CHICAGO — John Lackey pitched seven crisp innings, Javier Baez's daring baserunning paid off again and the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Friday for their fifth straight win.
Lackey (11-10) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none while improving to 6-1 with a 3.83 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break. The 38-year-old right-hander retired his last 16 batters after a second-inning single by Dansby Swanson.
Anthony Rizzo added two more hits as NL Central-leading Chicago won for the 11th time in its last 14 games. The big first baseman hit .355 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in August, powering the Cubs to a 17-12 record and a major league-best 191 runs for the month.
Atlanta lost for the fifth time in seven games, wasting a solid start by Mike Foltynewicz (10-11). The right-hander, who is from the Chicago area, allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his fifth consecutive loss.
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