Cubs’ 5-run second inning evens series with Cardinals

Chicago heads home with ace Arrieta on the mound.

Dexter Fowler, Soler and Starlin Castro each had two of Chicago’s six hits.

ST. LOUIS — Kyle Hendricks and Addison Russell had successful squeeze bunts and Jorge Soler capped a five-run second with a two-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs held off the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 on Saturday night to even their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Manager Joe Maddon made all the right moves a night after the Cubs lost the opener 4-0. Now the teams shift to Wrigley Field for Game 3 Monday, where Chicago’s 22-game winner Jake Arrieta faces St. Louis’ Michael Wacha in the best-of-five series.

The usually steady NL Central champion Cardinals made two errors as the Cubs didn’t hit the ball out of the infield in scoring their first three runs in the second.

Playing in his first post- season game, Soler connected off Jaime Garcia (0-1), who was lifted because of a stomach ailment after the second inning.

Dexter Fowler, Soler and Starlin Castro each had two of Chicago’s six hits in a game played in front of a crowd of 47,859, a postseason record at 10-year-old Busch Stadium.

Besides the two-run homer, Soler doubled and walked twice. Chicago had lost seven straight Division Series games.

The Cardinals homered three times, including a leadoff long ball by Matt Carpenter. Consecutive shots by Kolten Wong and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk with two outs in the fifth chased Hendricks one out shy of qualifying for the victory in his postseason debut.

Travis Wood (1-0) allowed one hit with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory. Hector Rondon, briefly stuck in the bullpen bathroom during Game 1, earned the save.

Garcia left because of a stomach virus after a sloppy second inning. Though none of the runs were earned, the lefty’s first postseason start since 2012 was a disaster.

The Cubs capitalized when Garcia blew a play on a safety squeeze by Hendricks. The pitcher hesitated instead of throwing home with a very good chance of cut- ting down the run, then made a wild, flat-footed throw to first for an error.

Russell, the next batter, squeezed in another run, and Dexter Fowler had an RBI infield hit before Soler drove a high 2-2 pitch over the center field wall.

DILIP VISHWANAT / GETTY IMAGES Making his postseason debut, Jorge Soler hit a two-run home run off Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia to cap a big second inning for the Cubs on Saturday. The teams’ NL Division Series is tied at one game apiece.

MICHAEL B. THOMAS / GETTY IMAGES Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward can only watch as Soler’s shot leaves the park.