>>Cubs Hold Off Cardinals

 

Jon Lester was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start as Cub, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and Chicago defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday.

 

Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.

 

Lester (2-0) didn't allow a hit until Jedd Gyorko lined a single to left with one out in the fifth. The left-hander gave a first-inning unearned run, struck out seven and walked one.

 

Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.

 

Ten of Chicago's first 16 batters reached against Luke Weaver (2-1), who allowed six runs and nine hits in four innings. He had yielded only four runs over 17 1/3 innings in three previous starts.

 

A day after a game was postponed because of rain and temperatures just above freezing, it was 47 when the game began.

Harrison Bader was hit by a pitch in the first, stole second, advanced to third on catcher Willson Contreras's throwing error and scored on Lester's wild pitch to Marcell Ozuna .

 

Baez was moved up to second in the batting order by manager Joe Maddon, and Baez tripled in a bottom half of the first that included RBI singles by Bryant and Schwarber. The Cubs opened a 6-1 lead in the second when Albert Almora Jr., Rizzo and Schwarber had RBI singles, and Bryant hit a sacrifice fly.

 

>>A's Sell Thompson To White Sox, White Sox Sell Saladino To Milwaukee

 

Outfielder Trayce Thompson was sold by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago White Sox, who sold infielder Tyler Saladino to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 27-year-old Thompson will be joining his fourth team this year. He went to spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then he was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees on April 3 and by Oakland two days later. He was 1 for 7 in three games with the A's. Thompson is the younger brother of Golden State's Klay Thompson and a son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson.

 

The 28-year-old Saladino was 2 for 8 with a double for the White Sox.

 

Oakland also optioned right-hander Lou Trivino to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.