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 After snuffing out a no-hit bid by Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, the
Cardinals scratched out two runs in the seventh inning, then piled
on four more in the ninth in a 6-0 victory Monday.
Right-hander John Lackey worked seven shutout innings as the
National League Central-leading Cardinals (54-28) beat the Cubs
(44-37) for the eighth time in 10 games and the fourth time in a
row.
"(Lackey) was good today, real good," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny
said. "He had some balls pretty hard-hit and a few of them obviously
right at people, but he was sharp today. ... He did what he wanted."
Lackey (7-5) improved to 3-1 all-time against the Cubs as he allowed
six hits, walked one and struck out four. Kevin Siegrist and Mitch
Harris each threw a scoreless inning to complete the shutout.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina's seventh-inning sacrifice fly
produced the game's first run.
"Every time we face them we know we have to bring our 'A' game,"
Molina said. "We've got to be perfect because they're going to bring
everything they've got."
Lester (4-7) saw his bid for a no-hitter vanish in the seventh, and
he took the loss, his fifth since May 27. Lester hasn't won since a
4-1 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 16. He surrendered
two runs (both unearned) on two hits and two walks while striking
out eight in seven innings.
"It was good, but the end result isn't what we want," Lester said.
"These guys have been playing good baseball against us, and we've
got to figure out a way to combat that."
The Cubs saw a two-game winning streak end.
Lester issued a first-inning walk, then retired 18 consecutive
batters until the Cardinals scored twice in the seventh.
St. Louis shortstop Jhonny Peralta reached on an infield single and
moved to third as right fielder Jason Heyward's fielder's choice
grounder was botched on a throw to second by Cubs third baseman Kris
Bryant.
Peralta came home on Molina's fly to right. Second baseman Kolten
Wong followed with a single to left, driving in Heyward for a 2-0
lead.
"We made the mistake on the throw to second base, that was about
it," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Otherwise, it was a really
tightly contested game, and it could have gone either way.
Unfortunately, it's gone their way too often."
In the previous inning, newly crowned All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and
Bryant helped mount a Cubs threat.
Rizzo, the first baseman, lined a leadoff single to center, and
Bryant, Chicago's third baseman, sent him to third with a base hit
to left.
Shortstop Starlin Castro came to the plate with one out, but scoring
hopes fizzled when he grounded into an inning-ending double-play.
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Storms arrived in the eighth inning, forcing a 1-hour, 16-minute
rain delay.
When the game resumed, the Cardinals promptly loaded the bases
against Cubs reliever Edwin Jackson in the top of the ninth.
First baseman Mark Reynolds' sacrifice fly to right scored Peralta
from third for a 3-0 lead.
Left fielder Randal Grichuk added a two-out, two-run single, and
center fielder Peter Bourjos' RBI single capped the scoring.
"We come back out after the rain delay and Edwin has a tough ninth
inning and it looks like a bad game and it wasn't," Maddon said.
Chicago loaded the bases in the second, including a two-out infield
single by Lester for his first major league hit after going
0-for-66. However, the Cubs failed to score when Lackey struck out
second baseman Addison Russell looking on a 1-2 count.
"He got himself in trouble with the pitcher getting his first hit
off him, and the next thing you know he's in a big bind," Matheny
said of Lackey. "It doesn't faze him, he always has faith he's going
to get the next guy out."
NOTES: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo and 3B Kris Bryant were selected as NL
All-Star reserves. ... Three Cardinals also were added as All-Star
reserves: RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Trevor Rosenthal and C Yadier
Molina. SS Jhonny Peralta and OF Matt Holliday were voted as
starters. ... Monday's starters, St. Louis RHP John Lackey and
Chicago LHP Jon Lester, were Boston Red Sox teammates from 2010 to
2014, and they earned seven of the team's 11 postseason wins in
2013. ... Chicago manager Joe Maddon temporarily moved CF Dexter
Fowler out of the leadoff spot to seventh "to take some heat off him
and work on what he needs to work on." Fowler, who went 1-for-2 with
a walk, is expected to lead off again Tuesday. ... Tuesday's
scheduled day-night doubleheader includes a makeup of an April 7
rainout. Cardinals LHP Tyler Lyons (2-0) will oppose Cubs RHP Jake
Arrieta (8-5) in the opener, while St. Louis LHP Tim Cooney (0-0)
will go against Chicago RHP Dallas Beeler (0-2) in the nightcap.
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