Happ’s two HRs, Jay’s RBI single lead Cubs over Cardinals, 7-6
CHICAGO—Ian Happ hit two homers, pinch hitter Jon Jay drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh with a single and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Happ staked Chicago to a 6-4 lead with a solo homer in the third and a three-run drive in the fourth against Michael Wacha.
Jay broke a 6-6 tie with his two-out single off Matt Bowman (1-2) in the seventh. Anthony Rizzo had three hits and scored the go-ahead run, and the Cubs (28-27) moved back over .500 with their 10th home win in 12 games. They also swept three from the Cardinals at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2006, and they did it after an 0-6 trip to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego.
Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Kyle Hendricks. The Cardinals tied it with two in the sixth against Hector Rondon, only to lose for the eighth time in 11 games.
Singles by Rizzo and Jason Heyward put runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. Jay—batting for Pedro Strop—lined a single to center and Rizzo crossed the plate before Heyward got tagged out in a rundown between second and third.
Strop (2-2) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Carl Edwards Jr. retired the side in the eighth. Koji Uehara worked a perfect ninth for his second save in four chances after Wade Davis closed the previous two games.
Hendricks gave up four runs and four hits in four innings.
Wacha lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs and six hits. He walked four and struck out five after getting pounded in back-to-back losses to the Dodgers.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: INF/OF Kolten Wong (strained left elbow) will likely begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the next couple of days, manager Mike Matheny said. Wong played 41 games this season, hitting .278 with one homer and 16 RBIs before going on the DL on May 28.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: St. Louis sends surging RHP Carlos Martinez (4-4, 3.08 ERA) to the mound as the Cardinals open a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Martinez is 4-1 in his past seven starts and has lowered his ERA from 4.76. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (1-0, 5.63) pitches for the Reds.
Cubs: Chicago begins a three-game series against Miami, with RHP Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.42) pitching for the Cubs and RHP Dan Straily (4-3, 3.56) going for the Marlins.