Cubs brush off loss to Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- CINCINNATI -- The Thursday night loss was a tough one to swallow for the Chicago Cubs, but they maintained the usual positive spin.

"We're the team in first place," Chicago starter Jake Arrieta said. "We won five in a row, lost a tough one tonight. We go into Philly still feeling pretty good about where we're at."

The Cubs led by a run through seven innings, but Jose Peraza drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a pinch-hit, bases-loaded double in the eighth, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-2 victory at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds avoided a sweep in the three-game series.

With two outs in the eighth and Pedro Strop (3-4) on the mound for the Cubs, Eugenio Suarez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Peraza crushed a ball to center that eluded Ian Happ and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, driving in two runs to put Cincinnati ahead.

"He's a really good pitcher with a good fastball," Peraza said of Strop. "I worked in the cage getting ready for an at-bat. Just trying to see the ball and get a good swing."

Rather than double-switch for a more adept center fielder in Albert Almora Jr., Cubs manager Joe Maddon chose to keep Happ in center. Replays indicated that Peraza's drive would have been a tough catch for anyone.

"It would have been a tremendous play," Maddon said. "Two outs and nobody on, and (Strop is) throwing the ball great. That was the last thing we saw coming."

Suarez later scored on Strop's wild pitch to give the Reds a two-run cushion.

Raisel Iglesias blanked the Cubs in the ninth for his 24th save.

Michael Lorenzen (8-2) struck out three in a scoreless top of the eighth to earn the victory. Lorenzen was hit hard in two of his previous three outings.

"Good to see him back out there being the vintage Lorenzen," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Happ homered for Chicago (68-58), which had its five-game winning streak snapped. The Cubs lead the second-place Milwaukee Brewers by three games in the National League Central heading into a three-game weekend series against the Phillies.

"We still won the series, we've won five of six," Maddon said. "We did a lot of good things again tonight and they got us at the end."

With two outs in the sixth, the Reds chose to intentionally walk Happ after Reds starter Sal Romano fell behind three balls and no strikes. However, Javier Baez came through with a sharp single to left, driving home Kris Bryant to put Chicago ahead 2-1.

Cincinnati (54-74) nearly tied the score in the bottom of the sixth when Zack Cozart singled and sprinted toward home on Joey Votto's double. A perfect relay from Baez nabbed Cozart at home for the first out of the inning.

Romano retired the Cubs in order on only nine pitches in the first inning.

With one out in the second, Happ launched Romano's first pitch into the right field seats, putting the Cubs ahead 1-0. Happ, a University of Cincinnati product, has 19 home runs in 83 games during his rookie season.

Romano yielded two runs, six hits and three walks while striking out seven in seven innings. The bullpen then helped set up a much-needed victory for Cincinnati.

"He was on the attack," Price said of Romano. "He was very aggressive in the zone. He got clipped for a solo homer but was really good after that. Had a nice feel for the changeup and breaking ball."

Arrieta struck out the first four batters he faced and had six through three innings.

There were a couple hard-hit balls in the span. Bryant made a diving catch on Suarez's line drive to end the second inning. Jesse Winker's drive to left field in the third pushed Kyle Schwarber back to the wall.

Arrieta's no-hit bid lasted until the fourth when Votto's one-out RBI single drove home Zack Cozart, who reached second on Bryant's error at third base. The hit tied the score 1-1.

Arrieta allowed one run (unearned), four hits and three walks while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

"Jake was really good tonight," Maddon said. "Stropie was perfect until it all fell apart."

NOTES: Cubs LHP Jon Lester remains on schedule to throw a bullpen session Friday in Philadelphia. He has been on the disabled list with lat tightness and shoulder fatigue. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant returned to the lineup after missing the Wednesday game. He was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the ninth inning Tuesday. On Thursday, Bryant went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. ... Reds C Stuart Turner is expected to go on the paternity list Friday when his wife is scheduled to be induced. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto has reached base in 28 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.

Holland pitches White Sox to victory over Twins

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Even when he was off his game, Chicago White Sox left-hander Derek Holland knew he wasn't that far away from where he wanted to be.

Despite his struggles, Holland attempted to remain positive, believing that if he kept chipping away, everything would come together at some point.

On Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins, everything finally clicked.

Holland allowed just one run over six innings, and the White Sox gave him with plenty of offensive support in a 5-1 victory over the Twins.

"I didn't let (the struggles) affect me -- obviously, I was frustrated, but the main thing was, I kept plugging away," said Holland, who allowed three hits, walked four and struck out five. "It can be a lonely place when you're struggling like that, but the main thing is you've got to stay positive no matter what."

Yolmer Sanchez homered and Kevan Smith had an RBI double for the White Sox, who also capitalized on some sloppy play by the Twins to build their lead and finish off the five-game series with back-to-back victories.

Chicago took three of five against Minnesota.

Holland (7-13) won for just the second time in his past 13 outings. He surrendered Minnesota's lone run on a Byron Buxton home run in the sixth inning.

The Twins put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth inning, but Juan Minaya pitched out of trouble to preserve the victory as the White Sox.

Minnesota heads to Toronto attempting to get things back on track after dropping the series to the last-place White Sox.

"Just not enough offense the last couple of nights," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "They outplayed us, we made mistakes, and they took advantage and we just couldn't get back in the game."

Jose Berrios (11-6) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) over 5 1/3 innings. Berrios struck out nine and walked three while giving up only four hits. He was let down more than once by Minnesota's defense.

Sanchez gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with two outs in the second inning when he hit a solo shot for his seventh home run of the season.

The White Sox took advantage of two Twins errors to score three runs in the fourth inning and build a 4-0 lead.

After Yoan Moncada walked and stole second, the rookie second baseman scored when Nicky Delmonico reached on an error by first baseman Mitch Garver.

Smith and Sanchez followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases before Tim Anderson drove in Delmonico with a fielder's choice grounder. Smith scored on Berrios' wild pick-off attempt.

"Hopefully, there's a little lesson learned here -- you've got to have that intensity from the first inning," Molitor said. "We have to come out ready to play from the get-go."

The White Sox did just that, and once they built up the lead, Holland took over and finally put together the kind of start he has been looking for in a season full of frustrating disappointments.

The Thursday game marked the kind of turnaround Holland -- and the White Sox -- have been waiting for from the veteran lefty.

"He did a nice job keeping us in the ballgame," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He gave up a solo homer, but other than that, he had three walks, struck out two or three, induced a few double plays. Honestly, he seemed pretty much in control the whole ballgame, even though he worked in a little bit of traffic, got out of it. He looked a lot more comfortable out there today."

NOTES: Chicago RF Leury Garcia left the game in the third inning due to back stiffness. He is considered day-to-day. ... White Sox 2B Yoan Moncada exited the game with shin splints in his right leg, an ailment Moncada told reporters Wednesday he expected to linger the rest of the season. ... Twins C Jason Castro was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion after being hit by several foul balls on his catcher's mask Wednesday. Manager Paul Molitor said backup Chris Gimenez and rookie Mitch Garver would split the catching duties until Castro returns. OF Zack Granite was called from Triple-A Rochester to fill the roster spot. ... White Sox RF Avisail Garcia missed Thursday's game after his wife gave birth to their second child earlier in the day. Manager Rick Renteria said Garcia should be available to play o

Cubs beat Reds for fifth straight win

(TSX / STATS) -- CINCINNATI -- Chicago Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery believes his future in the major leagues is as a starting pitcher. Manager Joe Maddon agrees. On Wednesday night, Montgomery did nothing to dispel that notion.

Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run home run, Tommy La Stella added a two-run shot, and Montgomery allowed four hits through six innings, lifting the Chicago Cubs to their fifth straight win, a 9-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Montgomery (4-6), who moved into the rotation when Jon Lester went on the disabled list, is considered a candidate to be in the starting rotation for the Cubs in 2018. For now, he is content with his role as a spot starter and reliever.

"Since day one I came over here, they've been telling me I'm a starter," Montgomery said. "I think I am as well. Whatever is best for the team, that's the mentality I've taken. That's how I've been able to transition back and forth."

On Wednesday, Montgomery issued one walk and struck out four. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters. His 89 pitches were the second-most he has thrown this season.

"He's a ground-ball machine," Maddon said. "Fastball command. When he gets ahead in the count, he can force hitters to put the ball in play. I'm not surprised by this at all. He's very capable."

Chicago (68-57) moved to a season-high 11 games over the .500 mark and now owns a season-high 3 1/2-game lead over second-place Milwaukee in the National League Central.

The Cubs played without third baseman Kris Bryant, who was hit on the hand by a pitch during the ninth inning on Tuesday night. But La Stella took over for Bryant at third base and went 1-for-2 with a homer, two RBIs and a walk. He reached base four times.

Cincinnati (53-74) has lost three straight games and has dropped nine of the past 12 series against Chicago.

Joey Votto hit a solo homer in the ninth, his 33rd of the season, off Hector Rondon, helping the Reds avoid their fourth shutout loss this season and third at home.

Cincinnati wasn't finished with Rondon, who allowed back-to-back homers by Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler before recording the final out.

It was the 24th homer of the season for both Suarez and Schebler.

"Rondon did what he's supposed to do in that situation," said Maddon. "Throw strikes."

Reds starter Asher Wojciechowski (3-3) needed 35 pitches to get through the first inning. He walked three, including La Stella with the bases loaded to force in a run.

Jason Heyward's RBI single coupled with a throwing error by Reds left fielder Adam Duvall scored two runs, putting the Cubs ahead 3-0.

"Helps when you get a three-run lead before you even go out there," Montgomery said. "The offense has been unbelievable for us the past week or so. Hopefully, we can keep it going."

Heyward came through again in the third when he drove home Anthony Rizzo, who had doubled, with another RBI hit, putting Chicago ahead 4-0.

Wojciechowski allowed eight runs (seven earned) in 3 2/3 innings.

"That first inning set the tone," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "He was up in the zone. You're in the first inning and you're down 3-0, there's not much room for error."

Montgomery induced 11 ground-ball outs, none bigger than one to end the third inning when shortstop Javier Baez made a sliding stab of Votto's hard grounder to start a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning after the Reds had runners on first and second.

"That was unbelievable," Montgomery said. "For him to backhand it, then for us to be able to turn the double play. Such a boost."

Schwarber then launched a three-run, opposite-field homer, his 21st of the season, to make the score 7-0. There was a 1-minute, 14-second crew chief review to determine the ball did clear the left field wall.

"That first half is a complete wash for me," said Schwarber. "I've felt a lot better at the plate recently, hitting the ball hard the last couple of days. Got to take those. Don't worry about the result, worry about the process and hit it where it's at."

Chicago led 9-0 in the fourth after La Stella hit a two-run homer, his third of the season, off right-hander Alejandro Chacin, who was making his major league debut.

"We grew from struggling in the first half," Montgomery said. "It's all about getting to the playoffs. We're completely over last year now. We're having fun."

NOTES: Cubs LHP Jon Lester threw on the side on Wednesday and is expected to throw a bullpen session on Friday in Philadelphia. Next steps will be determined after Friday's bullpen. Lester is on the disabled list with lat tightness and shoulder fatigue. ... Reds RHP Luke Farrell was recalled from Triple-A Louisville and RHP Alejandro Chacin had his contract selected from Louisville. The Reds also optioned OF Phillip Ervin to Triple-A, and RHP Blake Wood was designated for assignment. Farrell allowed one hit over three innings in his Reds debut.

Anderson's walk-off single lifts White Sox over Twins

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Rick Renteria said he was pulling for just this kind of outcome Wednesday night.

With the Chicago White Sox locked in a 3-3 tie with the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning, Tim Anderson lined a single to left to score Avisail Garcia with the winning run for a 4-3 walk-off victory.

"It's a confidence builder when you get a big hit," said Renteria, the White Sox manager. "We were sitting in there with the last at-bat going and we really wanted this for Timmy. It's a big situation, see how he does and fortunately he was able to get it through the infield."

Anderson sent a 1-0 pitch from Trevor Hildenberger (2-2) with one out in the ninth inning for his first career game-ending hit.

Right-handed reliever Danny Farquhar (3-2) worked a scoreless inning for the win.

Garcia led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right and reached second on Kevan Smith's sacrifice bunt. An intentional walk to Yolmer Sanchez set the stage for Anderson.

Chicago (49-76) snapped a two-game slide and Minnesota (65-61) saw its two-game winning streak end.

Twins starter Ervin Santana allowed two runs (one earned), scattered three hits and a walk and struck out eight in seven innings.

He almost went eight innings.

"My gut told me after the tough seventh, pitching out of a jam, we could have sent him back out for the eighth," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I just thought after the seventh, that was a good job getting out of that. I just wanted to turn it over, six outs to go."

The White Sox's James Shields yielded three runs, three hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings.

"He's pitched really, really well," Renteria said. "His ability to share things with the other (younger) guys is really important. It's kind of a two-pronged benefit to us at this particular time and we're going to take advantage of it."

Minnesota snapped a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth.

Brian Dozier walked, reached third on Joe Mauer's base hit to right and scored on Jorge Polanco's single to left.

With runners at second and third, a Shields wild pitch got past Smith at the plate and Mauer sprinted home for a 3-1 lead. Polanco reached third on the same play, but Shields struck out Byron Buxton to end the threat.

Leury Garcia launched a towering solo home run to right -- his ninth homer of the season -- to trim the deficit to 3-2 with one out in the White Sox sixth.

Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers entered in relief in the eighth and gave up back-to-back doubles, including a run-scoring two-base hit by Yoan Moncada that drove in Garcia for a 3-3 tie with one out.

"He got the first out, got 0-2 on the next guy, but 0-2 doubles hurt," Molitor said. "Then we got ahead of Moncada there, but he got enough for it to get down the line."

Santana struck out five of the first eight batters he faced and didn't give up a hit until Alen Hanson's two-out triple down the right field line in the third inning. The White Sox left fielder then scored on a throwing error by Polanco.

Shields, meanwhile, retired 11 straight batters and struck out four while no balls left the infield.

That sequence ended when Polanco made up for his earlier mistake and lined a 1-1 pitch to right for his seventh homer of the season. The two-out shot forced a 1-1 tie and marked the fourth consecutive game he hit a home run.

NOTES: The Twins called up RHP John Curtis from Triple-A Rochester and designated RHP Tim Melville (0-1) for assignment. ... Minnesota RHP Jose Berrios (11-5, 3.99 ERA) opposes White Sox LHP Derek Holland (6-13, 6.07) on Thursday in the finale of the five-game series. The series is tied 2-2. ... Chicago sent 3B Matt Davidson to Triple-A Charlotte on an rehab assignment. He went on the disabled list Aug. 8 (retroactive to Aug. 4) with a right wrist contusion. ... Chicago's Alen Hanson played left field Wednesday. He also has played right and center field, second and third base, shortstop and served as designated hitter this season. ... The teams meet for the final time this season Aug. 29-31 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Zobrist fuels Cubs' comeback win over Reds

(TSX / STATS) -- CINCINNATI -- It was the stuff of nightmares for Ben Zobrist, but ultimately the Chicago Cubs produced a dreamy result on Tuesday night.

Zobrist drove in the go-ahead runs with a pinch-hit, two-run double in the seventh inning as the Cubs rallied for a 13-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

"It was a relief," said Zobrist, when asked to describe his emotions while standing on second base. "We won, and I was able to contribute something."

Zobrist arrived at Great American Ball Park about an hour before the game, around three hours later than usual.

He spent more than an hour haggling with a rental car company, then fought heavy traffic en route to Cincinnati from his hometown of Nashville, where he spent the off day on Monday.

"I was frustrated for about seven hours today," he said. "I'm just glad I made it."

When it became apparent Zobrist wasn't going to make it to the ballpark on time, Cubs manager Joe Maddon put Ian Happ into the lineup at second base, batting fifth.

When Zobrist finally arrived, Maddon told him, "'You're going to play the role of Dan Johnson tonight.' He was Dan Johnson tonight."

In 2008, Johnson got to the ballpark late due to a delayed flight from the minors then hit a game-tying home run for Maddon's Tampa Bay Rays off the Boston Red Sox's Jonathan Papelbon.

"I've had nightmares about showing up at the ballpark late," Zobrist said. "It won't happen again. (Maddon) said I'm going to be Dan Johnson, I'm going to do something special. I'm glad it worked out."

Zobrist's double and his RBI groundout in the eighth helped the Cubs (67-57) score 13 runs in a four-inning span to move 10 games above .500 for the first time this season.

Javier Baez (2-for-5) also delivered a two-run single in the seventh.

"He can have some really wild at-bats, but he likes the moment, and he came through again," said Maddon.

Hector Rondon (4-1) retired one batter for the win. Wandy Peralta (3-4) allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning for the loss.

Eugenio Suarez homered twice and had a career-high five RBIs, and Jesse Winker and Scooter Gennett each hit solo homers for Cincinnati (53-73).

Winker's long ball off Felix Pena was the first pinch-hit homer of his career.

Reds starter Homer Bailey left after three scoreless innings for precautionary reasons with irritation in the back of his right shoulder.

Bailey, who came off the disabled list June 24 after missing most of the past two seasons with elbow and forearm surgeries, was visited by trainers after walking John Lackey in the third inning but remained in the game.

Bailey did not return for the fourth, however, exiting after 47 pitches. He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out two.

"We debated about whether he could go back out there, but we knew he shouldn't with the road he's traveled," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We don't have any intention to put him on the DL at this point."

Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton starred at the plate and in the field. He led off the game with a single, stole his 52nd base of the season, and later scored from third on a wild pitch to put Cincinnati ahead 1-0.

In the second, Hamilton prevented the tying run from scoring with a diving catch of Jason Heyward's line drive for the third out. In the third, Hamilton raced in to make a diving catch on Kris Bryant's sinker line drive to end the inning.

Tucker Barnhart drove home Suarez with a double into the right field corner in the second. Gennett's 22nd home run of the season and third in his past eight games made it 3-0.

The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth against Kevin Shackelford, who took over for Bailey, and scratched across a couple runs before Heyward's two-out RBI single tied the score 3-3. Shackelford allowed three runs, three hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.

Suarez's three-run shot, his 22nd home run of the season, handed a three-run lead back to Cincinnati in the fifth.

However, the Reds' bullpen later relinquished the lead, and then some. Cincinnati right-hander Blake Wood allowed five runs in one inning.

"It's hard to watch, especially since we've seen better from him," said Price.

NOTES: In the ninth inning, 1B Anthony Rizzo became the third left-handed position player to play third base for the Cubs, the first since George Decker in 1895. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant was hit on the left hand in the ninth inning by Reds RHP Blake Wood. X-rays were negative. ... Reds RHP Scott Feldman, who is on the disabled list for the second time this season due to right knee inflammation, underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery. ... Cincinnati SS Zack Cozart returned to the lineup after missing two games, and he went 1-for-4. He was hit on the left leg by a pitch on Friday.

Twins use three homers to down White Sox

(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Kyle Gibson worked his way out of two perilous jams while long balls from his teammates provided relief Tuesday night.

The Minnesota Twins right-hander faced bases loaded with one out in the second inning and none in the third inning but escaped each time in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

"A lot of danger, really," said Gibson (7-10) who went on to work seven innings. "It doesn't really matter what team it is, it was a tough spot. But in that situation, you got to execute pitches and go one out at a time."

The Twins shrugged off an early deficit and hit three home runs on the way the victory.

Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario each homered against White Sox rookie right-hander Lucas Giolito, called up Tuesday from Triple-A Charlotte for his Chicago debut.

The White Sox pushed across a first-inning run but came up empty on two early bases-loaded scoring opportunities and were shut out the rest of the way.

Gibson allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked just one for his first victory since beating the Detroit Tigers on July 22.

Giolito (0-1) worked six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He struck out three and walked none while throwing 99 pitches.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria was pleased with the outing even as he wished his team had scored more for Giolito.

"I thought it was very positive," he said. "Lucas threw the ball very, very well. Fastball was very good, he was using his breaking ball ... He looked very, very good to me."

The victory was the second straight and sixth in seven games for the Twins (65-60), who are 13-4 in their past 17 games.

Chicago (48-76) dropped its second straight and is 3-8 in its last 11

Twins relievers Trevor Hildenberger and Matt Belisle worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings. Belisle gave up a hit but posted his fourth save.

Rosario clubbed his 18th homer of the season with one out in the sixth. His two-run shot to left scored Joe Mauer and gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead.

"Once Rosie (Eddie Rosario) hit that big homer it really allowed me to settle in a little bit and keep attacking," Gibson said.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as rookie Yoan Moncada doubled to right with one out, reached third on Jose Abreu's lineout and scored on Gibson's wild pitch with Nicky Delmonico at the plate.

Chicago loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Adam Engel struck out swinging and Leury Garcia grounded to second.

Moncada was perched at third with no outs in the third as the White Sox loaded the bases again before Gibson struck Avisail Garcia, Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson to escape the threat.

"We had two innings where we had a great opportunity to open up that ballgame and maybe the outcome would have been a little different and it would have looked a little different for (Giolito)," Renteria said.

The Twins evened matters in the fourth on Polanco's leadoff home run to center, his sixth of the season.

In the fifth inning, Vargas belted an 0-2 pitch from Giolito for his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center that gave the Twins a 2-1 lead.

NOTES: Twins manager Paul Molitor, who celebrated his 61st birthday, appeared in 18 games on that date during his playing career, batting .264. ... Minnesota 2B Brian Dozier has eight doubles, 11 home runs, 20 RBIs and 19 runs in his past 24 games against Chicago. ... The Twins send RHP Ervin Santana (13-7, 3.33 ERA) against White Sox RHP James Shields (2-4, 5.72) on Wednesday. ... The White Sox recalled RHP Lucas Giolito from Triple-A Charlotte for the start. The No. 6 prospect in the organization, Giolito was acquired in December from the Nationals and was 6-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 24 Charlotte starts. ... The rare five-game series (which included a makeup game as part of the Monday doubleheader) concludes Thursday.

Blue Jays turn to Tepesch to try to tip scales vs. Cubs

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(TSX / STATS) -- 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.