Atlanta Braves’ Tyler Flowers, right, gestures after striking out to end a baseball game as Chicago Cubs’ Willson Contreras, left, reacts Monday, June 24, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jim Young)
CHICAGO (AP) – Willson Contreras homered and had three RBIs, Jon Lester pitched five-hit ball through six innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3 Monday in a chippy matchup of NL division leaders.
Jason Heyward added a solo homer for Chicago, which moved one game ahead of Milwaukee in the NL Central. Lester (7-5) allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven.
The Cubs strung together five straight hits in a five-run fifth inning to break the game open. Kyle Schwarber doubled into the ivy to score Carlos González. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez and Contreras followed with RBIs.
Tempers flared in the second inning when Contreras homered to right, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Contreras turned to Braves catcher Tyler Flowers after the ball left his bat, and while rounding first base, gestured toward Atlanta’s dugout and thumped his chest.
Contreras and Flowers exchanged words as he returned to the dugout. Heyward escorted Contreras back to the dugout, and Teheran approached the third-base line.