Sharp start: Lackey gives up two hits in 71⁄3 innings and Cardinals put the game away with two late homers.
Big-game pitcher gives up two hits in 7 1 ⁄3 innings, and late homers help put away Cubs in opener.
ST. LOUIS — John Lackey lived up to his reputation as a pitcher who craves the ball in October, helping the St. Louis Cardinals cool off the upstart Chicago Cubs.
Lackey outpitched old teammate Jon Lester, giving up two hits into the eighth inning, and rookies Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty each homered late for the Cardinals in a 4-0 victory Friday night in the opener of their National League division series.
“Tonight was special, for sure,” Lackey said. “The atmosphere was outstanding, the crowd was really into it, and I knew I’d have to pitch well.”
He did it in front of a standingroom-only crowd of 47,830 — the second-largest at 10-year-old Busch Stadium — with thousands of Cubs faithful mixed into the red throng for the first postseason game between the two long-time rivals.
“Incredible. I thought his fastball was about as good as we’ve seen. Period,” Manager Mike Matheny said. “Anything you wanted to do, he pretty much had it.”
Yadier Molina did his part behind the plate too, wearing a splint to protect a strained left thumb ligament that sidelined him since Sept. 20. He was 0 for 3 but seemingly had no issues.
“You can tell he’s been anxious to get in there,” Matheny said. “The way he moved behind the plate, the way he and John were working, he is so valuable to our club in so many ways.”
Lackey protected a 1-0 lead by holding the Cubs hitless for five innings. Addison Russell ended the suspense with a solid single up the middle to open the sixth and Kyle Schwarber’s bunt hit leading off the seventh was the only other hit yielded by Lackey in 71⁄3 innings.
Kevin Siegrist struck out two to end the eighth, when it was still a one-run game. Trevor Rosenthal gave up a single and a walk but fanned three in finishing the threehitter.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Saturday. The Cardinals turn to lefty Jaime Garcia (10-6), who made 20 starts coming off risky thoracic surgery. Kyle Hendricks (8-7) makes his postseason debut for the NL wild-card winners.
Matt Holliday had an RBI single in the first, giving St. Louis a lead after just three at-bats. Pinchhitting, Pham homered off Lester with one out in the eighth to snap a string of 13 straight outs for the lefty. Piscotty had a two-run shot off Pedro Strop in the eighth.
The 36-year-old Lackey outdid Lester, with whom he formed a potent 1-2 punch on the 2013 Red Sox, the team that knocked off the Cardinals in the World Series.
“Lester did his thing as well,” Lackey said. “A really fun game, and fun to be a part of.”
Lackey is 3-0 with an 0.93 ERA in four starts against Chicago overall. Lester is 1-4, but he has a 2.79 ERA against St. Louis.
Including their wild-card victory at Pittsburgh, the Cubs had won nine in a row. They haven’t scored since the fifth inning of that 4-0 victory, however.