After two nights of dinners and stories, reality will hit Cubs catcher Willson Contreras when he comes to bat in the first inning Saturday with younger brother William behind the plate for the Braves.

”It’s going to be emotional,” Willson said Friday. ”It’s going to be good, especially being the older brother. Seeing your younger brother play against you is priceless.”

Willson, 30, is six years older than his brother, who is batting .287 with nine home runs. The two worked out together during the COVID-19 stoppage in 2020, and their parents will be in attendance at Wrigley Field for a memorable experience.

”Latin culture is everything about family,” said Contreras, a native of Venezuela.

Stiff Schwindel

First baseman Frank Schwindel might not be available Saturday after leaving in the second inning with lower-back stiffness suffered while running to first on a grounder.

”He went three rounds of treatment and is still stiff,” manager David Ross said after the game.

Coincidentally, P.J. Higgins, Schwindel’s replacement at first, cleanly fielded a grounder by Orlando Arcia with the bases loaded and sprinted to first base for the final out of a 1-0 victory against the Braves that snapped a 10-game losing streak.

”It was a really good feeling to go at somebody,” Ross said.

Captured by COVID

Right-hander Marcus Stroman admitted he wasn’t at full strength when he returned from a 17-day COVID-related layoff in early May.

Stroman threw five innings and 77 pitches in his next start against the Diamondbacks but said his shoulder never recovered, eventually resulting in a trip to the 15-day injured list with inflammation in the shoulder.

Stroman, who is 2-5 with a 5.32 ERA in nine starts, played catch for the second consecutive day and hopes to throw off a mound next week if his shoulder responds well to more throwing sessions.

”I don’t want to go too quick,” said Stroman, who hasn’t pitched since June 3 and acknowledged he might need a rehab assignment.

Memory lane

Braves manager Brian Snitker was a catcher on the 1971 Macon High School team that earned the distinction of being the smallest school to reach the Illinois state finals.

Snitker’s team was documented in a book titled ”One Shot at Forever,” and Snitker said he tried to pattern his batting stance after those of some Cubs players.

”I think I was Glenn Beckert as a sophomore,” Snitker recalled. ”I was Jim Hickman as a junior. I probably morphed into both as a senior.”

Roster updates

Infielder David Bote was scheduled to resume his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa. Bote, who was rehabbing from surgery on his left shoulder, experienced dizzy spells June 7.

Reliever Ethan Roberts (inflammation in right shoulder) threw live batting practice Thursday at the Cubs’ complex in Mesa, Arizona, and is scheduled to pitch on a rehab assignment Sunday at Iowa.

Outfielder Clint Frazier cleared waivers and was sent outright to Iowa. Frazier has yet to decide whether to report or become a free agent.

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The solution to the Cubs snapping a season-high 10-game losing streak Friday was simple for manager David Ross, even after right-hander Keegan Thompson had suffered the shortest outing of his young career last weekend against the Yankees: He told Thompson to throw more fastballs.

Thompson heeded Ross’ advice, and the result was remarkably successful.

Thompson set career highs with six-plus innings and nine strikeouts, and the Cubs employed small-ball tactics in the eighth to seize a 1-0 victory and end the Braves’ 14-game winning streak.

”I think everybody can take a deep sigh of relief now and just have fun,” said Thompson, who was pulled after 37 pitches and two-thirds of an inning in an 18-4 loss Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

Chants of ”Go, Cubs, Go,” could be heard outside the home clubhouse and sounded as loud as the fans’ rendition after victories.

The players celebrated their last victory June 4 at Wrigley, and there was some doubt until backup first baseman P.J. Higgins fielded a grounder and sprinted to beat Orlando Arcia to the bag with the bases loaded to end the game.

”Look, we’ve had some ugly ones lately, but I haven’t questioned the effort or intensity,” said Ross, whose Cubs (24-40) blew a lead in seven of their 10 losses and had been outscored 90-30. ”There’s something about a starting pitcher setting the tone.”

Thompson, 27, matched 38-year-old veteran Charlie Morton through six-plus innings and allowed only two soft hits, thanks to his fastball command. Of Thompson’s 68 four-seam fastballs and cutters, the Braves (37-28) took 36 swings and missed 17, according to Baseball Savant.

”My core belief — and I’m probably not the norm in the new age — is you pitch with your fastball, especially the starter,” Ross said. ”And he did that. That was what you do. Nobody took good swings. He didn’t run to off-speed [pitches]. They were tardy on a lot of swings. It was an impressive start.”

Thompson admitted he had backed off his four-seam fastball in his last two outings, in which he was tagged for 12 earned runs in 3? innings. He thought he needed to pitch with more aggressiveness.

”I think I was trying to place balls the last time instead of just going after guys and staying in the zone and let them put it in play,” Thompson said.

A big part of the Cubs’ rebuilding process is finding pitchers capable of stopping losing streaks and harnessing perennial National League powers such as the Braves, who had outscored the opposition 101-41 during their winning streak.

Thompson pitched at a brisk tempo, and Ross had no reservations about allowing him to start the seventh, even though he was approaching his previous pitch-count high of 88 and exceeded it with a four-pitch walk to Matt Olson.

”His pace was phenomenal,” Ross said. ”I think that’s why it seemed easy. That’s an aggressive team, and he was attacking.”

A stiff wind knocked down at least three potential home runs, but the Cubs were resourceful at the right time in the eighth. Pinch hitter Jonathan Villar worked left-hander A.J. Minter for a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andrelton Simmons and stole third without a throw.

Rookie Christopher Morel then battled from an 0-2 count to hit a fly to center deep enough to score Villar with the lone run.

”That easily could have gone the other way,” Ross said. ”We could be really not in a good place if we lose that game.”

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team in 23 years to stop a losing streak of 10 or more game while ending an opponent’s winning streak of at least 10 games, beating the Braves 1-0 Friday to halt Atlanta’s majors-best 14-game run.

Rookie Christopher Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Cubs stop a 10-game slide, the longest losing streak in the majors this season, and Chicago’s longest since 12 straight losses from last Aug. 5-16.

The Braves are the first team to have a 14-plus-game win streak snapped by a 1-0 loss since 2013 — when Atlanta also saw a 14-game win streak halted by a 1-0 loss to the Marlins.

Morel drove in the game’s only run against reliever A.J. Minter after striking out in his first three at-bats, then getting some advice from catcher Willson Contreras.

“It helped me concentrate on what I needed to do, what to focus on with that tough lefty,” Morel, who has 15 RBIs since making his major league debut on May 17, said. “Willson talked to me and told me, ”Don’t look for stuff low around the plate. Look high.'”

A pair of double-digit streaks had not ended in the same game since Philadelphia beat Houston on Sept. 15, 1999, ending the Phillies’ skid at 11 and the Astros’ winning streak at 12.

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Chicago had not won 1-0 since May 28 last year against Cincinnati. The Braves lost 1-0 for the second time this year following a defeat at Milwaukee on May 16.

Minter (2-1) walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar leading off the eighth. He advanced on Andrelton Simmons‘ sacrifice, stole third without a throw on Minter’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt to Morel and scored on Morel’s 277-foot fly to center with a steady wind blowing in at Wrigley Field.

Villar slid home headfirst as Michael Harris II‘s throw was slightly up the first-base line.

With Chicago wearing unusual dark blue jerseys and pants with light blue letters, Chris Martin (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first with for the Cubs.

Atlanta loaded the bases against David Robertson in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter before Orlando Arcia grounded out. Robertson got his eighth save in 10 chances, completing a two-hitter on a day both teams combined for just five hits.

It was Atlanta’s first defeat since May 31 at Arizona. The Braves’ 14-game win streak was the longest by any team this season, and tied the 1935 Cardinals for the third longest by a defending World Series champion.

“The first loss in June is good when you’re in the middle of the month,” said Matt Olson, who struck one of fourth deep flies that may have been held by wind.

“Our game is to get the ball in the air and we kind of got beat back here today,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

Keegan Thompson, coming off poor outings at Baltimore and the New York Yankees, struck out a career-high nine while allowing two hits and two walks in six-plus scoreless innings — his longest big league outing.

“I think there was a conscious effort for us today to throw more fastballs,” Thompson said. “I haven’t had a lot of damage done so far off the fastball this year and I had kind of gotten away from the four-seam fastball the last two outings.”

Mychal Givens struck out Arcia with two on to end the seventh.

Charlie Morton struck out nine, walked none and allowed three hits.

Contreras narrowly missed a homer on a drive off the left-center wall with two in the sixth. Left fielder Adam Duvall played the ball perfectly and held him to a single.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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HOUSTON — After passing a test on his right knee during a 30-pitch bullpen session at Minute Maid Park on Thursday’s off day and following it with some intense throwing on flat ground Friday, White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech will get another start on Sunday Night Baseball.

“He feels great. He’s ready,” manager Tony La Russa said Friday.

It was an unforeseen happening when Kopech slammed a baseball in anger into the infield grass after throwing 13 pitches in his last start Sunday against the Rangers, then hobbled off the mound with right knee soreness.

It didn’t look good.

“I probably would have been pretty doubtful about it,” Kopech said.

Turns out Kopech pinched a preexisting cyst that created fluid behind the knee, according to general manager Rick Hahn. Kopech had the knee drained and while he might have to tolerate discomfort when he throws Sunday and beyond, knowing nothing is structurally wrong gives him and the Sox assurances he can continue to pitch, starting Sunday.

“It’s just being able to tolerate it and I can tolerate it,” Kopech said.

“But it’s gotten better day to day. Who knows? Maybe by Sunday, I’m not feeling anything at all.”

Kopech wasn’t as sharp in his bullpen as he had hoped to be but the bigger deal was the knee, the one he drives off of, feeling as well as it did Friday.

“I’ve gone through my delivery 200 times in the past two days and it’s felt good every time,” he said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to affect me on the mound.”

Kopech is 2-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 11 starts. On May 26 at Yankee Stadium he pitched seven innings of one-hit shutout ball, striking out six and walking two.

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team in 23 years to stop a losing streak of 10 or more game while ending an opponent’s winning streak of at least 10 games, beating the Braves 1-0 Friday to halt Atlanta’s majors-best 14-game run.

Rookie Christopher Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Cubs stop a 10-game slide, the longest losing streak in the majors this season, and Chicago’s longest since 12 straight losses from last Aug. 5-16.

The Braves are the first team to have a 14-plus-game win streak snapped by a 1-0 loss since 2013 — when Atlanta also saw a 14-game win streak halted by a 1-0 loss to the Marlins.

Morel drove in the game’s only run against reliever A.J. Minter after striking out in his first three at-bats, then getting some advice from catcher Willson Contreras.

“It helped me concentrate on what I needed to do, what to focus on with that tough lefty,” Morel, who has 15 RBIs since making his major league debut on May 17, said. “Willson talked to me and told me, ”Don’t look for stuff low around the plate. Look high.'”

A pair of double-digit streaks had not ended in the same game since Philadelphia beat Houston on Sept. 15, 1999, ending the Phillies’ skid at 11 and the Astros’ winning streak at 12.

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Chicago had not won 1-0 since May 28 last year against Cincinnati. The Braves lost 1-0 for the second time this year following a defeat at Milwaukee on May 16.

Minter (2-1) walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar leading off the eighth. He advanced on Andrelton Simmons‘ sacrifice, stole third without a throw on Minter’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt to Morel and scored on Morel’s 277-foot fly to center with a steady wind blowing in at Wrigley Field.

Villar slid home headfirst as Michael Harris II‘s throw was slightly up the first-base line.

With Chicago wearing unusual dark blue jerseys and pants with light blue letters, Chris Martin (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first with for the Cubs.

Atlanta loaded the bases against David Robertson in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter before Orlando Arcia grounded out. Robertson got his eighth save in 10 chances, completing a two-hitter on a day both teams combined for just five hits.

It was Atlanta’s first defeat since May 31 at Arizona. The Braves’ 14-game win streak was the longest by any team this season, and tied the 1935 Cardinals for the third longest by a defending World Series champion.

“The first loss in June is good when you’re in the middle of the month,” said Matt Olson, who struck one of fourth deep flies that may have been held by wind.

“Our game is to get the ball in the air and we kind of got beat back here today,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

Keegan Thompson, coming off poor outings at Baltimore and the New York Yankees, struck out a career-high nine while allowing two hits and two walks in six-plus scoreless innings — his longest big league outing.

“I think there was a conscious effort for us today to throw more fastballs,” Thompson said. “I haven’t had a lot of damage done so far off the fastball this year and I had kind of gotten away from the four-seam fastball the last two outings.”

Mychal Givens struck out Arcia with two on to end the seventh.

Charlie Morton struck out nine, walked none and allowed three hits.

Contreras narrowly missed a homer on a drive off the left-center wall with two in the sixth. Left fielder Adam Duvall played the ball perfectly and held him to a single.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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