Cubs lose to Rockies, fall 6 games behind Mets for NL wildcard

DENVER (AP) — Hunter Goodman hit two home runs, including a tiebreaking grand slam in the eighth inning, and the Colorado Rockies came back to beat the Chicago Cubs 9-5 on Friday night.
Goodman finished with three hits and a career-high seven RBIs, the first seven-RBI game by a Rockies player since Elías Díaz also had seven on Sept. 9, 2022, against Arizona.
Ezequiel Tovar hit his 23rd home run of the season and Brendan Rodgers added a run-scoring double for the Rockies, who snapped a six-game losing streak to the Cubs. With the loss, Chicago fell six games behind the Mets for the third NL wild card.
Michael Busch had three hits for the Cubs, including a three-run home run off Victor Vodnik (4-3) in the top of the eighth that pulled Chicago into a 5-5 tie.
Ryan McMahon singled off reliever Drew Smyly (3-7) to start the bottom of the eighth. Rodgers walked and Michael Toglia singled to load the bases. Nate Pearson relieved Smyly before Goodman connected for his second career multihomer game and first career slam.
Austin Gomber, reinstated from a three-day stay on the paternity list after he and his wife Rachel welcomed the arrival of their third child, went six innings and allowed two runs on nine hits.
The Cubs got to Gomber for two first inning runs on Cody Bellinger’s one-out single that scored Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson.
But the Rockies came back to take the lead with a three-run second inning off Chicago starter Javier Assad that featured Rodgers’ RBI double and Goodman’s two-run drive that soared 430 feet into the left-field bleachers. Colorado added a run in the fourth on Goodman’s RBI single.
Tovar homered in the bottom of the seventh to put Colorado up 5-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Kris Bryant’s recovery from a back strain has slowed to the point his return this season is unlikely, manager Bud Black said. Bryant was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 12 after a recurrence of back problems. He had two earlier stints on the injured list this season because of a low back strain and a left rib contusion. “He’s not real close” to returning, Black said. “It’s increasingly possible Kris’ season will be over.” Bryant has missed 104 of the Rockies’ 148 games this season due to injuries.
UP NEXT
Chicago RHP Jameson Taillon (10-8, 3.57 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday night against Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (5-7, 4.97 ERA).