Dioner Navarro hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, connecting from both sides of the plate at Wrigley Field on Wednesday and leading the Chicago Cubs over the White Sox 9-3.
Navarro had never homered more than once in a game, but he sure got his swing going while driving in a career-high six runs and scoring four times. He became the first Cubs player to hit three homers in a game since Aramis Ramirez against Houston on July 20, 2010, at Wrigley and their first catcher to do it since George Mitterwald on April 17, 1974, against Pittsburgh.
The last Cubs switch-hitter to homer from the left and right sides in a game was Mark Bellhorn against Milwaukee on Aug. 29, 2002.
Navarro began the day with three homers in 55 at-bats this season, and wound up doubling his homer total. He raised his batting average from .200 to .241 as the Cubs won their third straight.
Navarro hit a solo homer in the second to break a 1-all tie and added a two-run shot off John Danks (0-1) in the fourth, with both drives coming from the right side.
Batting lefty in the seventh, he hit a towering shot to the street beyond the right-field bleachers for a three-run homer off Brian Omogrosso.
Scott Feldman (5-4) went six innings, allowing two runs and six hits. He struck out seven without a walk and improved to 5-1 in his past seven outings.
Chicago Baseball
The strong performance by Feldman came after Jeff Samardzija threw a two-hitter in Monday's 7-0 win at U.S. Cellular Field. The struggling Edwin Jackson was also sailing along on Tuesday before the game on the South Side was postponed because of rain with the Cubs up 2-0 in the third.
In his second start back from a season-ending shoulder injury, Danks lasted just four innings and allowed four runs and five hits. His most recent win was at Wrigley Field on May 19, 2012, which turned out to be his final start of the year. He had surgery in August to repair a capsule tear and remove debris in his rotator cuff and biceps.
