Michael Busch hit a three-run home run and scored twice to lead the visiting Chicago Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 on Saturday night.
Busch came into the game 13-for-29 (.448 batting average) with five homers, 10 runs and eight RBIs against the Cardinals this season. Then he went 2-for-5 with a double and the homer to power this victory.
Matt Shaw (2-for-3, homer, two runs, two RBIs), Carson Kelly (3-for-4, RBI), Dansby Swanson (3-for-4, stolen base, two runs), Kyle Tucker (1-for-4, walk, two runs, RBI) also had productive games for the Cubs.
Chicago starter Colin Rea (9-5) limited St. Louis to one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-9) allowed six runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings.
After getting shut out Friday night, the Cubs quickly took a 2-0 first-inning lead in this game. Busch hit a leadoff double, advanced on a groundout and scored on Tucker’s single. After Tucker stole second base, Kelly hit a single into right field. Tucker stopped at third but scored when first baseman Willson Contreras mishandled his cutoff of the throw toward home, which resulted in a throwing error by right fielder Jordan Walker.
The Cubs built a 6-0 lead in the second inning. Swanson hit a single, stole second base and went to third on a throwing error. After Shaw walked, Busch hit his three-run homer.
Seiya Suzuki then hit a double and scored when Kelly hit another single.
Chicago increased its lead to 7-0 in the third inning on a single by Swanson and Shaw’s RBI triple.
The Cubs made it 8-0 in the fourth inning. Tucker drew a one-out walk, went to third on Kelly’s single and scored on an Ian Happ single.
Shaw’s homer in the fifth inning increased the margin to 9-0.
The Cardinals got on the board in the sixth inning when Lars Nootbaar hit a double and ultimately scored on Alec Burleson’s groundout.
–Field Level Media
