St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Gant couldn’t get the Chicago Cubs to chase out of the zone.
The Cubs patiently waited for Gant to attack them instead of nibbling around the plate during the second inning. In the process, they sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded five walks to spark a five-run inning en route to a 7-2 win at Wrigley Field.
Craig Kimbrel entered the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded, earning the save by inducing a groundout. The victory sets up the Cubs (37-27), winners for the fifth time in six games, to go for the three-game sweep against the Cardinals (32-32) on Sunday night.
The Cubs’ five-run inning highlighted the lineup’s depth. Even right-hander Kyle Hendricks got in on the walk parade, tallying his first free pass of the season despite starting the at-bat trying to put down a sacrifice bunt.
Ian Happ’s two-run homer in the second erased the Cardinals’ 1-0 lead. Kris Bryant’s bases-loaded walk on a full count brought home a run, ending Gant’s night. Javier Báez welcomed right-hander Jake Woodford with an RBI single to center field, and Anthony Rizzo was hit with a first-pitch curveball to cap the five-run inning.
“That’s the beauty of having a bunch of guys that have been together for a while and have had a ton of success in this league,” Happ said. “And then the guys that are coming up and filling in and become a big part of this team have been huge contributors. So when you get that kind of depth on the back end, the offense is really clicking.
“It’s great that we can produce like that on a daily basis and really give our pitchers a blow with the job that they’re doing.”
Sergio Alcántara keeps hitting the ball hard, too, notching another extra-base hit with his home run in the third. Joc Pederson’s solo blast in the fourth gave him three consecutive games with a home run. In his last 32 games, Pederson is hitting .303 with eight homers and 22 RBIs, a stark turnaround to his start to the season when he hit .132 with one homer and four RBIs in his first 17 games.
Pederson signed with the Cubs in the offseason looking to prove he can be an everyday player. So far, he has met that challenge.
“He’s just all around really proven that he’s a big part of our success,” Cubs manager David Ross said. "He has really good at-bats every time he’s in the box pretty much.”
Lately it hasn’t mattered who Ross plugs into the lineup. The offense is in a groove. Being on the same page and understanding every position player has a role in the Cubs’ success plays a big part.
“That’s been the theme of the Cubs for years now,” Happ said. “We’ve felt like we’ve had 10 to 12 starters for a number of years, probably since I got here. So to be able to have a good relationship in the clubhouse where guys are all supporting each other, everybody wants guys to succeed and you know in a National League game that you’re going to get in there at some point to help, things you’re going to change day to day.”
Hendricks pitching six innings was just as important as the offense showing up against Gant and the Cardinals. He allowed two solo home runs but otherwise limited the Cardinals to only one other hit. Hendricks earned a win in his sixth consecutive start, the longest streak of his career. He owns a 2.93 ERA during this stretch.
Hendricks was pitching on an extra day of rest after Ross and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy used Thursday’s off day to give his arm a break. As the Cubs look to get more from their rotation, Hendricks knows that starts with him.
Ideally, Hendricks wants to pitch at least seven innings every start. Outings such as Saturday’s six-inning performance still are valuable, though, for a team that needs to lessen the load on the bullpen.
“I think it pays dividends later in the year, so I’ve just got to keep working, keep making good pitches, pitch to contact kind of like today,” Hendricks said. “Pitch count was still down low enough, so there’s a little bit more in there to be better. But overall, it’s trending right direction.”
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Chicago Cubs score 5 runs in the 2nd inning and cruise to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals — their 4th straight win and 5th in 6 games - Chicago Tribune
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