Cody Bellinger's big day guides Cubs over Cardinals

[July 22, 2023]  Cody Bellinger continued his torrid offensive pace with three hits, including a two-run homer during Chicago's four-run third inning, and the host Cubs held on to snap the St. Louis Cardinals' six-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory Friday. 

Miles Mastrobuoni clubbed his first major league home run for the Cubs, who evened this set with their third win in four games. Chicago's Justin Steele (10-3) was charged with two runs and six hits while fanning nine over 6 1/3 innings.

Bellinger is batting .442 (38-for-86) with six homers and 15 RBIs in his last 23 games.

St. Louis trailed 4-1 in the seventh when Nolan Arenado's two-out, two-run single made it a one-run game. In the eighth, Chicago relievers Michael Fulmer and Mark Leiter Jr. combined to walk the bases loaded with one out, but Alec Burleson grounded into an inning-ending double play.

With two outs in the ninth, Arenado reached on a grounder that went through the legs of Chicago second baseman Christopher Morel, and Adbert Alzolay hit Willson Contreras. However, Tyler O'Neill flew out to Bellinger in center field. St. Louis stranded 11 runners on the day.

St. Louis' Jack Flaherty (7-6) pitched six innings and allowed all four runs in the fourth, plus eight hits, while striking out six.

Steele allowed consecutive singles to O'Neill, Jordan Walker and Paul DeJong in the second. However, the Cardinals managed just one run on Andrew Knizner's RBI groundout.

Mastrobuoni opened the bottom of the third with his milestone drive into the right-center field bleachers. Rookie Miguel Amaya followed with a single and scored on Mike Tauchman's opposite-field double into the left-field corner for a 2-1 Cubs lead.

Then Bellinger, who doubled in the second inning and went on to single in the fifth, capped the scoring in the third by clearing the ivy-covered wall in right for his 13th homer.

Steele exited following Jose Fermin's one-out bunt single in the seventh. Julian Merryweather came on and eventually issued a two-out walk to Paul Goldschmidt. After both moved up a base on Merryweather's wild pitch, Arenado's hit tightened the contest.

--Field Level Media

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