Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-4 and doubled in an insurance run to end a 17-plate appearance hitless skid and help the Chicago Cubs snap a three-game losing streak in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The hit came off last year's Cy Young Award winner, Corbin Burnes (1-1), in the sixth with two outs. Suzuki pulled Burnes' third straight curveball down the left-field line to plate the runner from first.
Suzuki, whose first MLB hit came off Burnes on opening day, has seen his batting average drop below .300 as he struggles to adjust to how quickly MLB pitchers work. He was unsure if this result could be a turning point.
"I can't tell yet," Suzuki said. "I want to do what I can to have quality at-bats as soon as possible."
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo had his first multi-hit game since April 9, going 2-for-4 in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres.
Batting cleanup, Tsutsugo hit a sixth-inning flare single, his first hit in three games. With the potential tying runs on base in the eighth, he singled on a drive off the glove of Robert Suarez, who led Japan's Central League in saves last season.
"Ideally, I would have hit that pitch over the center fielder or into the gap in left (to tie the game). I have mixed feelings about it," said Tsutsugo, who is batting .194.
Shohei Ohtani drew a walk and drove in a run but was hitless in three at-bats in the Los Angeles Angels' 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. He left the game in the ninth inning as a precaution after feeling right groin tightness.