Jason Heyward and Jason Kipnis each hit two-run home runs, Willson Contreras hit a solo shot, and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 5-4 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Chicago won its fifth consecutive game and improved to 9-2 overall -- its best start after 11 games since starting the 2016 season 9-2. The Cubs won the World Series that season.
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (2-1) posted his second quality start in three outings for Chicago, which is 7-1 at Wrigley Field this season. He limited the Royals to two runs on seven hits in seven innings, walking none and striking out three.
Royals right-hander Brady Singer (0-1) took his first career loss on his 24th birthday. The team's 2018 first-round pick out of the University of Florida gave up four runs on five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out eight.
It was Singer's third start of his debut season. The eight strikeouts marked the most of his young career.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the second inning when Salvador Perez doubled, advanced to third on an infield single by Ryan McBroom and scored on a single by Adalberto Mondesi.
Chicago quickly responded in the bottom of the second to grab a 2-1 advantage. Contreras singled to left field before Heyward ripped an inside pitch over the wall in right field for his first homer of the season.
In the fourth, the Cubs increased their lead to 4-1. Heyward knocked a one-out single to right field, and Kipnis followed two batters later with a 423-foot shot to right-center field. It was Kipnis' second homer in five games.
A sacrifice fly by Jorge Soler in the fifth drew the Royals within 4-2.
Contreras provided the Cubs with insurance in the eighth on a solo blast, his second homer of the season.
The Royals rallied for two runs in the ninth to pull within 5-4. Alex Gordon and Maikel Franco each drove in a run, with both runs attributed to struggling Cubs reliever Craig Kimbrel, before southpaw Kyle Ryan retired Bubba Starling to end the game and earn his first career save.
After two games in Chicago, both teams now will head to Kansas City for a pair of games at Kauffman Stadium.
--Field Level Media
