Arenado’s two-run single in the eighth helps Cardinals beat Cubs 5-4 for a doubleheader sweep
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit a two-run single in the eighth inning, Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.
St. Louis won the opener 11-3 as Alec Burleson hit a three-run homer to cap a nine-run first inning, and Lance Lynn (5-4) pitched six solid innings.
John King, Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero (4-1) combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief in the second game before Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth for his major league-leading 32nd save in 34 chances.
Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson allowed four runs on 10 hits and threw 98 pitches in four innings in the nightcap.
Conteras walked and Paul Goldschmidt hit a ground-rule double over the left-field wall to start the eighth inning. Porter Hodge (0-1) struck out Brendan Donovan before surrendering the single to Arenado to give St. Louis the lead.
Michael Busch had three hits, and Miguel Amaya homered for the Cubs in the nightcap.
Cubs Game 2 starter Javier Assad allowed three runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. Assad was activated off the injured list before the games and served as the Cubs’ 27th man.
Amaya started the Cubs’ two-out, four-run rally in the second inning by hitting his third homer of the season to tie the game at 2-all. Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki also added RBI singles as the Cubs batted around.
Winn hit his fifth homer of the season and first career leadoff home run, and Contreras hit his 10th of the season to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead in the first.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected by home plate umpire David Arrieta in the bottom of the sixth inning for arguing from the dugout about the first two pitches to Arenado that were called strikes.
Suzuki and Patrick Wisdom each homered in the opener for the Cubs, who have won five straight. Hayden Wesneski (3-6) allowed 11 runs — four earned — on 10 hits in four innings.
The nine runs scored in the first inning of the opener were the most for the Cardinals in a single inning since scoring 10 runs in the eighth against Counsell’s Milwaukee Brewers on May 15, 2023.
ROSTER MOVES
Cubs: Recalled RHP Daniel Palencia from Triple-A Iowa and optioned RHP Ethan Roberts to Iowa after he pitched two scoreless innings in Game 1.
Cardinals: Recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from Triple-A Memphis to serve as the 27th man in Saturday’s doubleheader.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: Placed LHP Luke Little (left shoulder strain) on the 15-day injured list prior to the doubleheader.
Cardinals: CF Michael Siani departed Game 1 with a left elbow contusion at the end of the third inning and did not start Game 2 but entered the game in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement. … RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) is scheduled to throw a 20-25 pitch live batting practice session with Double-A Springfield.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Jameson Tailon (6-4, 2.99 ERA) will oppose Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (7-7, 4.88 ERA) Sunday.
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