Jarred Cosart chased by Kris Bryant HRs, Marlins fall to Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Miami Marlins were rolling along right until Jarred Cosart stepped on the mound.

He didn't stay long.

Cosart got knocked out in the second inning after giving up two homers to Kris Bryant, and the Marlins lost 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.

"There's no excuses," Cosart said. "It's a performance-based industry and I didn't perform well today. I got to get back at it and get ready for my next start."

His next appearance will be in the minors. He was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans after the game.

In his first start after taking a month off to recover from vertigo, Cosart allowed seven runs in 1 2-3 innings. He gave up four hits but walked three, and when he wasn't putting runners on the bases, he was giving up long balls to Bryant.

The Cubs' prized rookie came through with his second multihomer game, hitting a long two-run drive in the first and chasing Cosart (1-4) with a grand slam in the second.

"It was pretty much (Bryant), that was our offense," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He was definitely ready in the opening part of the game."

Bryant's grand slam barely cleared the wall -- but his first homer nearly left the park, landing in the top row of the bleachers in left. He became the first Cubs player to hit two grand slams in his rookie season since Hall of Famer Billy Williams in 1961.

Three Marlins relievers combined to hold the Cubs hitless the rest of the way. But Miami went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and came up short after winning four straight.

"Momentum kind of stopped for us and that was on me," Cosart said. "That pretty much sums it up that they got four hits and seven runs. Any baseball people can do the math."

Cubs starter Clayton Richard (1-0) sailed into the seventh inning in his first major league outing since 2013, pitching the Cubs to their fourth victory in five games. Acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade Friday, he gave up two runs and eight hits with one walk in 6 1-3 innings.

GRATEFUL FOR EXPERIENCE

Maddon gave Friday's Grateful Dead concert at Soldier Field a strong review.

"To have that kind of energy to play that long, they were really good," said Maddon, who watched from a suite with Jon Lester and "some of the other guys."

Maddon recalled throwing batting practice years ago to Bruce Hornsby, who is sitting in on piano and keyboards with the band, years ago when he was on the Los Angeles Angels' coaching staff. And he invited Hornsby to take some swings at Wrigley Field.

"He used to hang out with some of the Angels," Maddon said. "So Bruce, if you're watching this, come on out and take some BP here."

CUBS COACH OK AFTER GETTING HIT

There was a scary moment in the seventh inning when a hard foul ball by Addison Russell hit Cubs third base coach Gary Jones in the elbow. Jones stayed down in foul territory and did not appear to move for a few minutes, but eventually got up and remained in the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

The Marlins said they will reinstate 1B Michael Morse from the DL before Sunday's game. He was placed on the 15-day DL on May 26 because of a sprained right ring finger and he tweaked his back during rehabilitation.

Maddon said OF Jorge Soler (left ankle) could be back "very, very soon" from a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa. ... The Cubs placed C David Ross on the 7-day concussion DL. The move is retroactive to Thursday. ... INF Tommy La Stella was transferred to the 60-day DL from the 15-day DL.

UP NEXT

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks (3-4, 4.15 ERA) and Miami's Mat Latos (3-5, 5.27) both look to win their second straight start as the Cubs and Marlins wrap up their weekend series Sunday. Hendricks pitched three-hit ball over six innings in a 1-0 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday. Latos is coming off a win over San Francisco.