Cody Bellinger, Michael Busch star as Cubs beat Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — Monday night at Dodger Stadium was a tale of two returns for right fielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Michael Busch: “the way we were” and “what could have been.”

For Busch, it was his first time back playing in Los Angeles since he was dealt to Chicago for two Minor Leaguers in January. Bellinger, who’s in his second season with the Cubs, made his debut as an opponent at Dodger Stadium last season.

Bellinger played six seasons with the Dodgers, winning National League Rookie of the Year in 2017, NL Championship Series MVP in ’18 and the ’19 NL MVP Award and becoming a World Series champion in ’20. Busch made his debut with L.A. in ’23, appearing in 27 games while shuttling back and forth between the Majors and Triple-A.

Both players reminded their former team just what it gave up by homering in the Cubs’ 10-4, series-opening win. Busch also contributed a pair of RBI singles and doubled in his second career four-hit game, while Bellinger added an RBI single of his own in the ninth before making a stellar catch in the bottom of the frame.

Bellinger set the tone by putting the Cubs on the board with a two-run blast in the first inning off one-time teammate Walker Buehler. Buehler left a first-pitch four-seamer over the upper-left quadrant of the zone, and Bellinger drove it a Statcast-projected 430 feet to right field for his 16th homer of the year.

Busch’s 17th homer, which came three innings later, was nearly 100 feet shorter. He took a 2-2 high-and-up changeup 339 feet just over the low left-field well and just inside the foul pole. It was Busch’s second career long ball at Dodger Stadium. Bellinger’s was his 81st; he is third among active players in homers at Chavez Ravine.