Cody Bellinger leads in 4 points as Cubs edge Cardinals 8-6 on rainy day in Wrigley Originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger drove in four runs and Nico Hoerner had three of Chicago’s 15 hits, helping the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 on Saturday in a wet and wild game of rivals NL Central.
Chicago trailed 1-0, 3-1, 5-3, 6-5 before moving ahead for the first time with three runs in the sixth inning. Bellinger fired a two-run single into right field and Seiya Suzuki followed with an RBI single, giving the Cubs an 8-6 lead.
After the start was delayed for 25 minutes, it rained intermittently before another downpour brought play to a halt. Two members of the field crew were nearly swallowed by the tarp as they pulled it over the diamond midway through the seventh, and the Wrigley Field crowd of 40,425 sang along to “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. during the 87 minute delay.
Bellinger, a possible trade target ahead of the August 1 deadline, continued his scorching strike. The 2019 NL MVP is batting .382 (42 for 110) with 21 RBIs in his last 30 games.
Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman homered for St. Louis, which has lost two straight after a six-game winning streak. Nootbaar had three hits, scored three times and had two impressive defensive plays in a tremendous all-around performance.
Frustrated with the strike zone for the second straight day, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected by plate umpire Cory Blaser in the top of the sixth. It was his seventh career ejection.
St. Louis wide receiver Willson Contreras also missed late in the game against his former team. He drove in two races before being sent off with a right hip strain.
Daniel Palencia (2-0) pulled one out for the win. Zack Thompson (2-3), who took over after starter Miles Mikolas struggled for St. Louis, was charged with the three in the sixth.
Adbert Alzolay worked the ninth for his ninth save, trapping Gorman’s understudy for the first out.
The Cardinals took the lead when Nootbaar pushed Michael Fulmer’s first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers for his seventh homer. It was Nootbaar’s third home run this season and No. 4 of his career.
Nootbaar also scored a single and scored on the wild Palencia pitch in the sixth, giving St. Louis a 6-5 lead. He followed Mike Tauchman’s fourth-inning drive against the ivy-covered wall in the center and robbed Bellinger with a somersault catch on the warning track in the seventh.
Serving as an opener, Fulmer pitched two innings in his first major league start since May 4, 2021 for Detroit at Boston. Drew Smyly was next for Chicago, throwing 3 2/3 innings of five-run pitch in his usual place in the rotation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: Contreras, it’s day to day. … RHP Drew VerHagen (right hip impact) was activated from the 15-day injured list, and RHP Kyle Leahy was opted for Triple-A Memphis. VerHagen got the last two outs of the sixth. … INF/OF Tommy Edman (right wrist inflammation) hit a tee on Friday.
Cubs: All-Star SS Dansby Swanson (bruised left heel) was activated from the 10-day IL, and INF Jared Young was opted for Triple-A Iowa. Swanson had two hits and threw a run. … RHP Adrian Sampson (right meniscus) allowed two earned runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in a rehab appearance with Iowa on Friday.
FOLLOWING
Jordan Montgomery (6-7, 3.14 ERA) pitches Sunday for St. Louis. The southpaw is 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last seven starts. Chicago had not announced its starter for the series finale.
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