CHICAGO — Jake Woodford has spent this season riding the 1-55 shuttle between St. Louis and Memphis, rarely getting a chance at the major-league level – until Tuesday night.
He made the most of the opportunity.
Making his first start of the season and only his 14th appearance in the majors, Woodford pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on four hits to get the win as the Cardinals beat the Cubs 13-3 to split their day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs won the day game 2-0, beating Adam Wainwright and snapping the Cardinals’ season-high eight-game winning streak.
Woodford shut out the Cubs on just three hits through the first five innings before a walk and a double produced a run in the sixth and knocked him out of the game.
Woodford had been back in the majors since Aug. 10, the eighth time since May that he had either been optioned to Memphis or recalled by the Cardinals.
Here is how the doubleheader broke down:
At the plate: After getting shut out in the day game for the first time since July 14, the Cardinals bounced back with a flurry in the night game, getting home runs from Nolan Arenado, Tyler O’Neill and Tommy Edman as part of a 16-hit attack. They scored five runs in the fourth and blew the game open with a six-run ninth that included a two-run double by Edman and a two-RBI triple from Dylan Carlson … Corey Dickerson had four hits in the night game, including two doubles, while Arenado had three hits, including his 26th homer … The Cardinals were held to five hits in game one, going 0-of-10 with runners in scoring position … It was a long day for Paul Goldschmidt, who had only two singles in nine at-bats combined between the two games, striking out three times and hitting into a double play.
On the mound: Woodford walked one and struck out one and did not allow a runner past second base until the sixth as he lowered his ERA to 2.48 … Matthew Liberatore, added as the 27th man for the doubleheader, pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing the final two Chicago runs … In the day game, Wainwright allowed five hits over six innings and the two runs, both of which scored in the third inning … JoJo Romero pitched the last two innings, retiring all six batters he faced.
Key stat: The three homers in game two gave the Cardinals 35 for the month, tying their most in a month this season, with eight games left in August.
Worth noting: Albert Pujols remained at 693 career homers. He started the day game and had a double in four at-bats and was then hit by a pitch, against position player Franmil Reyes, when he came to bat as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of the night game. Pujols was one of three Cardinals hit by pitches in the game … Woodford became the 14th different starting pitcher used by the Cardinals this season … The Cardinals announced that reliever T.J. McFarland, who had been released earlier this month, signed a minor-league contract and was assigned to Memphis … Top prospect Jordan Walker hit his 17th homer for Double A Springfield on Tuesday night.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Wednesday night in game four of the five-game series.
