CHICAGO (AP) — Shea Langeliers homered twice, including a towering solo drive that cleared the Wrigley Field bleachers in left, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Langeliers’ third multihomer game of the season and No. 5 for his career upped his season total to 28, extending his career best.
“The homers kind of come in bunches,” said Langeliers, who finished with three RBIs. “It's not just a linear thing. You go through those stretches where you see the ball really well, you're on everything and sometimes it seems like you don't even see the ball.”
Lawrence Butler also went deep for Oakland, which stopped a three-game losing streak. The skid included back-to-back losses to the MLB-worst White Sox.
Ian Happ hit two solo homers for the Cubs (77-74), who fell six games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild card with 11 games left.
Happ's 25th homer, a one-out drive to left on a 103.2 mph fastball from All-Star closer Mason Miller, got Chicago within one in the ninth. But Miller retired Dansby Swanson on a grounder to first before striking out Seiya Suzuki for his 26th save.
“It almost kind of forces you to rise to the occasion,” Miller said. “You obviously want to quiet an away crowd, but the ninth inning usually is the most exciting part of the game."
The Cubs said the switch-hitting Happ's shot in the ninth was the fastest pitch hit for a home run in the Statcast era, since 2015.
“I was trying to go up and missed down,” Miller said. “So I could kind of look at it that way, that I missed my spot, but going opposite field, you tip your hat.”
Happ said he was just trying to make contact and not swing late.
“You’re trying so hard to be on time for that fastball it makes the other stuff play up," Happ said. "That’s the difference. He’s throwing an 88-mile-an-hour slider, and that’s a 15-mile-an-hour difference. That’s crazy.”
Nico Hoerner hit three singles for Chicago, and Michael Busch drove in a run. Jordan Wicks (2-4) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.
Oakland rookie Mitch Spence (8-9) pitched five effective innings for his first win since July 27. He permitted two runs and seven hits.
With Brent Rooker aboard after a one-out single in the first, Langeliers drove a 1-0 fastball deep to left-center. Butler gave Oakland a 3-0 lead when he hit his 22nd homer into the basket in the third.
The Cubs responded with two runs in the bottom half on Happ's drive to right and Busch’s bloop RBI single.
Langeliers’ second homer of the night sailed 418 feet, reaching Waveland Avenue in the fifth.
MAKING MOVES
The Cubs recalled right-hander Daniel Palencia from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Trey Wingenter to their top farm club. Palencia pitched two scoreless innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: Butler was back in the leadoff spot and right field after a maintenance day on Monday.
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele will rejoin the rotation on Wednesday against Oakland. Steele, Chicago’s opening-day starter, has been on the 15-day injured list since Sept. 1 with left elbow tendinitis.
UP NEXT
Oakland LHP Brady Basso (1-0, 1.23 ERA) faces Steele (5-5, 3.09 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon. Basso earned his first major league win against the White Sox on Friday.
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