Sánchez helps Marlins hold off Cubs for 7-6 win
CHICAGO - Jesús Sánchez hit a two-run double in Miami's five-run first inning, and the Marlins held off the Chicago Cubs for a 7-6 win on Saturday.
Sánchez also singled home Luis Arraez in the fourth. Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each had three hits as Miami earned its third straight victory.
Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera (2-2) struck out a career-high 12 in five innings. He was charged with two runs and three hits.
"It was one of the first games in a while where we did not chase," first-year Miami manager Skip Schumaker said.
"You are going to have these games, this is going to happen and you want to make sure you put guys in the right situations. But nothing is perfect and this game is hard. You know you'll have games like these but it is better when you win."
Patrick Wisdom and Cody Bellinger homered for Chicago in its fifth loss in seven games. Trey Mancini had two hits and scored two runs.
Caleb Kilian (0-1) struggled in his fourth career start for the Cubs. The right-hander, who was promoted from Triple-A Iowa before the game, was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The 25-year-old Kilian hurt himself in the first. He hit two batters - plunking Chisholm with the bases loaded - and walked two. He also threw a wild pitch that brought home a run.
Sánchez's ground-rule double gave Miami a 2-0 lead, and Jacob Stallings had a run-scoring single. Each of the Marlins' runs in the first scored with two outs.
Wisdom connected for his 10th homer with two out in the second, sending a two-run shot deep to left-center. But Chisholm's RBI single in the third helped the Marlins build a 7-2 lead.
Bellinger led off the sixth with a solo shot to right, and the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs. After Edwin Ríos struck out looking, Nico Hoerner drove in Mancini with a sacrifice fly to left.
But the inning came to an end when Eric Hosmer was caught in a rundown trying to tag up from second.
Chicago pulled within one with two runs in the eighth, but Matt Barnes escaped the jam when he retired Dansby Swanson on a popup to first.
Tanner Scott gave up a one-out single in the ninth before finishing his second save of the season.
"We battled our tails off. We had the bases-loaded three times. Didn't get a lot of runs out of it, but they stayed focused,'' Chicago manager David Ross said. "We had a tough loss (Friday night) and get down five in the first. They fought all the way back and we had a chance in the ninth. They fought really hard and I am proud of that."