Nolan Gorman atoned for a costly throwing error by producing the game-winning RBI as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the visiting Chicago Cubs 3-2 Sunday night.
The second-place Cubs fell six games behind the streaking Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Brewers won their ninth straight game Sunday afternoon.
Pedro Pages hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who have won three of their last four games.
Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray (11-5) allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Riley O’Brien retired two batters in the eighth inning, then JoJo Romero got the last four outs for his third save.
Matt Shaw hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who lost for the fourth time in their last six games.
Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (8-5) allowed three runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked none.
The game’s start was delayed 53 minutes by a pregame downpour.
Gray escaped trouble in the first inning. Seiya Suzuki hit a one-out single and Carson Kelly drew a two-out walk, but Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to strand them.
Imanaga retired his first six batters, but then the Cardinals took 2-0 lead against him in the third inning on Thomas Saggese’s single and Pages’ homer.
The Cubs tied the game 2-2 in the fifth inning. Dansby Swanson reached safely on Gorman’s throwing error and Shaw capitalized with his homer.
The Cardinals moved ahead 3-2 in the seventh inning. Jordan Walker hit a single, stole second base and scored on Gorman’s single.
Suzuki walked with two outs in the eighth inning and went to third on Kyle Tucker’s single before Kelly grounded out to end the threat.
With one out in the ninth inning, pinch-runner Jon Berti was thrown out trying to steal second. Nico Hoerner and Swanson followed with singles, but Shaw grounded into a game-ending fielder’s choice to second base.
–Field Level Media
