Matthew Boyd pitched seven sharp innings for his eighth win, Seiya Suzuki cracked his team-leading 23rd homer and the Chicago Cubs topped the sliding Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Carson Kelly doubled twice with a sac fly for three RBIs. Michael Busch went 3-for-3 and drove in a run to help NL Central-leading Chicago win its 50th game.
Carlos Santana had two hits, including his 400th career double, but Cleveland dropped its fifth straight.
The Guardians scored two runs in the fourth — ending a skid of 17 straight scoreless innings — on Nolan Jones’ RBI single and Angel Martínez’s sacrifice fly. Cleveland has scored in just two of its last 45 innings.
Boyd (8-3) allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeout and one walk. The left-hander finished by retiring 11 straight hitters before Brad Keller entered for the eighth.
Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.
Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (5-4) yielded four runs on seven hits and four walks.
