Back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the eighth propelled the Chicago Cubs (70-51) to a 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves (53-70) in front of a sold-out Wrigley Field crowd Saturday afternoon.

With the score tied at 7-7, Miguel Montero led off the bottom of the eighth by lofting a fly ball into the basket on the left-center-field wall for what became the game-winning home run (12). 

Jorge Soler followed with a solo shot of his own (7) into the basket to give the Cubs their two-run margin of victory (video). Both home runs came off former Cub Edwin Jackson, whom the Cubs released on July 27. Jackson signed with the Braves on August 14.

The Cubs overcame a 7-3 deficit beginning with a three-run fifth inning that saw Kris Bryant drive in Dexter Fowler and Chris Coghlan with a double down the line. Montero then doubled in Bryant to make it a one-run game. 

In the sixth, Addison Russell tied the game with a solo home run (9) that drew a replay review. A fan reached for the ball and appeared to make contact with it right at the top of the basket. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the call of home run, but after a nearly five-minute delay, review officials upheld the call. 

Anthony Rizzo drove in two runs with an RBI groundout in the first and a solo home run (25) in the third, and Russell drove home another run with a single in the second.

The Cubs are now a perfect 15-0 when Coghlan bats third. They are 18-4 in their last 22 games, the best in the Majors over that span.

Atlanta took that 7-3 lead with a five-run top of the fifth. Freddie Freeman doubled home two, A.J. Pierzynski singled home Freeman, and Nick Swisher homered with Pierzynski aboard. 

Swisher's home run (5) was his second of the game and came batting right-handed against Chicago's Travis Wood. That two-run shot has record-tying significance.

In the second, Swisher, batting left-handed, also took Cubs starter Dan Haren over the left-field wall (4) for a two-run shot that put his team ahead 2-1. This was the 14th time that Swisher has homered from both sides of the plate, tying Mark Teixeira for the Major League record. 

Pedro Strop (W: 2-6, 2.91 ERA) benefited from the back-to-back home runs with a one-hit scoreless eighth inning. Hector Rondon (S: 23) pitched a perfect ninth with one strikeout to close it out. Rondon has a 1.59 ERA, but he is under 0.50 since late May.

Jackson (L: 2-2, 3.19) served up the late long balls to take the loss in his return to Wrigley Field.

Neither starter finished the fifth inning. Williams Perez pitched 4 2/3 innings for the Braves, allowing six earned runs on eight hits. He walked two, struck out four, and surrendered Rizzo's home run. For Chicago, Haren lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while walking no one and fanning three. He gave up Swisher's left-handed home run.

With the win, the Cubs extended their lead for the second N.L. Wild Card spot to five games over the San Francisco Giants, who lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday. Pittsburgh leads the Cubs by three games for the top spot.

On Sunday, the Cubs will go for the sweep by sending Jason Hammell (6-5, 3.38) to the mound against Atlanta's Matt Wisler (5-3, 4.65). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. EDT.

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About the author
Raymond Bureau
Raymond became a baseball fan at a very young age. He played baseball through high school and soon after became a varsity coach. He is now the P.A. announcer at his high school where he teaches. Raymond previously produced radio sports talk shows and hosted a weekly MLB radio call-in show. His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Raymond is a devoted husband, father, and Christ follower. His life verses are Philippians 4:13, John 14:6, and Isaiah 41:10.