Ha-Seong Kim blasted a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning to help the visiting Atlanta Braves avoid a sweep of the three-game series with a 5-1 win against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday evening.
Kim, who was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, slammed the first pitch he saw from Drew Pomeranz over the fence in left to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.
The Braves prevailed despite being held hitless through the first six innings by two Chicago pitchers.
Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (6-9) allowed one run, which was unearned, and four hits over seven innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
The 26-year-old right-hander had allowed one run and three hits over seven innings in his previous outing, a no-decision against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Ozzie Albies broke up a no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the seventh inning. He added a solo homer in the eighth for Atlanta (63-77), which had lost five of six.
Chicago starter Cade Horton threw five no-hit innings before he was replaced after 75 pitches. He struck out six and walked one.
Ben Brown (5-8) relieved Horton and struck out three of the four batters he faced in the sixth, but couldn’t get the Cubs (80-60) through the seventh.
Brown lost the no-hitter with the single by Albies and then gave up a hard-hit out and a walk before he was replaced by Pomeranz, who got the second out in the inning before he was clipped by Kim.
Eli White then reached on an infield single to short, used his speed to steal second and scored on an RBI single to right by No. 9 hitter Nacho Alvarez Jr. to make it 4-1.
Albies went deep for the second game in a row to make it 5-1.
In the second, Ian Happ looped a single to shallow left to lead off and continued to third when White tried to throw behind him from left field and the ball went into the stands.
Elder nearly escaped the inning after getting a groundout to first and a strikeout, but Willi Castro lined an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead.
Horton, a 24-year-old rookie, gave up a one-out walk to Matt Olson in the first, but then retired the final 14 batters he faced.
