Japan's Seiya Suzuki doubled and hit his first home run in over a month in the Chicago Cubs' 7-1 National League win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Suzuki, who returned from the injured list Saturday after a right oblique injury had sidelined him since April 15, doubled and scored in the Cubs' three-run first at the Braves' Truist Park.
He went 2-for-5 and hit his fourth home run of the season in the eighth inning. Right-hander Javier Assad (4-0) earned the win after striking out seven over six scoreless innings.
In the first-inning, he hit a shot off the leg of Braves starter Charlie Morton (3-1) that bounced down the right-field line that he turned into a hustling double.
Suzuki called it a lucky day at the park.
"I was lucky there, because the throw beat me to the bag," he said.
In the eighth, he got a fat cutter and reached the seats in left-center with room to spare, although Suzuki had his doubts.
"I thought it would be caught, because I got it off the end of the bat," he said after snapping a 1-for-8 stretch. "My swing hasn't been that bad."
"I hadn't been getting results, so there was some frustration, but I dispelled all that in my final at-bat."
Shohei Ohtani raised his MLB-leading batting average to .364 by going 2-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Toronto Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi allowed a run on six hits over 4-1/3 innings while striking out nine against the Baltimore Orioles. He left after throwing 88 pitches and did not figure in the decision after the Orioles walked off 3-2 winners in the American League East clash.
