Atlanta blew a 5-1 lead, but emerged with a 9-5 victory thanks to a monstrous four-run ninth-inning against Cubs closer Kevin Gregg. The win cut Atlanta's magic number down to one, and all eyes will be on tonight's Washington Nationals game against the Miami Marlins.
Tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth against Gregg, Atlanta went to work. Brian McCann and Johnson tallied RBI singles, and Andrelton Simmons connected on a RBI double to score two runs and completed the scoring at 9-5. Craig Kimbrel entered and slammed the door in the ninth inning despite it not being a save situation.
The Braves jumped on Cubs starter Scott Baker early, as Chris Johnson connected on his 11th homer of the season in the second inning to make it 1-0 in favor of Atlanta. They then added to that lead in the third, as Jason Heyward and Justin Upton both walked to start the frame, and came into score on Freddie Freeman's three-run homer that increased the lead to 4-0.
The Cubs got on the board against Paul Maholm in the bottom of the third, as Anthony Rizzo's RBI single brought home Starlin Castro. Up 4-1, Maholm got that run back with a RBI double to right center in the top of the fourth, scoring Johnson and made it 5-1.
Chicago rallied back to tie the game with a Castro solo homer in the fifth, a Donnie Murphy solo shot in the sixth, a Luis Valbuena RBI-single, and a seventh inning solo homer by Dioner Navarro off of Luis Avilan.