CHICAGO (AP) — inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the Athletics 7-6 Thursday night to avoid a three-game series sweep.
Crow-Armstrong also hit a solo homer, his ninth of the season, in the sixth inning for Chicago, which had lost three straight and 14 of 17.
Joel Kuhnel (1-2) gave up five Chicago hits in the ninth inning and was tagged for all four runs. Luis Medina replaced him with two outs and surrendered the tying single to Dansby Swanson before Crow-Armstrong’ knocked in Seiya Suzuki.
Ian Happ homered and drove in three runs for Chicago, which banged out seven hits in the ninth inning after just four hits in the first eight innings. Ryan Rolison (4-1) worked the final 1 1/3 innings for the Cubs.
Shea Langeliers hit two of the Athletics’ four homers and drove in three runs. Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim added consecutive homers in the seventh inning that gave the A’s a seemingly comfortable 6-1 lead.
Happ had a 446-foot homer to right, a two-run shot off reliever Scott Barlow that nearly cleared the right-field bleachers in the bottom of the seventh, tightening the score.
J.T. Ginn allowed just two hits, including Crow-Armstrong’s sixth-inning solo homer, in the first six innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Langeliers’ fourth-inning solo shot smacked the right-field wall and caromed out of the basket onto the field. It was ruled a homer after a brief review.
Alika Williams scored the As’ second run in the sixth when Crow-Armstrong lost Henry Bolte’s deep fly, which landed behind him near the warning track. Langeliers came up two batters later and made it 4-0 with his 16th homer.
Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (4-7) gave up all six A’s runs. He allowed six hits with a walk and struck out five before being pulled after Soderstrom and Heim homered in the seventh.
Up next
The Athletics’ Jack Perkins (2-2, 5.46 ERA) faces fellow RHP Peter Lambert (4-4, 3.77) to open a three-game series at Houston on Friday.
Cubs: RHP Ben Brown (2-2, 1.92 ERA) starts Friday afternoon against LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.45) for visiting San Francisco.
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