Arrieta, Rizzo Lead Cubs Past Cardinals In Opener Of Doubleheader
CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched into the seventh inning and also got a career-high two hits, Anthony Rizzo launched his 16th homer, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-4, on Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Rizzo's two-run drive highlighted a four-run eighth after St. Louis pulled within one.
Arrieta (9-5) came through on the mound and at the plate as the Cubs won for the sixth time in eight games. The right-hander gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings and improved to 3-0 in his past four starts.
Arrieta contributed a pair of singles and scored a run after starting the season 1 for 33.
Chris Denorfia had two hits and drove in three runs as Chicago beat St. Louis for the third time in 11 games. He gave the Cubs 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the third off Tyler Lyons (2-1).
Chicago added a run in the sixth when Arrieta led off with a single and scored on Marcus Hatley's bases-loaded walk to Jorge Soler.
The Cardinals cut it to 3-2 while chasing Arrieta in the seventh. Peter Bourjos hit an RBI double with two outs and scored on a single by Xavier Scruggs.
Tony Cruz then chased Arrieta with a single in front of a diving Denorfia in left before James Russell struck out pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter to end the rally.
The Cubs broke it open in the eighth, with Dexter Fowler driving an RBI double off the center-field wall before Rizzo connected against Randy Choate. Denorfia added an RBI single against Miguel Socolovich that made it 7-2.
St. Louis' Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer off Neil Ramirez in the ninth.
Lyons gave up three runs and seven hits over 5 2-3 innings for the Cardinals.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Manager Joe Maddon said he got a good report on RHP Rafael Soriano, who struck out three in an inning of relief Monday for Double-A Tennessee — his first appearance for the organization. Soriano, who has 207 career saves, signed last month and had to wait for his immigration paperwork to go through before coming to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
"He's a pitcher who happens to be a closer, back-end-of-the-bullpen, kind of guy," said Maddon, who managed him in Tampa Bay.
UP NEXT
LHP Tim Cooney (0-0, 5.40 ERA) makes his third start for the Cardinals in the nightcap while Dallas Beeler makes his first appearance of the season for the Cubs after being called up from Triple-A Iowa as the 26th man.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
