ATLANTA — The Chicago Cubs again found themselves holding a lead late against the Atlanta Braves.
And again they were on the wrong end of a vital game Wednesday at Truist Park, losing 6-5 in 10 innings after twice failing to maintain a one-run lead in the ninth and 10th innings.
Marcell Ozuna slugged the tying solo home run off right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. with one out in the ninth in the right-handed reliever’s first appearance in a week. José Cuas cleaned up the traffic in relief of Leiter, retiring both Braves batters to strand the winning run in scoring position.
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The Cubs reclaimed the lead in the 10th on Ian Happ’s sacrifice fly, but their one-run lead didn’t hold. Ronald Acuña Jr. tied it with an RBI single, swiped second base for his 70th stolen base of the year, and scored on Ozzie Albies’ single off Daniel Palencia to end it.
“We’ve got to do some little things a little bit better,” manager David Ross said. “Try to get runners in from third less than two outs hasn’t been our strength this month. Guys are laying it all out there. Just a really good team. We’ve got to figure out a way to win a baseball game.”
The Cubs (82-76) are tied with the Miami Marlins for the third and final National League wild-card spot entering Thursday, however, Miami owns the tiebreaker.The Cubs turn to Marcus Stroman in Thursday’s series final to prevent a sweep in Atlanta.
“We believe in the group, and we’ve got four games left to get this thing done,” Happ said. “We’re still tied for the last spot, we’re still in it. Everybody in this clubhouse believes in that.
“We were 10 games under and really far out of it at one point so to be in this spot isn’t too bad.”
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Wednesday’s painful ending marked the Cubs’ fifth loss after leading in the eighth inning or later during September, tying for their most such losses in a month over the franchise’s last 50 seasons (June 1991 and September 1992), according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Since his move to the bullpen in mid-August, Drew Smyly steadily earned manager David Ross’ trust in high-leverage spots. Ross went to Smyly with two runners on and nobody out in the seventh following Nico Hoerner’s throwing error. Hoerner tried to make a backhanded toss to Dansby Swanson at second base, but the high throw allowed a run to score and runners at first and second base to reach safely to trim the Cubs’ lead to 3-2.
“The outs that we left on the field, both tonight and yesterday defensively, obviously those sting,” Hoerner said. “But as an offense even though we did score some runs tonight those middle innings we felt like as a group we could have put some more up there. But obviously those are both games that can go either way.”
The error sequence ended Jameson Taillon’s final regular-season start, but Smyly ensured the game did not get away from the Cubs in that situation. Smyly retired the next three Atlanta hitters — Michael Harris II (ground out), Sean Murphy (strikeout) and Kevin Pillar (pop out) — to escape with the Cubs’ one-run lead intact.
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Taillon had been on cruise control most of the night. He held the explosive Braves offense to two runs on three hits, including a home run by Albies that gave Atlanta a first-inning lead. After a dreadful first three months to his Cubs career, Taillon posted a 3.53 ERA over his final 15 starts (86 2/3 innings).
The Cubs caught a break to tie the game in the second. A ball was clearly fouled off Jeimer Candelario’s bat, but home plate umpire Shane Livensparger missed it and while play was live Cody Bellinger scored from third. The umpires met to discuss it, but the call stood as a passed ball and the run scored. The play could not be reviewed. Braves manager Brian Snitker was ejected for arguing the call.
Home runs by Mike Tauchman, his first since Aug. 8, and Happ in the third off Braves starter Darius Vines had originally put the Cubs ahead 3-1.
Atlanta’s dance scene is vibrant and eclectic, and we are honored to highlight some of the many local dancers who move us with their movements in our ongoing series “Speaking of Dance.”
This edition highlights Atlanta performer, Frankie Mulinix, the founder and artistic director of Burning Bones Physical Theatre. She specializes in the evocative Butoh, a 1950s-era Japanese dance-theater art form that blends German expressionism, mime, and European philosophy to explore taboo subjects through dance.
For Mulinix, discovering Butoh during her undergraduate studies was transformative. “My body said, this is home,” she shared.
As an artist-in-residence at Windmill Arts, Mulinix is dedicated to building Atlanta’s Butoh community from the ground up, educating audiences about its history and global significance. Her work aims to transform emotion into experience, creating visceral performances that resonate deeply with performers and audiences alike.
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Burning Bones Physical Theatre has an exciting 2025 season planned, with more information at Frankie Mulinix’s website here.
Atlanta Hawks (20-19, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (18-22, 10th in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bulls -2; over/under is 245
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta visits the Chicago Bulls after Trae Young scored 43 points in the Hawks’ 122-117 win against the Phoenix Suns.
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The Bulls are 15-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Chicago is 10-13 in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Hawks are 13-7 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is eighth in the league scoring 17.2 fast break points per game. Jalen Johnson leads the Hawks averaging 3.6.
The Bulls average 118.1 points per game, 1.7 fewer points than the 119.8 the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Bulls allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Vucevic is averaging 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Bulls.
Johnson is scoring 19.8 points per game and averaging 10.1 rebounds for the Hawks.
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LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 5-5, averaging 120.7 points, 48.1 rebounds, 30.8 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.8 points per game.
Hawks: 6-4, averaging 120.2 points, 42.5 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 11.1 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.4 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Adama Sanogo: day to day (knee), Torrey Craig: day to day (leg), Ayo Dosunmu: day to day (achilles).
Hawks: Kobe Bufkin: out for season (shoulder), Larry Nance Jr.: out (hand), Jalen Johnson: day to day (shoulder), Cody Zeller: day to day (personal), De’Andre Hunter: day to day (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Clear and cold overnight with lows in the 20s to low 30s in town. Sunny and cool Wednesday afternoon. Milder by the end of the week and rain for Saturday. Here is the latest.
ATLANTA – Residents across Georgia can expect a mix of rain, cold, and the possibility of snowflakes in the coming days as winter weather patterns continue to shift.
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What we know:
According to FOX 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist David Chandley, widespread rain is forecast for the weekend, with extreme northern areas possibly seeing snowflakes late Sunday into Monday. Significant snow accumulation is not expected.
“Yeah, this go-around into the weekend, really, we’re just going to see some rain across North Georgia,” Chandley stated. He added that next week’s forecast remains uncertain, with Arctic air potentially influencing weather conditions. “We’ve got a whole week to kind of hash that out. All the things can change.”
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The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday will likely be chilly but dry for much of Georgia. “It’s going to be chilly, but it looks like dry conditions for the MLK holiday celebration,” Chandley explained.
In metro Atlanta, Tuesday could bring a slight chance of wintry precipitation as temperatures drop. “January is very active, no doubt about it,” Chandley noted.
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Metro Atlanta forecast
Tonight: Partly cloudy, low near 30°F.
Wednesday: Sunny, high around 48°F.
Thursday: Sunny, breezy, high near 53°F.
Friday Night to Saturday: Rain moves in late Friday, with showers likely Saturday. Highs in the mid-50s.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, high near 48°F. A few snowflakes possible in extreme North Georgia late.
MLK Day (Monday): Mostly sunny, high near 37°F. A slight chance of rain or snow.
Extreme North Georgia Mountains forecast
Tonight: Partly cloudy, low near 20°F.
Wednesday: Sunny, high near 42°F.
Thursday: Sunny, breezy, high near 46°F.
Friday Night to Saturday: Showers likely Friday night into Saturday, high near 49°F.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, low near 20°F.
MLK Day (Monday): Slight chance of snow, mostly sunny, high near 34°F.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., the snow should move out before noon for the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill. Highs will be in the 20s and lows will be around 12 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.
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Possible snow in Georgia?
What we don’t know:
While the immediate forecast is becoming clearer, there is still uncertainty surrounding next week’s weather patterns. FOX 5 Meteorologist Jonathan Stacey highlighted the potential for snow but emphasized that forecasts remain in flux. “I know many of you are thinking about some snow because you’re hearing about some snow,” Stacey said. “At this point, all we can do is just pay attention and see what’s out there. As we get closer, we’ll look for consistency.”
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Key questions remain:
Will Arctic air and other weather systems converge to create snow across Georgia?
How might fluctuating temperatures impact the likelihood of wintry precipitation?
Will it snow in Atlanta again?
The temperature is expected to take a plunge this weekend, with wet weather on the way. How likely is it that this precipitation will turn into snow? Here’s a look ahead with FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Jonathan Stacey.
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Snow next week?
Timeline:
Here is a look at the timeline of weather for the next week:
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Tuesday: Slight chance of wintry precipitation in metro Atlanta as temperatures drop.
Friday Night to Saturday: Rain moves into the region.
Sunday to Monday: Snowflakes possible in extreme North Georgia; the rest of the state remains chilly with mostly dry conditions.
MLK Day: Chilly but dry conditions for holiday celebrations.
What’s next:
Meteorologists will continue monitoring weather models throughout the week. Residents are encouraged to stay updated via trusted local forecasts, including FOX 5, and prepare for any changes in the weather as Arctic air moves closer. “All we can do is just pay attention,” Jonathan Stacey advised, underscoring the importance of staying alert to new developments.
The Source: This article is sourced from original forecasting by the FOX 5 Storm Team.