Ian Happ tied his career high with four hits and drew a tiebreaking bases-loaded walk from José Leclerc in a four-run ninth inning, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Texas Rangers 9-5 on Sunday to salvage the finale of their opening three-game series. With the score 5-5, Leclerc (0-1) walked Michael Busch with one out, allowed Nico Hoerner’s swinging-bunt single down the third-base line and walked Mike Tauchman. Miles Mastrobuoni grounded into a forceout at the plate, Happ fell behind in the count 1-2 but walked on a full-count fastball that sailed wide and Seiya Suzuki greeted Jacob Latz with a two-run single.
The Texas Rangers signed veteran reliever Kirby Yates to a $4.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday to bolster the bullpen of the World Series champs. Yates, who will be 37 on opening day, was 7-2 with five saves and a 3.28 ERA last season in helping the Atlanta Braves to a major league-best 104 wins. Atlanta lost to Philadelphia in their NL Division Series.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was still angry hours later with umpire Alfonso Márquez over a 3-1 pitch to Gabriel Moreno that was called a strike despite being well outside in the ninth inning of the Diamondbacks' 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers in World Series Game 3. Moreno dropped his bat and started walking toward first when José Leclerc's cutter was gloved by catcher Jonah Heim well outside the strike zone.