CHICAGO -- The Cardinals arrived at Wrigley Field this weekend with an opportunity to make a statement. They left Sunday afternoon having made one.
St. Louis used a six-run fourth inning to break open the rubber match, rolling to an 11-4 victory over the Cubs and securing a pivotal series win against a division rival. The Cardinals improved to 63-61, keeping themselves firmly in the thick of the National League Wild Card race as the season moves deeper into August.
Alec Burleson supplied the offense early and then helped blow the game open. After JJ Wetherholt blooped a leadoff double down the left-field line in the first, Burleson launched a Statcast-projected 421-foot two-run homer deep into the right-field bleachers to give St. Louis an immediate 2-0 advantage.
The Cardinals turned a close game into a rout three innings later. They worked three walks during a six-run fourth -- all three runners eventually scored -- with Edward Cabrera’s third free pass of the inning forcing home a run before Chicago eventually turned to the bullpen.
That didn’t slow St. Louis down. Cubs manager Craig Counsell summoned left-hander Ryan Rolison with two outs to face Burleson, and Burleson jumped on his first pitch, slicing a two-run single into left field. Jordan Walker followed by launching a two-run homer to dead center, punctuating the rally and pushing the Cardinals’ lead to 9-2.
It was another emphatic offensive showing one day after Joshua Báez turned his Major League debut into a historic afternoon. Báez became the first player in MLB history to homer three times in his debut Saturday, providing the Cardinals with the type of jolt manager Oliver Marmol believed could extend beyond one game.
Sunday offered some immediate evidence. One day after Báez supplied the fireworks, the production came from throughout the lineup, with Burleson and Walker delivering the biggest swings as St. Louis turned the series finale into a comfortable win.
The Cardinals came to Chicago needing a strong weekend against the Cubs. After dropping Friday’s opener, they responded with two emphatic victories -- first behind a debut nobody had ever produced before, then with a six-run inning Sunday -- to leave Wrigley with a series win and some momentum for the stretch run.