CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Mike Tauchman doubled in Dansby Swanson with the winning run as the Chicago Cubs scored three times in the ninth inning to rally for a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
With Chicago down 4-2, Cody Bellinger hit a solo homer with one out. After Nico Hoerner singled and stole second, Swanson followed with his second RBI single of the night to tie it. Tauchman lined St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley’s 2-2 fastball down the left field line for the win.
Helsley (4-4) blew a save for the third time in 19 chances. Reliever Nate Pearson (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings for the win.
Rookie Masyn Winn hit a two-run homer, then Nolan Arenado added an RBI single in a three-run seventh inning to put St. Louis ahead 4-2.
Paul Goldschmidt hit his 17th homer in the first, then added a single and double. The veteran first baseman has nine hits in his last 20 at bats (.450) over five games.
Bellinger has seven hits in three games since coming back from a broken finger.
St. Louis starter Sonny Gray tossed seven effective innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out nine and walking one. Gray was sharp after yielding 24 runs over 28 1/3 innings in five previous starts for a 6.67 ERA during the span.
Seiya Suzuki hit a 459-foot solo shot in the sixth inning for his second hit of the night. The team said it was the longest by a Cubs player this season.
Winn’s eighth homer, off a high, inside fastball from Shota Imanaga, barely made it to the basket in left field.
Tommy Pham added two more hits and is 5 for 10 in three games with St. Louis since being acquired from the White Sox on Monday. Arenado, Winn and Michael Siani each finished with two hits.
Imanaga yielded four runs on 10 hits. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none.
CARDINALS MOVES
RHP Erick Fedde, acquired from the White Sox on Monday, and RHP Shawn Armstrong, acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday, joined the Cardinals and were activated. Fedde will start Friday and Armstrong was available from the bullpen. To make room, RHP Michael McGreevy and RHP Ryan Loutos were optioned to Triple-A-Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay, on the IL since May 13, will need surgery to repair a flexor muscle in his right forearm, manager Craig Counsell said. The Cubs closer last season with 22 saves, Alzolay didn’t bounce back from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa last Saturday. Counsell said Alzolay would seek a second opinion before setting a surgery date.
UP NEXT
Fedde (7-4, 3.11) makes his first start for the Cardinals on Friday against Cubs RHP Javier Assad (5-3, 3.23).
