Jameson Taillon threw 6 1/3 quality innings and Kyle Tucker drove in a pair of runs to help the Chicago Cubs post a 3-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Monday.
Taillon (4-3) allowed one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking none for the Cubs, who won for the eighth time in 10 games. Chicago’s bullpen combined for 2 2/3 one-hit innings — including Daniel Palencia, who earned his third save with a perfect ninth.
Carson Palmquist (0-3) threw five innings of two-run, three-hit ball in his third career start, also striking out four and walking three. Mickey Moniak’s solo home run in the fifth inning accounted for all of the Rockies’ scoring as the club dropped its eighth game in nine tries.
Ian Happ walked to begin the bottom of the first before Seiya Suzuki laced a one-out double, setting the stage for Dansby Swanson to drive in the game’s first run with a groundout to third.
Chicago threatened again in the fourth, as Suzuki’s leadoff walk was followed by Swanson’s popout and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 393-foot flyout. Nico Hoerner singled to center with two outs, but Palmquist induced an inning-ending flyout from Justin Turner.
After retiring the first 14 Colorado batters of the game, Taillon surrendered Moniak’s fifth home run of the season — a 399-foot shot to right — to even the score 1-1.
The Cubs got the run back in the home half of the fifth, as Tucker drove in Matt Shaw with a two-out RBI single.
Colorado began the sixth with consecutive singles from Jacob Stallings and Jordan Beck, before Ezequiel Tovar advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt.
Ryan McMahon then grounded to second and Hoerner, who threw out Stallings at home. Taillon then escaped the jame by striking out Michael Toglia to preserve the one-run lead.
The Cubs added an insurance run in the seventh off Juan Meija, as Shaw worked a one-out walk, followed by Meija’s throwing error to allow Reese McGuire to reach. Happ then singled to load the bases, allowing Tucker to plate the Cubs’ third run with a sac fly to left.
