|
 Hammel (2-0) also came through on the mound, pitching six innings
to extend the Cubs' streak of getting at least that many innings out
of their starter in all 14 games this season. He allowed the one St.
Louis run on five hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter.
Chicago pitchers have been effective at the plate as well. Hammel's
two-RBI single gave the team's pitching staff seven RBIs this
season, the most in the NL, in 31 at-bats.
Hector Rondon tossed a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third
save.
Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (1-1) gave up two runs on four hits
and four walks in five innings. He struck out seven.
The loss dropped the Cardinals to 0-5 this season against their two
biggest National League Central rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates and
the Cubs, while they have gone a combined 7-2 against the Atlanta
Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds.
 Garcia, coming off a one-hit, 13-strikeout shutout against the
Brewers, saw his streak of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at
15 when the Cubs scored twice in the fourth.
A one-out walk and two singles loaded the bases before Addison
Russell struck out, but Garcia could not get out of the jam,
allowing a single to Hammel on a 1-1 pitch that drove in both runs.
Another walk, Garcia's fourth in as many innings, again loaded the
bases, but he prevented further damage by throwing a called third
strike past right fielder Jason Heyward.
Heyward preserved the Cubs' lead by throwing out Matt Holliday at
the plate in the bottom of the fourth as the Cardinals could not
score after putting runners on second and third with nobody out.
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The Cardinals staked Garcia to a 1-0 lead in the second. Matt Adams
and Randal Grichuk opened the inning with singles, and after Adams
was picked off second, Yadier Molina tripled off the top of the wall
in front of the Cubs bullpen in left-center to drive in Grichuk.
It was the sixth career triple for Molina in 5,106 at-bats and only
the second earned run allowed by Hammel in his first 14 innings this
season.
Garcia had to pitch around leadoff walks in each of the first two
innings. He stranded runners on second and third in the first by
retiring Anthony Rizzo on a grounder and striking out Jorge Soler to
end the inning.
NOTES: Cubs OF Kyle Schwarber underwent surgery on Tuesday in Dallas
to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. He was injured in an
outfield collision on April 7 and will miss the rest of the season.
... Ruben Tejada made his debut for the Cardinals on Tuesday night,
becoming the fourth player to start at shortstop in the first 14
games of the season as the Cardinals try to find a substitute for
injured Jhonny Peralta. Through 13 games, St. Louis shortstops
combined for seven errors, three more than any other team at the
position in the major leagues. ... The teams will complete their
first meeting of the year with a day game Wednesday. Cubs RHP Kyle
Hendricks is scheduled to pitch against Cardinals RHP Carlos
Martinez.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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