Cardinals Defeat Cubs, 4-3
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday homered to back Adam Wainwright, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3, on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals won their second straight game after going 0-5 on their first winless homestand of at least two series since 1983.
Carpenter and Holliday connected against Jason Hammel (7-3) in a three-run third inning that made it 4-1. Wainwright (6-4) pitched into the seventh and improved to 10-1 in 21 games — 16 starts — at Wrigley Field.
The Cardinals put themselves in position to sweep their first trip to Chicago since last year's NL Division Series, though it won't be easy with the major league-leading Cubs sending reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound.
Chris Coghlan scored two runs for the Cubs, whose longest losing streak is three games. Chicago hit into three double plays.
Wainwright allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Chicago's Addison Russell doubled off the wall in left leading off the seventh. Jonathan Broxton came in with two outs and walked Coghlan, putting runners on first and third, but first baseman Brandon Moss made a diving stop on Jason Heyward's grounder to end the threat.
Kevin Siegrist worked the eighth, and Trevor Rosenthal handled the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances. Shaky in Monday's win, he gave up a one-out single to Russell and walked Javier Baez with two outs before pinch-hitter Matt Szczur grounded into a force play to end the game.
Hammel went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
