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Busch and Bellinger light up their old team in Cubs' 10-4 win over NL West-leading Dodgers

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Busch and Bellinger light up their old team in Cubs' 10-4 win over NL West-leading Dodgers
Sport

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Busch and Bellinger light up their old team in Cubs' 10-4 win over NL West-leading Dodgers

2024-09-10 14:15 Last Updated At:14:20

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Busch went 4 for 5 with a homer and scored three runs, Cody Bellinger had three RBIs including a two-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 on Monday night.

The Cubs' offense broke out for 16 hits — with every player getting at least one — coming off a series loss to the AL East-leading New York Yankees in which they had a combined seven hits and two runs in three games.

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Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, right, takes a late throw and home plate umpire Todd Tichenor washes during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, right, takes a late throw and home plate umpire Todd Tichenor washes during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas can't get to a ball hit for a two RBI single by Chicago Cubs' Miguel Amaya during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas can't get to a ball hit for a two RBI single by Chicago Cubs' Miguel Amaya during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Members of the Chicago Cubs congratulate each other after the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Members of the Chicago Cubs congratulate each other after the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Smoke from wildfires can be seen behind Dodger Stadium prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Smoke from wildfires can be seen behind Dodger Stadium prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Ballinger, left, is congratulated by Dansby Swanson after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Ballinger, left, is congratulated by Dansby Swanson after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Bellinger rounds third after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Bellinger rounds third after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Bellinger and Busch gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead with two outs in the first inning against their old team.

“It was pretty awesome,” said Busch, a rookie who was drafted by the Dodgers in 2019 and traded to the Cubs last offseason. “Just trying to put a ton of pressure on them every inning.”

Bellinger slugged a first-pitch, two-run homer off Walker Buehler (1-5) that also scored Ian Happ, who singled leading off. The ball traveled 430 feet — halfway up the right-field pavilion — for his longest homer of the season and drew cheers from Chicago fans in the crowd of 50,495. Busch added an RBI single.

Bellinger smiled as he circled the bases, taking in the scene on a 94-degree night with a strong, hot wind blowing the flags in center field.

“A lot of good memories here. I love the fans and the people and the stadium,” he said. “It’s a weird feeling but it’s a cool feeling and I always love coming back.”

Busch went deep down the left-field line with two strikes in the fourth, extending Chicago’s lead to 4-0.

“He’s been unbelievable for us,” Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks said. “Obviously, the pro at-bat every single time. Huge game that was really fun to see. He’s been a cornerstone for us.”

Hendricks walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third — when Shohei Ohtani stole his 47th base of the season — but Max Muncy lined out to Busch at first base on the first pitch to end the threat.

Hendricks allowed two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Keegan Thompson (2-1) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win.

“Every single at-bat, two-strike hits, adding onto the lead, bullpen coming in, some unbelievable plays on defense, all around just a really good game for us,” Hendricks said. “We know we've got to pile up some wins.”

Buehler gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one.

“I screwed us from the jump. Obviously three runs in the first, it kind of sucked the energy out of the building,” he said. “The first inning has been a weird thing for me this year. It's a lot to ask of the rest of our guys to dig me out of a hole every game.”

The Dodgers scored twice in the fifth on Mookie Betts ’ RBI single and Muncy’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly to trail 4-2. Hendricks left after loading the bases for the second time.

The Cubs extended their lead to 7-2 in the sixth on Busch's RBI single and Miguel Amaya's two-run single off reliever Anthony Banda with two outs. Busch, like Bellinger, finished with three RBIs.

The Dodgers closed to 7-4 in the seventh on Betts' two-run homer and had the potential tying run at the plate before Shawn Armstrong struck out Gavin Lux to end the inning.

Busch scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong's sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Bellinger added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (tendinitis) will throw a bullpen on the road trip if all goes well.

Dodgers: OF Teoscar Hernández (bruised foot) did on-field drills with the hope he can return Tuesday. ... LHP Clayton Kershaw (big toe) worked off a portable throwing ramp in tennis shoes. ... RHP Tyler Glasnow (tendinitis) will throw a bullpen Tuesday and if all goes well a simulated game Friday in Atlanta. ... RHP Brusdar Graterol (hamstring) is expected to be active Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (12-3, 2.99 ERA) combined with two relievers on the 18th no-hitter in franchise history last week against Pittsburgh.

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 2.92) starts Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain. He's expected to throw three innings.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, right, takes a late throw and home plate umpire Todd Tichenor washes during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, right, takes a late throw and home plate umpire Todd Tichenor washes during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas can't get to a ball hit for a two RBI single by Chicago Cubs' Miguel Amaya during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas can't get to a ball hit for a two RBI single by Chicago Cubs' Miguel Amaya during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Members of the Chicago Cubs congratulate each other after the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Members of the Chicago Cubs congratulate each other after the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Smoke from wildfires can be seen behind Dodger Stadium prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Smoke from wildfires can be seen behind Dodger Stadium prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Ballinger, left, is congratulated by Dansby Swanson after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Ballinger, left, is congratulated by Dansby Swanson after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Bellinger rounds third after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Bellinger rounds third after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Cold snap chills New York City's rats, and heats up the fight against them

2025-01-23 13:04 Last Updated At:13:11

NEW YORK (AP) — This week's frigid weather has many New York City residents shivering, scurrying into cozy spots and feeling sapped. Including the rats.

The United States' most populous city has been spared the Upper Midwest's extreme wind chills, not to mention the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South, in this week's Arctic blast. But temperatures peaked Monday around 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 Celsius) and roughly 20 degrees (-7 Celsius) Tuesday and Wednesday, well below average.

Such cold has, yes, a chilling effect on the Big Apple's notorious rodents. But it boosts efforts to get rid of them, says city “rat czar” Kathleen Corradi.

“It's stressing out rats. It’s putting them in their burrows,” she says. “So we kind of get to double down now while the rats are ‘feeling the heat’ from this cold snap.”

New York City's wild rat species — Rattus norvegicus, also called the Norway rat or brown rat — doesn't hibernate in winter but does become less active when the weather is freezing for prolonged periods. At the same time, the rodent's food source tends to shrivel because people are out less and therefore discarding few food wrappers and other rat snacks on the streets, Corradi said.

All that makes for stressed rats and suppresses breeding, which “is really their superpower,” Corradi said. Norway rats can reproduce many times a year, essentially any time conditions are suitable, though they tend to be most prolific from spring through fall.

Jason Munshi-South, a Drexel University ecology professor who has researched New York City's rats, said those that are already holed up in subway tunnels, sewers, crawlspaces or other nooks can weather the cold fairly well.

Rats that haven't secured a hideaway might venture to unusual places, such as car engine blocks. Or a tempting basement? Perhaps, if building owners haven't diligently blocked them out.

But Munshi-South said some of the animals likely will freeze to death, especially if they're already sick, malnourished or otherwise weakened.

“Harsh winters like we are having so far will keep the rat population at a lower level if we have sustained cold, freezing periods,” he said in an email.

All of that, Corradi said, allows the city's rat-fighters to make headway ahead of the warmer months.

There's no official count of New York City's rats, but no one disputes that they have long been legion. Successive city administrations have tried various approaches to eliminating or at least reducing them.

Current Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who has battled the critters at his own Brooklyn home, created Corradi's position — officially, the director of rodent mitigation — about two years ago. Adams' administration also has focused on requiring trash “containerization,” otherwise known as putting household and business garbage into enclosed bins instead of piling refuse-filled plastic bags on the curb.

FILE - A rat is seen in Central Park in New York, Sunday, March 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - A rat is seen in Central Park in New York, Sunday, March 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

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