CHICAGO (AP) — Keibert Ruiz hit a two-run homer and went 3 for 3 with a double to lead the Washington Nationals past the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Monday night.
Jeimer Candelario also launched a two-run drive in his return to the lineup, and Stone Garrett doubled twice among his three hits. Luis Garcia added two RBIs for last-place Washington.
Ruiz homered for the second straight game and has seven hits in his last 14 at-bats. The 24-year-old Venezuelan catcher is up to 11 homers, and his 35 RBIs are one short of his total from last year.
Ruiz’s batting average is still just .235, but Nationals manager Dave Martinez sees him evolving as a hitter.
“He’s got unbelievable bat-to-ball skills,” Martinez said. “He’s just got to focus on hitting the balls in the zone. When he does that, he’s a hard out.”
Ruiz hopes to keep rolling.
“I know I’ve been struggling at (some) moments, but in those moments I’m hitting the ball good, too,” Ruiz said. “I’ve just got to keep going and don’t put my head down.”
Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom each had a two-run homer for the Cubs, who have lost three of four. Cody Bellinger got two hits and Christopher Morel contributed an RBI single.
MacKenzie Gore (5-7) went 6 1/3 innings to win for only the second time since April. The left-hander allowed five runs on five hits while striking out six and walking two.
“You always want to get into the seventh, but I made some bad pitches,” Gore said. “That’s frustrating. I’ve done that too much.”
Kyle Finnegan got four outs for his 12th save and first since May 27. He worked around a single and struck out the side in the ninth even though the righty said his “arm was dragging” a bit.
Drew Smyly (7-7) dropped his third straight decision, permitting five runs and eight hits in six innings despite striking out seven. The left-hander has a 9.86 ERA in his last four starts.
“I thought in a lot of ways I took a step forward and made a lot of good, quality pitches,” Smyly said. “But anyone that’s played this game knows that, sometimes, you don’t get the results you want.”
Candelario had two hits and reached base three times after missing two games with a bone bruise in his right thumb.
The third baseman gave Washington a 2-0 lead in the first, lofting the first pitch he saw down the left-field line and into the basket for just about the shortest possible homer at Wrigley Field at 359 feet.
Morel singled home a run in the second, then Washington opened a 4-1 lead in the fourth on Dominic Smith’s RBI groundout and a line single by Garcia off Morel’s glove at second base.
Garcia’s sacrifice fly in the sixth made it 5-1. Happ replied with his eighth homer, a low drive into the left-center bleachers, in the bottom half.
Ruiz hit his 11th homer in the seventh to make it 7-3. Wisdom homered in the bottom half to chase Gore.
NATS MOVES
Washington placed reliever Hunter Harvey on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain, retroactive to Sunday, and optioned RHP Joan Adon to Triple-A Rochester.
Harvey was sent back to Washington for an MRI after earning his ninth save by tossing a scoreless inning to close out a 7-5 win Friday at St. Louis. The 24-year-old right-hander won’t throw for 10 days, Martinez said.
The Nationals also reinstated starter Patrick Corbin from the paternity list and recalled left-hander Joe La Sorsa from Rochester. Washington claimed righty Roddery Muñoz off waivers from Atlanta and optioned him to Rochester.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and RHP Tanner Rainey (Tommy John surgery) will face hitters at the team’s training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Cubs: All-Star SS Dansby Swanson (left heel bone bruise) took batting practice, ran and worked out on the field, but is “progressing slowly,” according to manager David Ross. … INF Nick Madrigal (right hamstring strain) is ahead of schedule and could go on a rehab assignment at the end of the week.
UP NEXT
Corbin (6-10, 4.89 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Jameson Taillon (3-6, 6.15) on Tuesday.
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