Fowler caps Cards' sweep of Cubs with walk-off blast

[May 07, 2018]  Dexter Fowler's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the 14th inning early Monday morning gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 4-3 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs at sold-out Busch Stadium.

Harrison Bader started the winning rally with an infield single off Luke Farrell (0-2). Fowler followed by golfing a 2-2 fastball off the top of the right field wall and into the seats for his fifth homer and the Cardinals' fifth walk-off win in 17 home games.

The Cardinals swept the three-game weekend series.

Mike Mayers (1-0) got the win despite allowing Javier Baez's ninth homer in the top of the 14th that gave Chicago a brief 3-2 edge. However, Fowler's dramatics extended St. Louis' winning streak to five games and the Cubs' losing streak to five games.

It was St. Louis' first game since losing catcher Yadier Molina to the 10-day disabled list earlier Sunday. Molina underwent emergency surgery after being hit in the groin with a foul tip in the ninth inning on Saturday.

The game lasted 4:46 and was delayed twice in the first three innings by rain for a total of 59 minutes.

Chicago initiated the scoring in the top of the first inning. Anthony Rizzo lofted a sacrifice fly to deep center that scored Willson Contreras, who singled in his debut as a leadoff hitter and then reached third on an infield hit by Kyle Schwarber and a throwing error by third baseman Jedd Gyorko.

An inning later, Gyorko got the run back by lining his third homer of the year, a solo shot off an advertising panel just behind the left field wall.

Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Kris Bryant gave the Cubs a 2-1 edge in the fourth when he led off with a tape-measure homer to the third deck in left field, his fourth of the year.

That lead lasted until the sixth, when Kolten Wong walloped a two-out RBI triple to right that Jason Heyward appeared to lose in the lights. It made the Cardinals the last team in the majors to collect a triple this year.

Neither starter was around for the decision. Chicago left-hander Jon Lester lasted 5 1/3 innings, yielding six hits and two runs while walking four and whiffing four. St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha also pitched 5 1/3 innings, permitting six hits and two runs, one earned, with three walks and five strikeouts.

--Field Level Media

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