Jason Heyward Gets Chilly Reception As Cubs Beat Cardinals, 5-0
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- John Lackey struck out 11 in seven innings of four-hit ball against his former team and had an RBI single, leading the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, on Monday night.
Jason Heyward, playing at Busch Stadium for the first time since leaving to sign with Chicago, was 0-for-4 at the plate, made two nice catches in right field and was booed throughout.
Dexter Fowler homered for the second time in three days for the Cubs, a major league-best 10-3 and off to their best start since 1970. Chicago has won 15 of its last 16 regular-season road games, going 6-1 this year.
Fowler homered in the sixth, and shortstop Aledmys Diaz misplayed a potential double-grounder in the Cubs' three-run seventh, throwing the ball wildly for an error as a run scored. Addison Russell had a sacrifice fly and Lackey, who entered with a .111 career batting average, singled for a 4-0 lead and his seventh RBI in 129 career at-bats.
Mike Leake (0-2) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and six hits in seven innings in his St. Louis debut. At the plate, he botched a squeeze bunt in the fifth, although Kolten Wong scrambled back to third safely to Lackey's ire.
Lackey (3-0) struck out cleanup hitter Brandon Moss three times, and fanned leadoff man Matt Carpenter and No. 5 hitter Stephen Piscotty twice each. The 11 strikeouts, one shy of his career high, was his 20th double-digit strikeout game.
Lackey was 13-10 with a career-best 2.77 ERA with St. Louis last year, taking over as ace after Adam Wainwright tore his left Achilles tendon in April.
UP NEXT
Jason Hammel (1-0, 0.75) has allowed one run in 12 innings with nine strikeouts. He's 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis. Jaime Garcia (1-0, 2.40) threw a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts his last time out against Milwaukee.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: SS Ruben Tejada was activated from the 15-day DL from a strained left quadriceps but did not start.
ROTATIONAL PULL
Cubs starters have worked at least six innings in every game. The 13-game streak to start the year is the most in the majors since 1988 when the Astros had a 22-game streak and the Indians' 17 according to STATS.
NUMBERS GAME
Heyward is 1 for 18 against Leake with one RBI although he lined out sharply twice. Moss entered 4 for 8 with two RBIs against Lackey.
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