Anthony Rizzo sprinted toward the third-base dugout as his teammates tried to mob him. It was quite a scene — and quite a series.
A three-game sweep against the defending champions?
The Cubs will take it.
Rizzo capped Chicago’s two-run 11th inning with an RBI single, and the Cubs beat the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Wednesday night to complete the sweep.
Chicago’s Matt Duffy tied it when he drove in Willson Contreras with a two-out single against Garrett Cleavinger (0-3). Duffy stole third and pinch-hitter Tony Wolters walked before Rizzo — who entered the game in the 10th — singled on a sharp grounder to left.
He was mobbed by teammates as he ran off the field following the Cubs’ second game-ending hit in as many days. David Bote hit a winning single in the ninth the previous day in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
“Honestly, we’re just riding the roller coaster right now,” Rizzo said. “We’re up and down, up and down, up and down. When we’re down, we keep fighting to get back up. And when we’re up, we just keep grinding. I think for weeks now we’ve been showing on offense we’re gonna keep coming back.”
Alec Mills (2-0) got the win despite giving up two runs in two innings. Jake Marisnick homered, and the Cubs swept three from the Dodgers at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2008.
“The willingness to continue to fight, to continue to have the same at-bats, to continue to try to make pitches, to not let things spin out of control and get away from us,” manager David Ross said. “They came up with some big hits in big spots and then we came up with big hits in big spots. And it’s just back-and-forth. Guys believing in one another.”
The Dodgers lost for the 13th time in 17 games since a 13-2 start. And manager Dave Roberts can sense the urgency in the clubhouse.
“I think there is,” he said. “And urgency is certainly different from panic. We just expect more of ourselves.”
Los Angeles’ Max Muncy homered for the second straight game when he connected against Adbert Alzolay in the fourth. He also hit an RBI double in the 10th and scored in the 11th.
Walker Buehler pitched six solid innings. But the Dodgers were unable to protect the late leads they built.
“We’re absolutely frustrated,” Muncy said. “We’re way better than this. Period.”
WILD FINISH
A throwing error by shortstop Corey Seager trying to force a runner at second in the eighth helped lead to a tying run for the Cubs. And in the extra innings, things really got wild.
Muncy put the Dodgers ahead 4-3 in the 10th with his two-out double off the ivy in left-center, though Justin Turner got thrown out trying to score on the play. The Dodgers challenged the play, but the call was upheld.
The Cubs tied it against Kenley Jansen in the bottom half on Joc Pederson’s sacrifice fly to deep right against his former team. And after Muncy scored on Matt Beaty’s force in the 11th, Chicago pulled it out in the bottom half.
SOLID START
After Clayton Kershaw lasted just one inning in the shortest start of his career and Trevor Bauer couldn’t make it through the fifth, Buehler held Chicago to two runs and five hits. He struck out eight without a walk, giving him 39 and two through six starts.
Chicago’s Adbert Alzolay allowed two runs and three hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Placed INF Edwin Ríos (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list and recalled RHP Edwin Uceta. Rios has four hits in 51 at-bats.
Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (right thumb abrasion) expects to miss just one start after being placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. He said the cut has closed, and he plans to throw a bullpen session on Thursday. … The Cubs held CF Ian Happ (bruised ribs) out of the lineup for the third consecutive game. He was taken from the field in a cart following a collision with 2B Nico Hoerner during Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati.
“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Julio Urías (4-0, 2.87 ERA) looks to keep up his strong start as the Dodgers open a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The Angels had not announced their starter.
Cubs: RHP Zach Davies (1-2, 8.22 ERA) looks to end a string of five winless starts when the Cubs open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Davies hasn’t won since April 4, when he beat Pittsburgh in his Cubs debut. RHP Trevor Cahill (1-3, 7.40 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh.