LDN - Sports

Nine-run 8th powers Cardinals past Cubs

[July 22, 2017] CHICAGO -- Once the St. Louis Cardinals got rolling on Friday, they just didn't seem to want to stop.

Paul DeJong's bases-loaded, two-base hit delivered the go-ahead runs while nine straight batters scored in a decisive eighth inning in the Cardinals' 11-4 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

"I've never been a part of something like that -- to score nine runs with no outs," said DeJong, who slugged a ground-rule double into the center-field ivy. "I think that really made a statement for us in game one and we've got two more games left that we've got to get."

The victory snapped the Cardinals' two-game losing streak and also ended a six-game winning run by the Cubs.

DeJong (1-for-5) doubled off Cubs reliever Hector Rondon to score Tommy Pham and Dexter Fowler for a 5-3 lead with none out.

Rondon then gave up an RBI single to Randal Grichuk to make it 6-3. Carl Edwards Jr. (3-2), who started the inning and loaded the bases, took the loss.

Reliever Justin Grimm entered and gave up the rest of the scoring, including a two-run double to Carson Kelly, a one-run single to Matt Carpenter and a two-run base hit to Pham.

"We had a bad inning pitching," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's the third time in a week here at this ballpark if you go prior before the break. A seven, a nine and a 10 in one inning. I've not seen that since rookie ball, that's crazy stuff."

Right-hander Matt Bowman (2-3) worked one-third of an inning in the seventh for the win for the Cardinals (47-49). St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez allowed three runs (two earned) on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings.

"My sinker was really working today, I was finally -- in comparison to last game -- I really had control of it," Martinez said through a translator. "So it was really working well for me. I was also throwing really hard, which also helped."

The Cubs (49-46) opened a five-game homestand as Ben Zobrist had three hits, Kyle Schwarber had two hits and Willson Contreras homered.

Fowler went 3-for-4 to lead the Cardinals while Carpenter, Pham and Grichuk each had two hits.

Cubs starter Jake Arrieta scattered two runs on five hits but received a no-decision. He held an opponent to six or fewer hits for the 12th straight start.

"We swung the bats well against Martinez, took what he was giving us and had some great at-bats and I kept us in the game," Arrieta said. "That was it until the eighth when it got out of hand."

The Cubs led 2-0 in the first as Contreras clubbed his 14th home run, scoring Zobrist in the process.

Grichuk marked his return from the 10-day disabled list with a two-out, solo homer in the second inning that trimmed the Cubs lead to 2-1.

St. Louis forced a 2-2 tie in the third when Fowler doubled home Pham with two out.

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Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) hits a two-RBI double against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Rizzo's one-out single down the first base line brought home Jason Heyward from second for a 3-2 Cubs lead.

Arrieta, pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, struck out six and walked none while throwing 97 pitches on a hot, humid afternoon.

Martinez left for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh and was replaced by left-hander Zach Duke, making his season debut after being called up from the 60-day disabled list on the heels of Tommy John surgery following the 2016 season.

Duke faced two batters and threw six pitches, including a line drive from Rizzo for an out.

After Edwards loaded the bases, Rondon entered and walked Jedd Gyorko to bring in Carpenter with the tying run before the two-run ground-rule double to DeJong.

"When you get going, you keep going," said Kelly, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis on Friday and inserted into the lineup when starter Yadier Molina was a late scratch. "You've just got to ride it."

NOTES: The Cardinals made a series of personnel moves prior to Friday's game, including a trade that sent LHP Marco Gonzales to Seattle for OF prospect Tyler O'Neill. St. Louis also designated C Eric Fryer for assignment, recalled C Carson Kelly from Triple-A Memphis, activated OF Randal Grichuk from the 10-day disabled list and LHP Zach Duke from the 60-day disabled list. ... The Chicago stop is the finale of a 10-game road trip for the Cardinals that included stops in Pittsburgh and at the New York Mets. ... St. Louis sends RHP Adam Wainwright (11-5, 5.08 ERA) against Chicago LHP Jon Lester (6-6, 4.07 ERA) in Saturday's middle game. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant sat out Friday's game after suffering a left pinkie finger sprain on Wednesday. He's also likely to miss Saturday. ... The Cubs began an 18-game stretch of game without a trip to the airport with three games against the Cardinals, a four-game home-and-home series with the White Sox, three in Milwaukee and a six-game homestand through Aug. 20.

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