CHICAGO —
Game 1
Finally back on the field, the St. Louis Cardinals are rounding into form in a hurry.
Brad Miller hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning, and St. Louis beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Monday in the opener of an unusual five-game series between the NL Central rivals.
The Cardinals won for the third time in four games since returning from a coronavirus outbreak that derailed their season, leaving them idle for weeks and resulting in 18 confirmed cases in the organization. They swept a doubleheader against the White Sox on Saturday before dropping the series finale Sunday.
The reigning division champions had a three-game series against the Cubs postponed while they waited for clearance to play again — leading to the five-game set that includes two doubleheaders and two “home” games for the Cards at Wrigley Field.
The opener was tied at 1 when St. Louis loaded the bases with none out in the seventh against Kyle Hendricks. After Dylan Carlson bounced into a forceout at home, Hendricks (3-2) was replaced by Rowan Wick.
“I felt good all day executing pitches,” Hendricks said. “Just really upset, those first three at-bats in the seventh inning, all three were just terrible.”
Miller then hit a liner toward the gap in left-center. Center fielder Albert Almora Jr. made a leaping try, but it landed out of his reach on the warning track. Tyler O'Neill and Matt Carpenter scored before Carlson was thrown out at the plate.
Giovanny Gallegos pitched a scoreless inning for the win in the doubleheader opener. Andrew Miller got three outs for his second save.
Ian Happ homered for Chicago in its fourth straight loss. Hendricks was charged with three runs and three hits.
“Kyle's been throwing the ball great for us, as expected,” manager David Ross said.
Kwang Hyun Kim pitched 3 2/3 innings of three-hit ball in his first start for St. Louis. He signed an $8 million, two-year contract with the Cards in December.
He wore the wrong cap in the first inning, but got the right one on in time for the second.
“One of my trainers came to me and didn't say anything, but he just gave me a new cap. He put the new cap next to me,” Kim said through a translator. “At first, I was like puzzled, but then I realized the mistake.”
Hendricks retired his first seven batters before Dexter Fowler hit a drive to right in the third for his second homer.
The Cubs wasted a prime scoring opportunity when Happ struck out on three pitches and David Bote grounded out in the first, leaving the bases loaded. But Happ bounced back with a leadoff drive to left in the fourth for his fourth homer.
Happ was a late addition to the Game 1 lineup after right fielder Steven Souza Jr. was scratched with right hamstring tightness.
Game 2
David Bote hit a three-run homer in Chicago's four-run sixth inning, and the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Monday night for a doubleheader split.
With two outs and runners on the corners, Bote put Chicago ahead to stay with a massive drive to center field off Tyler Webb (0-1) for his second career pinch-hit homer. Bote belted a game-ending grand slam for his first pinch-hit shot in a 4-3 win against Washington on Aug. 12, 2018.
Chicago was still searching for its first hit before Willson Contreras doubled home Javier Báez earlier in the inning, setting the stage for Bote's third homer of the season.
St. Louis wasted a big performance by Brad Miller, who homered twice and drove in three runs. Miller also had a big swing in Game 1, hitting a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh in the Cardinals' 3-1 victory.
Dexter Fowler connected for St. Louis in the opener of an unusual five-game series, and Max Schrock hit his first career homer in Game 2.
The NL Central-leading Cubs stopped a four-game slide. Duane Underwood Jr. (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Jeremy Jeffress got three outs for his second save.
The Cardinals dropped to 3-2 since returning from a coronavirus outbreak that derailed their season, leaving them idle for weeks and resulting in 18 confirmed cases in the organization. They swept a doubleheader against the White Sox on Saturday before dropping the series finale Sunday.
The reigning division champions had a three-game series against the Cubs postponed while they waited for clearance to play again — leading to the five-game set that includes two doubleheaders and two “home” games for the Cards.
The second half of Monday's doubleheader was the first time St. Louis batted second on the road since April 25, 1906, at Cincinnati, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It was the first time the Cubs hit first in their home ballpark since July 16, 1908, against the New York Giants, according to the team.
Miller's two-run shot off Tyson Miller in the second was his first homer with St. Louis. Miller and Schrock hit consecutive drives in the fourth, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.
The opener was tied at 1 when St. Louis loaded the bases with none out in the seventh against Kyle Hendricks. After Dylan Carlson bounced into a forceout at home, Hendricks (3-2) was replaced by Rowan Wick.
“I felt good all day executing pitches,” Hendricks said. “Just really upset, those first three at-bats in the seventh inning, all three were just terrible.”
Miller then hit a liner toward the gap in left-center. Center fielder Albert Almora Jr. made a leaping try, but it landed out of his reach on the warning track. Tyler O'Neill and Matt Carpenter scored before Carlson was thrown out at the plate.
Giovanny Gallegos (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win in the opener. Andrew Miller got three outs for his second save.
Ian Happ homered for Chicago in Game 1. Hendricks was charged with three runs and three hits.
“Kyle's been throwing the ball great for us, as expected,” manager David Ross said.
Happ was a late addition to the Game 1 lineup after right fielder Steven Souza Jr. was scratched with right hamstring tightness.
Kwang Hyun Kim pitched 3 2/3 innings of three-hit ball in his first start for St. Louis. He signed an $8 million, two-year contract with the Cards in December.
He wore the wrong cap in the first inning, but got the right one on in time for the second.
“One of my trainers came to me and didn't say anything, but he just gave me a new cap. He put the new cap next to me,” Kim said through a translator. “At first, I was like puzzled, but then I realized the mistake.”
