Hendricks pitches Cubs to sweep of Cardinals

[June 10, 2019]  Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs, Kyle Hendricks won his sixth consecutive decision, and the Chicago Cubs pulled away for a 5-1 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep.

Chicago improved to 6-0 at home against St. Louis this season as it duplicated a three-game sweep from early May. Carlos Gonzalez homered while Anthony Rizzo and David Bote also drove in one run apiece for the Cubs.

Kolten Wong hit an RBI double for the Cardinals, who lost for the fourth time in their past five games.

Hendricks (7-4) allowed one run on eight hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out three while throwing 68 of 98 pitches for strikes.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-6) exited the game after 4 1/3 innings because of left hamstring tightness. He allowed three runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out two.

Wainwright headed for the clubhouse with a trainer after a long conversation on the mound.

Chicago grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Schwarber drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third base on a single by Kris Bryant and scored on a groundout by Rizzo.

Sloppy defense allowed St. Louis to even the score in the second. A throwing error by Bryant allowed Marcell Ozuna to reach second base. Ozuna advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by Wong that skipped past Schwarber in left field.

Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) pitches during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs scored a pair of runs in the fifth to pull ahead 3-1. Bote ripped a go-ahead single to left-center field to drive in Jason Heyward. Moments later, Schwarber hit a one-hopper off the ivy in right-center field to score Bote from first.

Schwarber struck again in the seventh. His single to center field drove in Albert Almora Jr., who reached on an error by third baseman Matt Carpenter and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by Carlos Martinez.

Gonzalez added a solo shot, his first homer as a Cub, in the eighth.

Chicago's Steve Cishek pitched around a single to throw a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, Carl Edwards recorded two outs but walked two. Pedro Strop entered and induced a groundout from Carpenter to earn his seventh save of the year.

The Cubs improved to 24-11 at home. The Cardinals dropped to 11-19 on the road.

--Field Level Media

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