Cubs
even series against Cardinals with 2-1 win
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[April 05, 2017]
ST. LOUIS -- On a chilly, windy
night when hitting the ball out of Busch Stadium was impossible,
pitching and defense ruled.
The Cubs did both a bit better Tuesday than the St. Louis Cardinals,
and Chicago avenged a season-opening loss with a 2-1 victory.
Jake Arrieta tossed six sharp innings for the win, giving up four
hits and an unearned run with two walks and six strikeouts. Jason
Heyward knocked in a run in the fourth with a bloop single, and
Javier Baez added the Cubs' other RBI by dropping a safety squeeze
that scored Willson Contreras on the next pitch.
"It's what you expect when you face this team," Arrieta said of St.
Louis. "Tough, contested games from start to finish."
But it was Chicago defense that ultimately ushered the Cubs into the
clubhouse with a win. Center fielder Albert Almora denied a
potential tying homer from Matt Adams in the seventh inning, getting
to the wall just to the left of the 402-foot sign and sticking his
glove above the barrier to haul in Adams' towering fly.
"I owe Almora something for that," Arrieta said. "That catch was a
game-saver."
It was one of four dazzling plays turned in by the Cubs, who marry
good athletes at almost every spot with solid defensive positioning
that can leave opponents wondering sometimes if they have about 12
guys out there.
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Third baseman Kris Bryant made a diving stop on Aledmys Diaz's hard
grounder near the bag that was ticketed for the left field corner in
the fourth and threw him out, denying him a possible double that
could have scored the speedy Dexter Fowler from first.
In the sixth, Heyward raced into the gap in right-center to deny
Matt Carpenter an extra-base hit with a leaping grab. To end the
game, Baez ranged almost behind first to glove Kolten Wong's
grounder with a dive, then threw from his knees to nip the speedy
Wong by a half-step.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny asked for a review, but replay
confirmed what Quinn Wolcott accurately called: The ball barely beat
Wong, and Chicago was able to celebrate.
"What he does at second is different," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said
of Baez. "I think the clock has slowed down for him, and I think our
whole defense played that way tonight. It's how you win a game 2-1,
3-2 or 1-0."
It was ironic that Baez made two errors on the play which produced
St. Louis' only run. Trying to glove Wong's soft grounder that was
ruled a hit, Baez bobbled it, enabling Stephen Piscotty to score
from second on a hustling play.
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![](../images/040517pics/sports81.jpg)
Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty (55) is hit in the elbow as
he advances to second on a wild pitch as Chicago Cubs shortstop
Addison Russell (27) covers during the fifth inning at Busch
Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
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Baez's wild throw home struck Piscotty in the left
ear, rendering the sellout crowd of 46,760 silent for a few minutes
as Piscotty lay behind the plate. After a couple minutes, Piscotty
got up and then walked off the field under his own power, although
he was removed before the top of the sixth by Matheny.
The Cardinals announced that Piscotty was diagnosed with a head
contusion and would be re-evaluated in the morning. He was getting
treated following the game and was unavailable for comment.
"I'm not going to speculate about extended time, but we'll wait and
see what they say," Matheny said about a prognosis.
Adam Wainwright absorbed the loss for St. Louis, allowing three hits
and two runs over five innings with a pair of walks and six
strikeouts.
The Cardinals filled the bases with two outs in the sixth on singles
by Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina, plus a walk to pinch hitter
Greg Garcia. But Arrieta's 90th pitch produced a popup from Randal
Grichuk that shortstop Addison Russell gloved to end the threat.
St. Louis got one man aboard over the final three innings, as
pinch-hitter Jose Martinez walked with one out in the ninth against
new Chicago closer Wade Davis. But Davis, with the help of Baez's
final play, wrapped it up for the save.
NOTES: St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal (right lat strain) threw a
bullpen session Tuesday with no difficulties. Rosenthal, who is on
the 10-day disabled list, is scheduled to throw another one this
weekend and could return next week. ... Willson Contreras' Opening
Night homer marked the second straight year a catcher went deep for
the Cubs. Prior to that, the last time it happened was 1996,
courtesy of Scott Servais. ... Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter was
hitless in three at-bats against Chicago starter Jake Arrieta,
dropping him to 0-for-27 in his career against his old TCU teammate. [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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