Busch homers twice and has 3 RBIs to lead Cubs over Rockies 6-2

DENVER (AP) — Michael Busch had his first big league multi-homer game, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2 Sunday to stop a three-game losing streak.

Chicago went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 16 runners, tying the major league high for a nine-inning game this season.

“We left a small farming village in central Illinois of runners on base, but we played good offense,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We were missing the next hit, but in the ninth, to get those extra runs, certainly was a big deal.”

Chicago (76-73), which had lost seven of 11, began the day six games behind Atlanta and the New York Mets for the final NL wild card. The Mets lost at Philadelphia.

Busch had a go-ahead RBI single in the third, then hit solo homers in the seventh inning off Jake Bird and the ninth against Justin Lawrence, increasing the rookie’s season total to 20. He was 6 for 10 with three homers and seven RBIs in the series.

Busch's first homer traveled 438 feet and the second a career-long 468 feet, both into the right field second deck,

“I’m just trying to be aggressive, trust my eyes and stick to my approach, no matter if I’m up or down in the count,” Busch said.

Kyle Hendricks (4-11) allowed one run and two hits in six innings with seven strikeouts. Hendricks became the first pitcher in Cubs history to throw at least six innings while allowing two or fewer hits and one or fewer runs in a start at Coors Field, which opened in 1995.

“Stuff moves differently (in Colorado), so you just really focus on execution and stay with it one pitch at a time, and with our lineup and defense, man, you just rely on all the guys around you,” Hendricks said.

Colorado pitchers walked 12 for the first time since a 12-11 win over Milwaukee on June 5, 1999.

Cal Quantrill (8-10) gave up two runs, four hits and six walks in 2 1/3 innings, throwing 69 pitches. He made his first appearance since recovering from right triceps inflammation, which had sidelined him since Aug. 27.

“He told me during the game and after the game that his arm felt great,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s one of those games over a long season, six months, where he didn’t throw strikes.”

Nico Hoerner had an RBI single in the third as Chicago took a 2-0 lead.

Jacob Stallings hit his career-best ninth homer in the bottom half.

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his 10th home run this season. He has 21 RBIs in his past 22 games.

Colorado loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth and got an RBI grounder from Nolan Jones. Tyson Miller then struck out Brendan Rodgers and Ezequiel Tovar for his first career save in four big league seasons.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: Quantrill was activated from the 15-day IL and RHP Bradley Blalock was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (13-3, 3.03 ERA) starts Monday night at Wrigley Field against Oakland RHP Joey Estes (7-7, 4.36) and visiting Oakland.

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela makes his first big league appearance since May 10 last year, facing Arizona on Monday night. His 2022 season was cut short when he tore his left ACL that Aug. 18 during a game at St. Louis, and his only 2023 outings were on May 5 and 10 before a torn UCL that led to Tommy John surgery on July 26. The visiting Diamondbacks start RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.26 ERA).

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Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch catches a baseball for an out at first base in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrate after Crow-Armstrong's two-run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) and third baseman Isaac Paredes, back, celebrate after a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes, left, and first baseman Michael Busch, right, celebrate after a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, right, celebrate after a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch celebrates while running the bases after hitting a one-run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch reacts after hitting a one-run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch celebrates while running the bases after hitting a one-run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — More than 100 wildfires stretched thousands of firefighters to the limit in northern Portugal on Wednesday, with seven deaths since the worst spate of fires in recent years spread out of control over the weekend.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro declared a state of calamity for the hardest-hit areas late on Tuesday, invoking powers to mobilize more firefighters and civil servants. He also called on police investigators to redouble their efforts to find those who started the fires and pledged help for those who have lost their homes or have been evacuated.

“We are well aware that these difficult hours are not over yet,” Montenegro told the nation in a televised address. “We have to continue to give everything we have and ask for help from our partners and friends so that we can reinforce the protection of our people and property.”

The European Copernicus satellite service said that over 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) had been scorched and a combined 13 kilometers (8 miles) of fire fronts had been detected as on Tuesday night. It added that an area home to 210,000 people was exposed to the fire risk.

The hot, dry conditions behind the outbreaks in Portugal coincided this week with flooding in central Europe. The European Union said Wednesday that the juxtaposed extreme weather phenomena are proof of a “climate breakdown. ”

Spain’s military sent 240 soldiers and vehicles from its emergency response battalions specialized in combating fires to its neighbor.

Four water-dumping planes from France, two from Spain and two from Italy were deployed after answering an appeal to help their fellow EU member. Morocco likewise responded to a request by Portugal with two water-dumping planes that arrived on Wednesday.

“The thick smoke produced by most of these fires is making it very difficult for air units to operate," said Civil Protection official André Fernandes. “We are still at high risk for forest fires over the next 48 hours.”

Thick grey smoke and the smell of burnt wood reached some 85 kilometers across the border into northwest Spain.

Montenegro made a special call for security forces to pursue both arsonists and any individuals who started a fire out of negligence. Portuguese national police said that they have arrested seven men suspected of having started wildfires in recent days. Authorities have prohibited the use of heavy farming equipment to reduce the risk of inadvertently starting a blaze.

Among the hardest hit areas is the district of Aveiro, south of the northern city of Porto, but several major blazes were also raging out of control in other wooded areas.

Authorities have yet to release figures for property damage or the number of evacuees, but Portuguese state broadcaster RTP has shown charred houses in rural villages and local residents trying to battle flames with buckets of water, hoses, and even large tree branches. Other televised images showed visibility reduced to a few meters as orange smoke enveloped the terrain.

Three firefighters died in their vehicle on Tuesday, while another had succumbed to what authorities called a “sudden illness” while on duty over the weekend. Three civilians have also perished, according to civil protection authorities. Health services have attended to 10 seriously wounded people and another 49 people with minor injuries, Fernandes said.

Portugal was devasted by massive fires in 2017 that killed over 120 people.

Experts link the fires to both climate change and the abandonment of traditional farming and forestry professions that helped keep rural areas clear of underbrush that is now fuel for fires.

Joseph Wilson wrote from Barcelona, Spain. Teresa Medrano contributed from Pontevedra, Spain.

A fire rages on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Clouds of smoke drift with the strong wind as fires rage on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A fire burns on a hillside near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Fires rage on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A fire rages on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Wildfire advances near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A woman tries to extinguish the flames near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Firefighters work to control a fire next to warehouses in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by wildfires fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A car drives past a road closed by police as a wildfire burns close to it, near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday night, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Vehicles drive past a fire burning by the road near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday night, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)