The Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Tuesday night. The Cubs are now 28-11 since the sweep at the hands of the Phillies, and they are winning games in all sorts of different ways. It's not "must" at this time, but the Cubs really need to start showing the Cardinals and Pirates that they can beat them, too
Similar to Monday, the Cubs jumped on the Cardinals, putting up six runs in the first two innings off starter Michael Wacha. Anthony Rizzo went deep with a man on in the first, while Starlin Castro’s three-run home run in the second inning was the big blow in the game. Later, Castro doubled home another run and scored when Rizzo drove him home with another hit. After walking two of the first three hitters, Jason Hammel settled down before tiring in the seventh when Randal Grichuk broke the shutout with a two-run home run. The Cardinals' rally fell short as three relievers helped the Cubs out of the inning, but not before the go-ahead run came to the plate in Grichuk. But this time he struck out. Fernando Rodney whiffed two in a clean eighth, while Hector Rondon earned the save.
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This one was shocking. The Cardinals had 15-game winner Wacha and his sparkling 2.69 ERA (2.43 at home) on the mound to start the game. He was done after four innings after giving up six runs on six hits and three walks. Once again Joe Maddon’s moves paid off as Castro was moved up to second in the batting order, and he responded. We can’t know for sure if his benching has relaxed him, but it’s possible he’s playing with nothing to lose because his game is “tension free” right now. That’s the same term Maddon has used for Javier Baez, who doubled twice and looked fantastic at third base. He made a barehanded play on a slow roller, dove to his left to stab another one and then caught a line drive for a key out in the seventh.
The near bullpen meltdown is easy to forget when you consider the Cardinals just lost their second consecutive series at home while the Cubs cut into their lead, trailing now by just 6 1/2 games with a chance to sweep the series on Wednesday. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 16 as the Cubs won their 80th game of the season, pushing their record to a season-high 23 games over .500.
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Injury update: Kyle Schwarber grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. He could start on Wednesday after missing the past six games with a rib cage injury. Maddon also indicated he probably won’t start Schwarber behind the plate the rest of the season.
“You may not see him start, but you may seem him catch,” Maddon stated before the game.
Meanwhile, Jorge Soler is getting closer to returning from an oblique injury.
“Soler has been hitting in a cage,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “He feels really good.”
The next step for Soler is a simulated game more than likely coming in Philadelphia later this week. Pitcher Jason Motte is playing long toss and is behind Soler in his recovery time.
What’s next: The Cubs go for the improbable sweep when Jon Lester (9-10, 3.59) faces Carlos Martinez (13-7, 3.04) on Wednesday afternoon.
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