Kyle Tucker slugs Cubs over Astros

Kyle Tucker drilled a three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning, the third homer slugged by the Chicago Cubs in that frame en route to a 12-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.

Tucker finished 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBIs in his second game against his former club. He spent seven seasons with the Astros before his offseason trade to the Cubs, and he made his presence felt as Chicago set up a series rubber match with a dominant performance.

A half-inning after Astros rookie Cam Smith, acquired as part of the package that landed Tucker in Chicago, smacked his second home run of the series, the Cubs responded resoundingly to the 2-1 deficit Smith created with his two-run shot off Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (5-3).

Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (1-3) appeared to have steadied the ship following a rocky top of the first when he walked in a run and threw 27 pitches, including 18 for balls. McCullers threw 12 consecutive balls during one stretch in the first inning but retired the Cubs in order in the second and third, and returned for the fourth with a one-run lead in his possession.

That lead was short-lived. Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner clubbed back-to-back homers off McCullers to push the Cubs to a 3-2 lead. McCullers, who retired eight consecutive batters after his bases-loaded walk to Busch resulted in a 1-0 deficit, did not escape the fourth.

Ian Happ produced an RBI single that extended the lead to 4-2 and set the table for Tucker, who roped a first-pitch slider to right field. His 17th home run plated Reese McGuire and Happ and lifted the Cubs to a 7-2 lead. McCullers departed after Seiya Suzuki tripled to left-center, and allowed eight runs on seven hits and four walks with one strikeout over 3 1/3 innings.

Suzuki (2-for-5) added his 22nd home run in the top of the eighth. Dansby Swanson went 3-for-4 with a walk. Busch finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Rea allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts over five innings.

--Field Level Media