Cubs drop game to Cardinals in third consecutive loss
CHICAGO (AP) — Paul DeJong, Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Tuesday night for their third consecutive win.
DeJong put St. Louis in front when he opened the ninth inning with a drive to left-center off Javier Assad for his third homer this season. Dylan Carlson then tripled and scored on Andrew Knizner's bloop double into shallow right field.
Chris Stratton (1-0) got four outs for the win, and Giovanny Gallegos worked the ninth for his second save.
The Cardinals had dropped eight in a row and 15 of 18 overall before their win streak.
Dansby Swanson and Christopher Morel homered for Chicago in its third consecutive loss. Swanson finished with three hits and three RBIs.
The Cubs went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
Assad (0-2) pitched five scoreless innings in relief before faltering in the ninth.
Chicago trailed 4-3 before Morel connected against Andre Pallante in the sixth, sending a solo shot into the bushes in straightaway center field. It was Morel's first game of the season after he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Monday.
St. Louis opened a 4-1 lead with three runs in the third, chasing Jameson Taillon. Nootbaar hit a one-out solo drive that traveled an estimated 431 feet to right-center. With two out and two on, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan and Paul DeJong walked to bring home two more runs.
Taillon departed after Donovan's walk. The right-hander remained winless in five starts in his first season with Chicago.
Swanson responded with a two-run shot in the bottom half, a drive off Jack Flaherty that landed in the basket in right for his third homer of the season.
Flaherty worked out of a bases-loaded jam in his final inning, retiring Seiya Suzuki on a fly ball to the warning track in left in the fifth. The right-hander allowed seven hits and issued five walks.
MAKING MOVES
The Cardinals made a move in their bullpen, recalling Pallante from Triple-A Memphis and sending left-hander JoJo Romero to their top farm club.
WORTH NOTING
Umpire CB Bucknor did not work the game, replaced by Jordan Baker. Bucknor was shaken up after he was hit by a foul ball Monday night, but he resumed his duties behind the plate after a short break.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado returned to the starting lineup after he was scratched for the series opener because of neck stiffness. ... OF Tyler O'Neill (lower back tightness) took some pregame swings off a tee.
Cubs: 2B Nico Hoerner had an MRI that showed a mild left hamstring strain. He is day to day after he got hurt running the bases on Monday night. "Obviously any discomfort that you feel on the field isn't the best," he said. "But really happy with how we've treated it so far and how I'm recovering and stuff." ... RHPs Kyle Hendricks (shoulder strain) and Codi Heuer (Tommy John recovery) each made a rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa. Hendricks pitched five shutout innings, and Heuer got two outs during his scoreless outing. ... LHP Brandon Hughes (left knee inflammation) is scheduled for a bullpen session on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Justin Steele (5-0, 1.45 ERA) looks to build on his fast start when he faces fellow left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-4, 3.29 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday night. Steele pitched seven sparkling innings in Chicago's 4-1 victory over Miami last week. Montgomery is 0-4 with a 3.72 ERA in his last five outings for St. Louis.