Anthony Rizzo shifted to the leadoff spot for the first time in his career led off the game with a long home run, rookie Ian Happ hit his first career grand slam and the Cubs trounced the New York Mets 14-3 on Tuesday night.
Backed by a season-best seven-run second inning, the World Series champs snapped a nine-game skid on the road and moved back to .500 through 64 games. The Cubs had lost five of six overall.
Jon Lester (4-4) earned his 150th win and matched a season high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed a run and five hits over seven innings.
Rizzo had two hits, three RBIs and a bases-loaded walk. He's reached safely in 21 of his last 36 plate appearances.
Rizzo got the Cubs rolling with a 462-foot shot to center field off Zack Wheeler (3-4). Chicago then batted around in the second, and the biggest blow came when Happ went the opposite way with the bases loaded for his sixth homer.
Every starter for the Cubs had at least one hit by the fourth inning, including Lester, who also drew a walk in the sixth. Jason Heyward, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez also went deep for Chicago, which matched a season high for runs and had 15 hits. Albert Almora Jr. had three hits and a walk.
Maddon plans to keep Rizzo in the leadoff spot Wednesday against New York, and he's ready for an extended stay up there.
Wheeler threw 46 pitches in the second and set career worsts with eight earned runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings.
Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes was back in the lineup a day after being lifted with a sore left heel. He was replaced in left field after five innings by Curtis Granderson because of the ''game situation,'' the team announced. New York trailed 9-1 at the time. Cespedes was 2 for 2 with an RBI double.
Jay Bruce jumped and reached over the wall to rob Kyle Schwarber of a leadoff home run in the eighth.
Neil Walker and Lucas Duda hit back-to-back solo homers for New York in the ninth.
Schwarber moved to catcher for the final two innings, his third appearance behind the plate this season.
Mike Montgomery (0-3, 2.43 ERA) makes his second start since replacing Hendricks in the rotation.
Matt Harvey (4-3, 5.02) pitched five scoreless innings against Atlanta last time out.
