Whether they were making neat grabs or nailing runners at the plate Youth Marshall Newhouse Jersey , the Chicago Cubs came through with one sparkling play after another.

It was just what Jon Lester needed.

The four-time All-Star won his fifth straight start, Javier Baez backed him with three hits and two runs, and the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Wednesday.

”That’s what we’re capable of doing,” manager Joe Maddon said. ”In the past when we’ve won at a high level, we’ve played outstanding defense. It never gets old. It never gets old to watch that kind of baseball.”

Lester (9-2) gave up five hits over seven innings, though he didn’t have his usual pinpoint command.

Baez had two doubles and a triple for a career-high three extra-base hits. He also stole a base and made some big plays at shortstop and second.

Kyle Schwarber hit his 14th homer. Kris Bryant added two hits and an RBI in his third straight game batting leadoff. And the Cubs handed Ross Stripling his first loss since April 30, taking two of three in a rematch of the past two NL Championship Series.

”We’ll be somewhere (in the playoffs) in October,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ”I can’t speak to the opponent, but we’ll be somewhere.”

Lester walked three and struck out one batter. Anthony Bass worked the final two innings to finish the six-hitter.

”I really didn’t have much today,” Lester said. ”I was kind of grinding through that one.”

But he didn’t need his best stuff with the defense coming through in a big way.

Baez made a strong throw from deep in the hole at shortstop in the second inning to rob Logan Forsythe of a hit and had fans chanting his name in the eighth after a neat double play as the second baseman. He caught Justin Turner’s line drive and lunged to the bag to double off a diving Enrique Hernandez.

Right fielder Jason Heyward threw out Chris Taylor trying to score on Turner’s fly in the third.

Center fielder Albert Almora raced in for a diving grab on Yasiel Puig’s liner in the seventh. And the Cubs caught several balls on the warning track while winning for the 17th time in 25 games.

”Al comes in, dives for one and I’m just like, `OK, I’m done clapping for you guys,” Lester said. ”It’s expected now that these guys can make these plays.”

Stripling (6-2) had won six straight starts. The right-hander went six innings, allowing three runs and eight hits while striking out seven without a walk. But the Dodgers dropped back-to-back games for the first time since they lost a season-high six in a row May 10-16.

STINGY STARTS

Cubs starters have allowed one run or less in seven straight home games Authentic Walter Payton Jersey , matching Chicago’s longest streak since May 11-June 7, 1919, according to STATS.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: SS Taylor exited with a tight left hamstring in the sixth. He said it started bothering him running the bases in the third, and he expects to be available Friday, when the Dodgers open a three-game series at the New York Mets. … INF Chase Utley (sprained left thumb) was ready to return from the disabled list. But the Dodgers decided to wait until Friday to activate him. ”Kind of where we’re at with the pitching,” Roberts said. ”He’s healthy and ready to go with us, but having some option-able players on the roster makes a lot of sense for us. Playing a doubleheader, three games in 24 hours, we’ve got to kind of see how things play out and give ourselves some options.”

Cubs: The Cubs placed closer Brandon Morrow (lower back tightness) on the 10-day disabled list. … RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) threw a simulated game. Maddon said he looked ”outstanding,” and the Cubs will see how he feels Thursday before announcing the next step as he works his way back. … Maddon also said the Cubs are ”very close” to mapping out a plan for Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) to return from the DL.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (2-5, 4.22 ERA) tries to win his second straight start as the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Mets on Friday. RHP Zack Wheeler (2-5, 4.82) pitches for New York.

Cubs: The Cubs open a four-game series at Cincinnati on Thursday, with RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 3.55) going against RHP Matt Harvey (1-5, 5.92)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves picked up another important win to keep pace in this relentless Western Conference race.

Their quest to end the franchise’s 14-year absence from the playoffs still isn’t finished.

Karl-Anthony Towns slammed his way to 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Timberwolves Adidas Mikko Rantanen Jersey , who toughed out a 113-94 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to move one step closer to the postseason.

”We had to play as if we had that kind of desperation in us,” said Towns, who had five dunks to help ignite the crowd.

They haven’t always displayed that attitude down the stretch, which is why they weren’t able to clinch that long-sought spot before their 82nd game. They’ll have to beat surging Denver on Wednesday night to get in, because the Nuggets won their sixth straight game to stay tied with the Wolves in eighth place. Denver’s victory over Portland ended about an hour after Minnesota’s, but the players expressed nonchalance about following along as they left the arena.

”I’m not going to check my phone. I’m going to go eat,” Jimmy Butler said wryly, after scoring 15 points in 23 minutes, his second game back from the knee injury.

Jeff Teague added 24 points for the Timberwolves, who trailed by 10 points early before taking over against a depleted Grizzlies team that beat them 101-93 exactly two weeks ago in one of their worst losses of the season.

Teague missed six of his first eight shots, but he helped the Wolves pull away with a four-point play in the early portion of the third quarter. His lob found Andrew Wiggins for a soaring dunk about three minutes later. Gorgui Dieng sank his second 3-pointer of the night soon after for a 75-63 lead. Butler gave the Wolves a 98-83 lead midway through the fourth quarter with a hustle to finish a fast break with a layup.

The Wolves brought energy and crisp ball movement, but they clearly carried some pressure with them during an ugly start filled with turnovers and misfires. They made only four of their first 16 shots from the field, and boos circulated in the arena as Omari Johnson’s jumper put the Grizzles in front 24-14. Butler missed a short bank shot as he was fouled and bricked the first free throw, too, causing him to growl in disgust as he reached the bench early in the second quarter.

The Wolves Adidas Leon Draisaitl Jersey , though, used a 20-4 run to lighten the mood a little in the arena. Derrick Rose (13 points), Dieng (11 points) and Tyus Jones (eight points) combined to produce a solid output from the second unit.

”We were just playing soft. We tend to do that from time to time,” Butler said. ”Whenever we play hard, a lot of good things happen.”

GIBSON GOES OUT

The Wolves lost power forward Taj Gibson in the first quarter to a neck injury he suffered in the previous game and tried to play through. He left for the locker room without returning to the bench.

”It’s tough when you can’t even turn your neck from right to left when you look around,” Gibson said. ”Just try to get as much treatment as possible.”

STILL SWEATING

Ben McLemore had 18 points for the Grizzlies, who moved one loss closer to a prime lottery pick and fell to 6-34 on the road.

The Grizzlies, whose streak of seven straight postseason appearances was snapped long ago, were sapped by the summer departures of stalwarts Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Vince Carter. Mike Conley, Tyreke Evans and Chandler Parsons have missed a combined 143 games. Even Marc Gasol, who bested Towns for 20 points and 10 rebounds in the last matchup, sat out to rest. The starting lineup for this game had only one holdover, Dillon Brooks, from the March 26 meeting.

The Grizzlies would match the franchise’s worst record (22-60) since the move to Memphis if they lose their final game.

”It’s disrespectful to say that guys are tanking and trying to lose Josh Rosen Jersey , because those guys that are on the floor every night have something to prove,” interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, adding: ”Every single night they’re giving their best effort. So you’ve got to give the guys that are out there on the court more respect than I think people give them credit for.”

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: MarShon Brooks, who averaged nearly 24 points over his first five games with the team since joining last month fresh from the Chinese league, missed 12 of 16 shots against tough defense from Butler and finished with 14 points.

”Just going out there playing hard, making them work for everything,” Brooks said.

Timberwolves: Backup center Cole Aldrich, who has logged just 49 minutes all season, was honored before the game with the Flip Saunders Legacy Award for community service in honor of the team’s late executive and coach. Aldrich had an assist in the final minute.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Play at Oklahoma City on Wednesday to wrap up the franchise’s 23rd season, the 17th in Memphis.

Timberwolves: Take on Denver on Wednesday, after losing 100-96 on the road last week.

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