ST. LOUIS — It’s called a winning streak.
Paul DeJong homered leading off the ninth inning to break a 4-4 tie, and the Cardinals won their third game in a row Tuesday night, beating the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The streak, the longest of the season for the Cardinals, comes after the team lost eight consecutive games and saw their record drop to 14 games under .500 before they won on Sunday at home and again on Monday night in Chicago.
Dylan Carlson followed DeJong’s homer with a triple and scored on a double by Andrew Knizner to provide an insurance run in the ninth.
It’s the first time the Cardinals scored multiple runs in the ninth inning since April 18.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: DeJong’s homer was the third of the game for the Cardinals, all solo shots. Nolan Gorman hit his team-leading eighth of the year with two outs in the first and Lars Nootbaar hit his third of the season with two outs in the third … The Cardinals added two more runs in the third, both courtesy of bases-loaded walks, one to Brendan Donovan and the other to DeJong … The Cardinals had just one hit between the fourth and eighth innings, a lead-off double by Knizner in the seventh, but he was stranded at third … It’s Knizner’s second game in the last three with two doubles.
On the mound: Jack Flaherty got through five innings, throwing 93 pitches, and left with a 4-3 lead but lost his chance for a win when Andre Pallante, recalled from Memphis before the game, gave up a two-out homer in the sixth … Flaherty allowed a two-run homer to Dansby Swanson as he gave up seven hits and five walks but benefited from four double plays and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth … The Cubs also left the bases loaded in the seventh when Chris Stratton struck out Eric Hosmer … Giovanny Gallegos got the save, retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Key stat: DeJong’s homer was the 14th he has hit at Wrigley Field in 50 career games. It also was the 13th homer he has hit in the ninth inning in his career – six of which have come at Wrigley.
Worth noting: To make room for Pallante, JoJo Romero was optioned to Memphis … When Knizner threw out Cody Bellinger trying to steal second in the third inning it ended a string of 16 consecutive steals against the Cardinals; their last caught stealing had been on April 17 … Swanson’s homer was the 22nd allowed by the Cardinals with two strikes out of 43 total homers allowed this season … Umpire CB Bucknor, who took a foul ball directly off his face mask in Monday night’s game, did not work the game Tuesday night.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will try to complete a sweep of the three-game series on Wednesday night behind Jordan Montgomery, who enters the game with a streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings against the Cubs from last season.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains.
Want more local sports delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the 5 On Your Side Sports Plus newsletter.