Cubs' Willson Contreras hits homer in first at-bat in No. 1 spot

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon moved catcher Willson Contreras to first in the team's batting order Monday, and the unorthodox move paid off.

Contreras delivered a leadoff home run against Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez in the Cubs' 5-4 win, but that was just the start of a dramatic night. The game remained 1-0 until a crazy last two innings in which the teams combined for eight runs, with seven coming in the ninth.

"It was intense out there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the game. "Our young guys played pretty well under the circumstances."

The youth of the victors was part of the storyline. Due to injuries and underperformance -- Kyle Schwarber played his first game at Triple-A Iowa on Monday after being sent down -- Maddon fielded the youngest starting lineup in baseball this season. But the Cubs held their own against a powerful Nationals team.

"If this is a spring training lineup, we might get a call," Maddon quipped.

In spring training, teams are required to play at least four veterans in every game. With an average age of 24.8 years for players in the starting lineup on Monday, it was easy to see why the Cubs might've been mistaken for a Triple-A team. But they played well, beginning with the leadoff home run.

The move to Contreras came as a surprise, as Anthony Rizzo has flourished in his new role at the top of the team's batting order. Rizzo hit a homer in his first at-bat in the No. 1 spot. However, Rizzo was 2-for-20 off Gonzalez going into Monday's game, so Maddon chose to let him watch an at-bat, hence Contreras' getting the first crack at Gonzalez.

The Cubs played great defense behind that 1-0 lead.Javier Baezmade two spectacular catches, the second of which might have been his best ever. He ran far into foul territory down the third-base line before sliding to catch a popup off the bat of Adam Lind in a critical eighth inning.

"That was stupid good," Maddon said. "I don't know who else makes that play."

But like most of this season for the Cubs, the win would not come easily. Up 5-0 in the ninth inning, relievers Hector Rondon and Wade Davis combined to give up four runs beforeRyan Zimmerman struck out with the tying run at third and the winning run at second.

"To play so well and not win that game, that would have been awful," Maddon said. "That would have been tough. I cannot disagree with that thought."

As for the leadoff spot, Contreras and Rizzo have both homered in their first career at-bat leading off a game. Rizzo will be back at the top of the order on Tuesday, Maddon said. The Cubs have used eight leadoff hitters, tied for the most in baseball. Their run to start Monday's game turned out to be the difference after a crazy finish.

"We played really well," Maddon said. "We pitched really well. Arguably one of our best pitchers [Davis] had the roughest night."