Tyler O’Neill hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, powering the St. Louis Cardinals past the visiting Chicago Cubs 7-2 on Thursday evening to complete a doubleheader sweep.
The Cardinals rallied for a 4-3 victory in Game 1. They have won six of their past seven games to pull into a first-place tie with the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Jose Quintana held the Cubs to one run on one hit in six innings, Patrick Wisdom’s first-inning homer, in his Cardinals debut. He walked two batters and struck out seven. Jordan Hicks (3-5) earned the victory despite giving up one run in his lone inning.
Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals and Tommy Edman went 3-for-5 with a two-run double.
Cubs starter Sean Newcomb allowed two runs on five hits in three innings. He fanned one and walked none. Kervin Castro (0-1) took the loss after yielding three runs in the seventh inning.
Wisdom’s first-inning homer put the Cubs up 1-0. However, the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on Paul Goldschmidt’s single and Arenado’s two-run homer.
Mark Leiter Jr. hit O’Neill with a pitch in the fourth inning and walked Paul DeJong, but Yadier Molina hit into an inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals threatened again in the next inning. Dylan Carlson walked, Goldschmidt reached on an error and Arenado walked before Albert Pujols grounded into an inning-ending forceout.
In the sixth inning, DeJong walked and Molina hit a single, but Lars Nootbaar flied out and Carlson grounded out.
Hicks walked Wisdom and Seiya Suzuki to open the seventh inning. After Nico Hoerner grounded into forceout, Nelson Velazquez tied the game with an RBI infield single.
Edman led off the bottom of the inning with a single and Goldschmidt walked. After Arenado grounded into a double play, Nolan Gorman walked and O’Neill hit his three-run homer to make it 5-2.
The Cardinals pushed their lead to 7-2 in the eighth inning. Nootbaar walked, Carlson hit a double and Edman followed with a two-run double.
–Field Level Media
