell Martin (oblique) is rehabbing in Florida. Gibbons said Martin will not be ready when he is eligible to come off the 10-day DL early next week.UP NEXTThe interleague series caps off on Sunday with Toronto RHP Marco Estrada (5-8) facing Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4). Estrada is 2-5 with 5.33 ERA in 14 starts on the road this season. Hendricks is 3-3 with a 2.85 ERA in his last 13 starts.)
Blue Jays turn to Tepesch to try to tip scales vs. Cubs 42m ago• 2 min read CHICAGO -- Nick Tepesch doesn't have much of a major league track record this season with just three appearances with two teams since May.But the right-hander could make a case for sticking around with the Toronto Blue Jays with a solid performance in Saturday's interleague game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.Tepesch (1-2, 5.25 ERA) was traded to Toronto from the Minnesota Twins in late July for cash considerations. He had been sidelined since late May with a right elbow injury.He was pounded in his first start against the New York Yankees, allowing five runs and eight hits in an 11-5 Blue Jays loss on Aug. 9.But Tepesch bounced back five days later with a quality start against Tampa Bay, allowing just one run on four hits while walking four per six innings in Toronto's 2-1 victory."His command was a little bit better, he stayed on the attack, we got some breaks, we ran some balls down, and he hung in there," Toronto manager John Gibbons told reporters. "We had a depleted bullpen and he gave us just what we needed." Toronto (59-63) seeks to even the weekend interleague series with Chicago after the Cubs claimed a 7-4 victory in Friday's opener.Tepesch and the Blue Jays will go against Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana (3-2, 3.86 ERA) in the series' middle game.Quintana has been up and down since arriving in a trade with the Chicago White Sox as he approaches his seventh start with the Cubs and 25th of the season.In his last outing -- a 15-5 Cubs win over Cincinnati on Aug. 14 -- he worked five inning and allowed two runs and four hits while striking out four and walking four.Quintana will make his 10th career start against the Blue Jays and has pitched at least six innings in all nine previous outings, posting a 1.77 ERA."I'm just trying to do my job and hit my spots," Quintana told reporters after Monday's win over the Reds. "Things are a little new for me here, but I feel pretty good, so no pressure on me."The game doesn't change. You go to a different league, but it's the same. I try to use my strengths. I'm really happy with this outing because I needed that." While with the White Sox this season, Quintana went 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 18 starts.Saturday'' interleague game will be only the fifth the Blue Jays have played at Wrigley Field.Until Friday, Toronto had not been to the North Side ballpark since June 6-8, 2005. Friday's crowd of 41,814 included a healthy contingent of Blue Jays fans, with a large group also expected for the final two games.The Blue Jays hold an 8-5 edge in games played at Wrigley Field and the Rogers Centre. The Cubs are 8-1 in their last nine interleague games and are now 9-7 overall against American League teams.
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