Max Fried combined with four relievers on a five-hitter in his first major league start, and the Atlanta Braves ended the Chicago Cubs' six-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory Sunday.
The NL Central-leading Cubs had matched their longest winning string of the season. Rookie Ian Happ hit his 21st homer, but Chicago couldn't get much going coming off a 14-12 victory.
The Cubs also lost Javier Baez after he got shaken up diving into second base in the second inning. Chicago's electrifying star trotted out to shortstop in the third but exited the game with one out.
Recalled from Triple-A on Friday, Fried (1-0) gave up a run and four hits in five innings. The bullpen held Chicago to one hit, helping the Braves avoid the weekend sweep.
Rio Ruiz had two singles and drove in three runs. Freddie Freeman had two hits and scored a run. Dansby Swanson singled, doubled and drove in a run, and Atlanta won for just the third time in nine games.
Happ tied it at 1 for the Cubs with a drive to center in the second. The Braves regained the lead in the fourth when Freeman led off with a double and Nick Markakis walked, setting up RBI singles by Swanson and Ruiz.
Ruiz added a two-run single in the ninth to bump the lead to four.
Chicago Baseball
Mike Montgomery (5-7) gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. The left-hander dominated while winning his previous two starts filling in for Jon Lester.
