Braves vs. Cubs Game Highlights (9-15-26) - MLB Highlights

Thirty five year old veteran Kevin Guzman on the mound for the Cubbies. Of course he comes over from the Toronto Blue Jays and overall he's not thrown that well here in Chicago for two of the five point three one fire strike three. Hit the outside corner at the knees just about a bullseye out number one Guzman deals. And this one is scooped in the year to right Seah has it. Here's Matt Olsen now this one in the air well struck and it is off the Ivy and Olsen is going to be held to a single. He hit that so hard and it bounced right back to Suzuki. It's almost one ten off the bat tough break for Matt Olsen. Right. You think about the Ivy and a lot of times it's going to absorb the baseball. But you talked about also what's behind there these days. And he continues for Michael Harris no score in the top of the first inning on the ground hard hit. But Ramirez doubles it up and throws him out. Martin Perez the lefty getting the start here this evening. It's been a great year for Martin. You can see that three point zero eight era. We know the arsenal is about the two seamer and the change up mostly cutter as well. The ability to kind of locate those pitches to all sides curveball forcing the once in a while as well for Martin Perez. And he strikes him out with a change up something you want to keep an eye on early when it comes to Perez. Where's the change up look like. And that's a good sign. So back to back walks Taylor the first Bregman the second. Here comes Niko Horner and an opportunity for Niko back to back walks. That's popped up Matt Olsen retreating into shallow right also coming in Brewer Hickman and that's Brewer's ball makes the catch in shallow right field and Martin Perez pitches his way through it. So no runs no hits no errors two men left on Cubs offense against left handed starters. It has been excellent leading the bigs to seventy nine batting average and eight forty two O.P.S. highest for the Cubs since at least nineteen seventy four on the ground on the base hit road towards left center Corbin Beck is going to send him Bush to the plate Michael is in and Pedro Ramirez with the RBI not one nothing Cubs. I love Ramirez. He was aggressive right away and he hammers his ball into the gap. It's a line drive through the infield but it's hit right on the button and Amaya puts down the sack. But now two are in scoring position for Pete. Now the Braves will bring the infield in Pete Crow Armstrong at the plate. This will be an interesting plate appearance for Pete Grouder. Ozzie has it coming home. He is out what a play by Drake Baldwin to take that off the short hop and tag Shaw. You're not kidding here the hands from Drake Baldwin and then also the ability to pick it clean but not just try to stop the baseball. But can you get a tag in here when you know you're dealing with a guy coming in at first he's going to try to swim move on you. Wow what a pick and attack. Very hard to do. So they're at the corners now with two down and Suzuki to the plate. Deuces wild here struck him out Perez going to his best friend there that change. Cubs score one run Ronald Acuna Matt Olson and Michael Harris coming up to the plate for the Braves here in the top of the fourth inning Cubs on top one nothing ground ball left side glove by Horner quick throw and a good throw in time to get Ronald Acuna Junior first pitch out on a splitter there. Gossman has such good command of that pitch tonight and when he does have that he's dangerous already has seven swings and misses on that pitch here. And that is in there. Olson will challenge JBS. It's an aggressive challenge. We've exhausted their challenges. Strikeout number four for Kevin Gossman. He's pitching very well tonight is a chopper toward first should be routine for Bush unassisted play ends the inning. It's a one two three inning for Kevin Gossman rolling along. Bush will take his base. There's a walk to start things off. That's lead by a run have a man at first nobody out fourth inning the batter Matt Shaw is a tapper slowly hit toward third. It's going to be a ball rolling rolling and staying there. Cubs get a break. That's a base hit for Matt Shaw. It stayed on the grass. That was the key run really as you hit that topper. And if it stays on the grass it's got a chance to stay in fair. Soon as it hits the dirt it usually rolls foul. This ball just kind of dies and ends right at the edge of the grass and the dirt. Now two men on you've got the number eight batter up here. Very similar spot to the second inning. Bush and Shaw got on and then this guy Ramirez had the RBI single bouncing ball to short Duvall goes to second and throws the ball away. Cubs get a break. The ball ends up in foul territory down the right field line. A run scores racing to third on the play. Shaw Cubs lead two to nothing run. I'm not sure what happened on that play. The only thing I could guess about catches this ball fine gets to one knee and is going to make the throw. And I think he loses the grip of the baseball and he starts to swing and it squirts out of his hand. It's 15 feet wide of the bag and goes right at the tarp down the first baseline. Instead of getting one and possibly two on a double play they get no one that might turn out to be one of the big plays of this game. And here's Miguel Amaya runners at first and third a run in the bank. That's the left Yastrzemski makes the catch shot tags and Shaw scores a sacrifice fly makes it three nothing Amaya the RBI and very sacrificial tonight sack bun sack fly. It's a three nothing lead for the Cubs into the top of the fifth inning. Gaussman has retired 10 straight Braves line shot through the left side and a base hit in the spell single out of DuBon. Braves have their second head of the game and their first base runner since the first inning runner at first for Austin Reilly to to swing and a miss and Reilly is gone. That's five strikeouts for Kevin Gaussman one down for Mike Yastrzemski Yastrzemski hits a slow moving dribbler up the middle fielded by Horner across the body throw in time to get Mike Yastrzemski at first two away moving to second on the play DuBon pitch a high pop fly shallow left coming in Taylor he's under it makes the catch out number three top six at Wrigley comes with a three nothing lead over the Braves Kevin Gaussman working on a shutout and Gaussman has been dominant swing and a miss strike three high fastball got him that's out number one. Oftentimes after a rookie year like Drake had where he was the National League Rookie of the Year some people fear of a sophomore slump but there has been no such thing for Drake Baldwin here this season. Evidence of that right there a single to right field with one out of the six that one out single and that brings Ronald Acuna to the plate Acuna crushes it deep to left and go the Braves are right back in this ballgame Ronald Acuna with some firepower and a deep left field into the first row of the bleachers and left it's a two run homer and it's now a three to game and that's the Jolton Braves offense has been looking for Cubs leading at three to two as we head into the top of the seventh frame Kevin Gaussman started the game went five and two thirds Daniel Plencia came on got just one out and he will now give way to another righty thirty three year old Jacob Webb and he misses on four straight pitches and the tying run is a board one away in the seventh inning as the Allbys is 0 for two tonight over six in this series Ozzie just three for his last thirty eight. You've got to get him going as he always lifts it in the air deep to right. That baby see how about that for a slum buster. How good did that have to feel right for Ozzie Allby as we know he's been going through it here a little bit. You mentioned it dropped in the order that man Acuna had the first two run homer when the Braves were down three nothing and now Ozzie with a high drive to right field to put Atlanta on top four to three one away in the inning Brewer Hickman the batter Hickman gets into one. And then Taylor goes bouncing off the wall himself and Hickman still no homers in his big league career just missed it but boy that was a sharp double at almost one hundred and eleven off the bat and he gets it up a little higher and it's out of here. Good effort by Taylor who could not come up with it and then went pretty hard there into the wall was kind of rubbing his side after the fact that they're going to check on him. He was trying to wave off the help said he's fine but they're just going to make sure I mean it looks soft because you see all that green ivy. There is nothing soft about going into this wall. A man at second with one away Drake Baldwin the batter a drive toward left field back goes Taylor near the wall and left Taylor makes a very nice catch. He runs into the wall he might be shaken up Taylor really went into that Ivy covered brick wall at a hard pace and he immediately fell to the ground he shoveled the ball to PCA but the second ball he's running to the wall just in this inning this time he hits the wall as he goes up high to get it it's a catch and then slams into the walls flat back into the wall. I'm sure it had to knock the wind out of him. Taylor is going to stay in the game back to back play as the club left fielder jolting his body by going into that Ivy covered brick wall rolling into the bottom of the eighth inning here at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Braves have a four three lead on the Cubs. It's still Didier Fuentes out there for the Braves Didier Fuentes. He's gone two innings eleven times this year and he will try to do it again tonight. Two innings of brilliance from the 21 year old Didier Fuentes terrific job by him against the best offense in baseball. We go to the top of the ninth four three Braves very big potential run at first Braves on top four three ninth inning one away in the batter Brewer Hickman. He goes pitch on the way up and in throw down to second base and a stolen base for Ozzie Albies that came up and in on Hickman. He went ducking out of the way his helmet came flying off when he made impact with the ground and Ozzie Albies with a steal two balls and two strikes. That one gets away from Amaya Ozzie to third base and see if Hickman can put this ball in play and get the Braves that fifth run a walk. So now with one out and the runners at the corners you've got Baldwin and then Acuna coming to the plate to the first and they don't have it. Cabrera's got quick feet. They're going to take a look. They're taking a second look second opinion or slid right into that spike. Yeah and that's maybe why the right hand did not get there in time. You see him shaking it because he went into the hand. I mean right there. Yeah he is out unfortunately has overturned out the call. Good challenge by the Cubs. Now there are two down. Albies is still at third Braves lead four three top of the ninth. Baldwin on and out of tonight. It is six to three. And there is your insurance. And it's a two run homer right into the basket in right field. And he silences Cubs fans here on the north side. Make it a six three lead for the Braves in the ninth. And this is what it looked like inside the clubhouse when Baldwin made contact. They're excited. Graciela Iglesias thirty two four thirty five in a save opportunity so far this season. Game number fifty five. It's been a good year for Iggy to right field. Hicklin is there Braves win. They even the series. Milwaukee clinches the east and for Martin Perez it is career victory number one hundred. And how cool for us to see that in a Braves uniform the year that he has put together.