Wisdom homers, Mancini has RBI single as Cubs beat Cardinals 3-2 for seventh straight win
Patrick Wisdom homered and Trey Mancini had a tiebreaking RBI single to help the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Friday night.
Drew Smyly (8-7) allowed just two hits in 4 1/3 effective innings in relief as the Cubs won their seventh straight game. It is their longest win streak since also winning seven in a row last Sept. 25-Oct. 2.
Reliever Adbert Alzolay got the last four outs for his 12th save in 13 opportunities. He retired pinch-hitter Alec Burleson on a fly ball to deep center with a runner on third to end the game as Mike Tauchman reached over the fence to take away a potential game-winning home run.
Lars Nootbaar homered twice for St. Louis, which has lost three of five.
Wisdom hit his team-high 18th home run off Jordan Montgomery (6-9) in the fifth. Montgomery, a free agent at the end of the season and the subject of trade rumors, allowed three runs and five hits over six innings.
Nootbaar hit his fourth leadoff homer of the season just three pitches into the game. He also added a solo blast in the third for a 2-0 lead.
Chicago, which has won nine of 10, scored twice in the sixth to take the lead. Seiya Suzuki hit a one-out double and came around on a sacrifice fly by Dansby Swanson to tie the score. Yan Gomes drew a walk to reload the bases before Mancini hit a single to left.
St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol served a one-game suspension that was handed down earlier in the day after pitcher Miles Mikolas hit Ian Happ in the first inning Thursday. Bench coach Joe McEwing ran the team on Friday,
Mikolas was given a five-game suspension, but plans to appeal the ruling.
The Cubs have won their last five straight in St. Louis. At 52-51, they moved over the .500 mark for the first time since May 6 when they were 17-16.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: INF Tommy Edman will begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Memphis on Saturday. He has been out since July 7 with right wrist inflammation.
UP NEXT
St. Louis RHP Adam Wainwright (3-4, 7.31) will face Chicago RHP Jameson Taillon (4-6, 5.75 ERA) in the third game of the four-game set on Saturday night.
