CHICAGO (AP) - Alex Avila felt for Raffy Lopez. It was quite a day for catchers.
Avila capped Chicago’s three-run 10th inning with a two-run single, and the Cubs swept the Toronto Blue Jays with a wild 6-5 victory on Sunday.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Avila lined a base hit into right field against Roberto Osuna (3-4). Ben Zobrist scored easily and Javier Baez slid in safely just ahead of the tag attempt by Lopez.
“The first pitch that I fouled off was a cutter in deep and he tried to go back in there with another cutter and just kind of left it more middle of the plate,” Avila said.
The improbable rally also included two batters reaching on swing-and-miss strikeouts and a wild pitch that scored Kyle Schwarber - all with Lopez behind the plate. The 29-year-old backstop also got beat up by a couple other balls in the inning.
“It is a tough one,” he said. “You feel like it’s your fault. Sometimes the game gets the best of you. You’ve just got to bounce back. Just learn from it. I just have to respond.”
Toronto grabbed the lead with two runs in the top of the inning on Kevin Pillar’s RBI single off Koji Uehara, and Norichika Aoki’s bases-loaded loaded walk against Justin Wilson (4-4).
Osuna, however, was handed his eighth blown save of the year.
“They’ve got the magic here. There’s no doubt about it,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
Pillar also robbed Kris Bryant of extra bases with a spectacular leaping catch against the ivy-covered wall in center in the seventh, drawing appreciative cheers from the crowd of 41,459 at Wrigley Field.
Albert Almora Jr. hit a three-run double for NL Central-leading Chicago, which completed its fifth three-game sweep of the season. Kyle Hendricks allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
“I do love that we don’t quit,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We talk about it all the time. We do not quit.”
Chicago jumped in front on Almora’s big hit in the third, but Toronto responded with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth, capped by Miguel Montero’s second homer since the Cubs traded the catcher to the Blue Jays. After Jose Bautista flied out to begin the sixth, Montero drove Hendricks’ next pitch over the wall in left-center.
Montero helped Chicago win the World Series last year, but was designated for assignment on June 28 after he blamed pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases in a loss to Washington. Montero and Arrieta quickly patched things up, and each side has said everything is fine.
“We’ve already been texting,” Hendricks said after allowing the homer to Montero. “Those were just dumb pitches honestly, bad pitches to him. He’s a good hitter. He can hit mistakes.”
MAKING MOVES
The Cubs added veteran catcher Rene Rivera to their roster and activated Uehara from the 10-day disabled list. Rookie catcher Victor Caratini and left-hander Rob Zastryzny were optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
Rivera was acquired Saturday on a waiver claim from the New York Mets. He used to watch the Cubs play with his grandfather when he was growing up in Puerto Rico.
“It’s an honor for me to be here (with) a team he loved so much and now I play for,” said Rivera, who singled and scored on Almora’s double.
A REAL SHIFT
Toronto had an unusual look on the left side of its infield. Regular third baseman Josh Donaldson made his first career start at shortstop, and veteran outfielder Bautista began the game at third.
Donaldson played a total of three innings at shortstop in the first two games of the series. He also played one inning at the position with Oakland in 2013.
Bautista, who played a lot of third early in his career, made his second start and sixth appearance of the season at the position.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs SS Addison Russell (right foot strain) did some light running and threw in the outfield before the game.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Following an off day, Toronto begins a three-game series against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. RHP Marcus Stroman (11-6, 2.99 ERA) faces Rays RHP Jacob Faria (5-4, 3.32 ERA).
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (10-9, 4.67) pitches Tuesday night at Cincinnati in the opener of a six-game trip. Lackey is 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break. RHP Homer Bailey (4-6, 8.44 ERA) goes for the Reds.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
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