Kris Bryant gets first major league hit, RBI

CHICAGO — The second day of what is expected to be a long career in the major leagues went much better than the first for Kris Bryant.

The 23-year-old Las Vegan reached base five times Saturday in the Chicago Cubs’ 7-6, 11-inning victory over the San Diego Padres — a day after striking out swinging in his first three big league at-bats and finishing 0-for-4.

Batting cleanup for the second straight day, Bryant went 2-for-3 with three walks and one RBI. He got his first hit — and a standing ovation from the 33,958 fans at Wrigley Field — in the fifth inning, a broken-bat RBI single into short center that tied the score 2-2.

Bryant walked in the first, fourth and seventh innings, flied out in the ninth and reached on an infield single to shortstop in the 11th.

The infield single was part of the Cubs’ winning rally. It moved Anthony Rizzo to third with one out. Pinch hitter David Ross walked to load the bases and bring up Starlin Castro, who ended the 3-hour, 49-minute game with a single.

The only hiccup on Bryant’s day was his first major league error, when the third baseman allowed Wil Myers’ bouncer leading off the game to kick off his glove.

Bryant did not speak to reporters after the game. But his manager had plenty to say about his prized prospect from Bonanza High School.

”He made the one gaffe, but overall he played well, ran the bases good, and he had a good baseball game today,” Joe Maddon said. ”I think the fans, the folks who watch the game closely, they understand the importance of accepting your walks. You don’t look for your walk, you accept your walk, and after yesterday it was ingrained in his mind that I’m not going to do that again. And he had some really good at-bats.”

Said teammate Miguel Montero, who homered twice and drove in three runs: ”He did a really good job. We know he’s got talent. We just need to take a little bit of pressure off his shoulders. He’s a young kid, and he has all the talent in the world. He’s going to be good.”

Castro was plenty good Saturday, going 3-for-6 with two RBIs, including the game-winner off San Diego closer Craig Kimbrel (0-1).

“It’s awesome, it’s really good,” Castro said. “These are the games that make us feel better. Last year, the year before, we lost a lot of games like that.”

Kimbrel, who collected his fourth save in Friday’s 5-4 win, entered in the 11th.

“I think everything was kind of all over the place today,” he said. “A few pitches I thought were pretty close, but I didn’t get the call. The team needed me to throw a scoreless inning to get back in, but I wasn’t just able to do it today.”

Maddon also had plenty of praise for Castro, particularly his defense.

“How about Castro?” Maddon said. “Watch what he’s doing in pregame right now at shortstop; it’s spectacular. What you’re seeing on defense is no accident, and I also believe it gets into the rest of your game.

“His really good play, for me, this spring and right now started with the taking ground balls part of the game.”

The Cubs appeared to be on track for an easy victory until the Padres rallied for four runs off two Chicago pitchers in the ninth to force a 6-6 tie.

“When you give up a lead like that, it’s really tough mentally just to stay put,” Maddon said. “Our guys did, and that’s what I was most impressed about.”