Cubs have big night in 16-0 rout of Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Chicago Cubs had a big night against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

One night after being shut out, the Cubs broke out for 14 runs and 15 hits in the final three innings of a 16-0 victory Saturday night, to hand the Dodgers their first home loss of the season and their worst home shutout loss in franchise history.

The Cubs finished 21 hits, including nine for extra bases.

“The boys came out swinging, and it was pretty cool to see,” said Chicago’s Carson Kelly, who homered twice among his three hits and drove in three runs. “Kudos to our guys for working at-bats, really working counts, getting good pitches to drive and not missing them. We also ran the bases well and took our walks … I think it´s just the mentality of this team that we´re gonna fight to the end no matter what the score is.”

Michael Busch, once a top prospect in the Dodgers´ farm system, had four hits, including a homer and two doubles, and drove in three runs. The first baseman is batting .308 (12 for 39) with three homers, six doubles and 11 RBIs in 10 career games against the Dodgers.

Ian Happ had three hits and scored two runs, and Miguel Amaya replaced the injured Seiya Suzuki (right-wrist pain) in the fifth inning and homered among his two hits and drove in three runs.

Chicago Cubs’ Miguel Amaya, right, hits a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes kneels at the plate during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Kelly keyed a five-run seventh inning by with a homer 384 feet over the left-field wall against Dodgers reliever Ben Casparius, and then crushed a 391-foot homer on a floater from infielder-turned-pitcher Miguel Rojas for a two-run shot in the ninth.

“You have to take a quick swing, not a big swing,” Kelly said, when asked how hard it is to homer off a 40-mph pitch. “You have to find the right timing of it.”

The Cubs pushed their major league-league-leading run total to 112, which is 21 more than the second-place New York Yankees (91), and they have outscored opponents by 41 runs, a margin nearly twice as much as any other team.

Busch, who homered off Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki for a 1-0 lead in the second, came within inches of a monster game when he was robbed of a grand slam by center fielder Andy Pages to end the third.

“I saw him (make the catch) – unfortunately,” said Busch, a former minor league teammate of Pages. “He´s a good player. I didn´t want him to do that, so we´re gonna have to have a conversation.”

Sasaki (0-1) left with a 1-0 deficit after allowing one run and four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking two. However, the Cubs then broke through against a Dodgers bullpen that entered with a 2.15 ERA, the fourth-best mark in baseball.

Busch doubled and scored on Justin Turner´s RBI single off Casparius for a 2-0 lead in the sixth, and Amaya (single), Busch (single), Dansby Swanson (single) and Nico Hoerner (sacrifice fly) drove in runs after Kelly´s leadoff homer in the seventh.

Kyle Tucker had a two-run single and Amaya a two-run homer in the eighth, and the Cubs teed off on Rojas in the ninth.

The offensive outburst backed a superb start by Cubs right-hander Ben Brown, who used only two pitches – a four-seam fastball that averaged 95.6 mph and a knuckle-curve that averaged 86.9 mph – to blank the Dodgers on five hits in six innings, striking out five and walking none.

Brown (2-1) gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings of his previous start, a no-decision against San Diego.

“Just trying to do the exact opposite of last week,” Brown said. “This past week was a grind working on things, mentally going through things, but I put in that effort, and it obviously showed tonight.

“I was able to slow the game down, slow the heart rate down, execute pitch by pitch and go back to where I was last year … when my stuff is there, we can get through lineups like that.”

___

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

Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch, right scores on a sacrifice by Nico Hoerner as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes stands at the plate during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chicago Cubs’ Carson Kelly gestures as he rounds first after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Related Posts

🚨 MLB INSIDE RESET: The White Sox’s newly assembled coaching staff is raising quiet but serious questions across the league, as subtle hires, shifted responsibilities, and a clear change in philosophy hint at a deeper organizational reset. What looks like routine restructuring on the surface may actually signal a long term plan that hasn’t been fully explained yet — and insiders believe the real impact will only become clear once the season pressure hits.

The Chicago White Sox have finalized their coaching staff for the 2026 season following sweeping changes made at the end of September.

🚨 MLB INSIDE TRADE RUMBLINGS: The Braves are suddenly being linked to a bold trade for a $6 million NL rival left hander, a move insiders say could quietly solve multiple problems at once and even position him as a long term heir to Chris Sale. What looks like a low risk deal on paper may actually hide a far bigger plan, with Atlanta reportedly intrigued by a dynamic arsenal that hasn’t fully been unlocked yet — and the timing of this rumor is raising serious eyebrows across the league.

The Braves could go after a young star.

🚨 MLB INSIDE STORM BREWING: As hopes of an Alex Bregman return quietly fade, a new projection suggests the Red Sox may be preparing a jaw dropping $186 million swing for Bo Bichette, a move insiders believe could redefine Boston’s future in one bold stroke. What once seemed unrealistic is now gaining traction behind the scenes, and if this prediction turns real, the ripple effect could shock the AL East and completely change how this offseason is remembered.

A former MLB executive now believes that the Boston Red Sox will land coveted free agent infielder Bo Bichette from Toronto.

🚨 MLB INSIDE WHISPERS: Something big is quietly brewing behind closed doors in New York, as new projections hint the Yankees may be lining up an elite shortstop signing that goes far beyond a normal free-agency move. What started as a low-key prediction is now being viewed as a potential power shift, with insiders suggesting this decision could redefine the Yankees’ identity and force the entire American League to adjust sooner than expected.

The New York Yankees haven’t done much during the offseason, but MLB rumors continue to swirl. New York has been […]

Cubs Predicted To Land Marquee Free Agent Starting Pitcher On Six-Year Contract

The Cubs are in the market for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, and David Schoenfield of ESPN predicted them to land Framber Valdez, previously of the Houston Astros.

🚨 INSIDE NFL REVELATION: The Packers reportedly had a stunning opportunity to sign an all time great for just $5 million, yet chose to walk away without even making a free agent offer — a quiet decision that is now raising serious questions inside the fanbase and league circles alike. What seemed insignificant at the time is suddenly being revisited as a potential turning point, with insiders suggesting this missed move could have changed far more than anyone realized.

Green Bay missed an opportunity.