Heyward Gets Big Hit As Cubs Sweep Cardinals With 4-3 Win
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jason Heyward hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two outs in the seventh, and the Chicago Cubs swept the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-3 victory on Sunday.
Ben Zobrist drove in two runs and Kyle Schwarber hit his 27th homer as the NL Central-leading Cubs closed out a 6-3 homestand with their sixth consecutive victory. They stayed four games ahead of Milwaukee and increased their advantage over third-place St. Louis to six games.
Pedro Strop (5-4) worked a rocky seventh for the win and Wade Davis got three outs for his 31st save in 31 chances. Dexter Fowler flied out to the warning track in center with a runner on first to end the game.
The Cardinals trailed 3-0 before Fowler hit a tying three-run homer off Jose Quintana with two out in the sixth, silencing the crowd of 37,242 on a warm, sunny day at Wrigley Field. The inning began with a double for Matt Carpenter that eluded a lunging Schwarber in left.
The Cubs responded in the seventh. Anthony Rizzo reached when he was grazed on his sleeve by a pitch from Tyler Lyons (4-1). The play was originally ruled a ball, but then was overturned by a replay review.
Rizzo advanced to second on Javier Baez's pinch-hit single and took third when Ian Happ beat out a potential double-play grounder. Heyward then hit a liner into left field against Matt Bowman, making it 4-3.
St. Louis put runners on second and third with two out in the sixth, but Carl Edwards Jr. struck out Randal Grichuk to end the inning. Brian Duensing fanned Carpenter with the bases loaded for the final out of the eighth, punctuating the big pitch with an emphatic fist pump.
Chicago played without catcher Willson Contreras, who served a one-game suspension for his confrontation with umpire Jordan Baker in the fifth inning of Friday's 8-2 win in the series opener. Contreras was originally suspended for two games, but the punishment was reduced after he appealed.
The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind Zobrist, who hit a run-scoring groundout in the third and an RBI single in the fourth against Lance Lynn.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (right elbow impingement) faced hitters before the game and said he was ready to come off the disabled list. Manager Mike Matheny liked what he saw but wasn't ready to commit to a timetable for Wainwright's return. "We haven't really talked about that yet," Matheny said. "Wait and see once again physically how everything is measuring up. Today was a good step." Wainwright, who was placed on the DL on Aug. 18, said he probably will pitch out of the bullpen initially when he returns. ... 2B Kolten Wong returned to the lineup after being sidelined by back spasms. Wong left in the seventh inning of Friday's 8-2 loss to the Cubs and rested on Saturday.
Cubs: There was no word on the next step for RHP Jake Arrieta (right hamstring strain), who threw 42 pitches in a bullpen session on Saturday. But he has been ruled out for Chicago's two games at Tampa Bay this week.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Following an off day, RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 6.08 ERA) makes his fourth major league start Tuesday night at Cincinnati. RHP Jackson Stephens (2-0, 2.38 ERA) pitches for the last-place Reds in the opener of a three-game series.
Cubs: Manager Joe Maddon returns to Tampa Bay when the Cubs begin a two-game set against the Rays on Tuesday night. Maddon managed Tampa Bay for nine years before he left after the 2014 season. "I'm really honestly looking forward to it," he said. "There's so many friends in that building."
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