CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Atlanta Braves used three two-run home runs and a bullpen that did not allow a hit over the final three innings to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at Wrigley Field.

Atlanta trailed 3-0 before Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin each connected for a two-run shot. The Braves improved to 89-63 while the Cubs fell to 84-68. The game drew 38,516 and took 2 hours, 43 minutes. Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak after falling to Chicago 7-3 on Monday. Chicago had won the series opener.

Chicago built its lead against Atlanta starter Martín Pérez. In the second inning, Michael Busch singled, Matt Shaw walked and Pedro Ramírez singled to center field to score Busch. The Cubs added two runs in the fourth. Busch walked and Shaw singled before Ramírez reached on a fielder’s choice that included a throwing error by shortstop Mauricio Dubón, allowing Busch to score. Miguel Amaya then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Shaw for a 3-0 lead.

Pérez lasted six innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts. He kept the Cubs from adding more after the early damage, and Atlanta’s offense found its footing against Chicago starter Kevin Gausman.

Gausman pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out six. He held Atlanta scoreless through five innings. In the sixth, Baldwin singled and Acuña followed with a two-run homer to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 3-2. It was Acuña’s 18th home run of the season.

Chicago’s bullpen could not protect the lead. Edward Cabrera worked 2 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. In the seventh, Austin Riley walked and Albies hit a two-run homer to right-center field, pushing Atlanta ahead 4-3. The homer was Albies’ 22nd of the season. He finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Didier Fuentes protected the one-run edge with two perfect innings. He struck out two and did not allow a baserunner. Raisel Iglesias then worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save. Jacob Webb took the loss for Chicago, falling to 6-5, while Pérez improved to 9-9. Daniel Palencia recorded one out for the Cubs.

Atlanta added insurance in the ninth. Albies singled and Brewer Hicklen walked before Baldwin lined a two-run homer to right field. Baldwin finished 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Acuña went 1 for 5 with two RBIs. The Braves finished with nine hits, while Chicago had five.

Chicago’s best early chance came in the first when Alex Bregman and Tyrone Taylor drew consecutive walks, but Nico Hoerner flied out to right field to end the threat. The Cubs scored in the second on Ramírez’s RBI single and added two more in the fourth on Ramírez’s fielder’s choice and Amaya’s sacrifice fly. Ramírez finished 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Atlanta missed chances to cut into the lead early. In the first, Matt Olson singled, but Michael Harris II grounded out to end the inning. The Braves went down in order in the second and third and left Mauricio Dubón stranded after his fifth-inning single. Dubón advanced to second on Mike Yastrzemski’s groundout, but Ozzie Albies flied out to left.

The Cubs threatened again in the fourth after Busch walked and Shaw singled. Ramírez reached on a fielder’s choice that brought Busch home and moved Shaw to third. Amaya’s sacrifice fly scored Shaw for the third Chicago run. Seiya Suzuki singled later in the inning, but Alex Bregman grounded out to end the frame.

Pérez settled in after that. He retired the side in order in the fifth and worked around a sixth-inning single by Shaw. In the seventh, Fuentes took over and retired Seiya Suzuki, Bregman and Ian Happ in order. Fuentes then set down Nico Hoerner, Busch and Michael Conforto in the eighth.

Gausman was sharp early. He struck out Baldwin to open the game, got Acuña to fly out and allowed only a two-out single to Olson in the first. He struck out Austin Riley in the second and retired the Braves in order in the third. Olson was called out on strikes in the fourth after a pitch challenge confirmed the call.

Atlanta finally broke through in the sixth. Baldwin singled to right, and Acuña homered to left-center. Olson followed with a single, but Harris lined out sharply to center and Dubón flied out to right. The Braves then took the lead in the seventh when Riley walked and Albies homered. Hicklen doubled later in the inning, but Baldwin flied out and Acuña grounded out.

Chicago’s bullpen kept the game close until the ninth. Cabrera struck out Austin Riley in the eighth, and Palencia recorded an out. But Webb could not hold the deficit at one. Albies singled to right, Hicklen walked, and Baldwin lined a two-run homer to right. Acuña struck out swinging to end the inning.

Iglesias closed it out in the ninth. Ramírez grounded out sharply to second, Carson Kelly grounded out to third, and Pete Crow-Armstrong lined out to right. The save was Iglesias’s 33rd of the season.

Atlanta finished the night with nine hits and three walks. Chicago had five hits and four walks. Fuentes and Iglesias combined to retire all nine batters they faced. The Braves’ comeback made a winner of Pérez, who improved to 9-9. Webb fell to 6-5. The Cubs’ Gausman received a no-decision after a strong start. Cabrera allowed the go-ahead homer, and Fuentes and Iglesias combined for three perfect innings of relief.

The Braves and Cubs are scheduled to continue their series Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Atlanta will then travel to Houston for a weekend series, while Chicago will head to Cincinnati.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago Cubs 5, Atlanta Braves 4, and its ELO system gave the Cubs a 55.4 percent probability to win. The Cubs had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 9 went under the over/under line of 8.5.