Cubs' magic number 1 following win over Cardinals
The Sports Xchange
Sep 25, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- The defending World Series champs are one game away from getting the chance to defend their title.
Jon Lester pitched six solid innings Monday night, and Kris Bryant and Javier Baez each bashed home runs as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 at Busch Stadium.
Chicago (88-68) reduced its magic number for winning the National League Central to one. If the Cubs beat the Cardinals on Tuesday night or Milwaukee loses at home to Cincinnati on Tuesday, Chicago would repeat as division champions.
Lester (12-8) bounced back from a rough outing Wednesday in an 8-1 loss at Tampa Bay, giving up a run on five hits on Monday. Lester walked two and fanned four.
The Cubs touched seven St. Louis pitchers for a dozen hits, ending a seven-game winning streak for Cardinals rookie Luke Weaver (7-2). They scored all 10 runs with two outs.
It was the first loss for Weaver since July 27, as he was lit up for eight runs on seven hits in three innings with two walks and three strikeouts.
St. Louis (81-75) was eliminated from the division race with its third consecutive loss. The Cardinals fell three games behind Colorado for the NL's second wild card, pending the outcome of the Rockies' late game with the Miami Marlins on Monday.
In addition, the Cardinals lost All-Star catcher Yadier Molina in the seventh inning after he was struck with consecutive foul balls in the mask. The team announced that Molina was in the concussion protocol.
Two-out offense was the early storyline. Chicago got off the mark with four two-out runs in the first. Addison Russell laced a three-run double down the right field line and scored on Jason Heyward's double to right-center.
The teams swapped solo homers in the second. Bryant lined his 29th homer to left with two outs, while St. Louis' Jedd Gyorko answered in the bottom of the inning with a 410-foot blast to the third deck in left, his 19th of the season.
In the third, Baez increased the Cubs' advantage to 8-1 with a two-out, three-run shot to the Chicago bullpen in left-center. It was the 23rd homer for Baez.
NOTES: Jose Quintana's three-hit shutout Sunday at Milwaukee was the Cubs' first by a lefty since Rich Hill had one on Sept. 16, 2006, in a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati. ... St. Louis 1B Jose Martinez (thumb) wasn't in the starting lineup for a third consecutive game, and there is no timetable for his return. Martinez will take some swings before the Tuesday night game with hopes of getting back into games in the final week. ... If the Cubs can clinch a playoff spot, it would mark their third straight postseason berth, the first time they would have done so since 1906-08.
Sep 25, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- The defending World Series champs are one game away from getting the chance to defend their title.
Jon Lester pitched six solid innings Monday night, and Kris Bryant and Javier Baez each bashed home runs as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 at Busch Stadium.
Chicago (88-68) reduced its magic number for winning the National League Central to one. If the Cubs beat the Cardinals on Tuesday night or Milwaukee loses at home to Cincinnati on Tuesday, Chicago would repeat as division champions.
Lester (12-8) bounced back from a rough outing Wednesday in an 8-1 loss at Tampa Bay, giving up a run on five hits on Monday. Lester walked two and fanned four.
The Cubs touched seven St. Louis pitchers for a dozen hits, ending a seven-game winning streak for Cardinals rookie Luke Weaver (7-2). They scored all 10 runs with two outs.
It was the first loss for Weaver since July 27, as he was lit up for eight runs on seven hits in three innings with two walks and three strikeouts.
St. Louis (81-75) was eliminated from the division race with its third consecutive loss. The Cardinals fell three games behind Colorado for the NL's second wild card, pending the outcome of the Rockies' late game with the Miami Marlins on Monday.
In addition, the Cardinals lost All-Star catcher Yadier Molina in the seventh inning after he was struck with consecutive foul balls in the mask. The team announced that Molina was in the concussion protocol.
Two-out offense was the early storyline. Chicago got off the mark with four two-out runs in the first. Addison Russell laced a three-run double down the right field line and scored on Jason Heyward's double to right-center.
The teams swapped solo homers in the second. Bryant lined his 29th homer to left with two outs, while St. Louis' Jedd Gyorko answered in the bottom of the inning with a 410-foot blast to the third deck in left, his 19th of the season.
In the third, Baez increased the Cubs' advantage to 8-1 with a two-out, three-run shot to the Chicago bullpen in left-center. It was the 23rd homer for Baez.
NOTES: Jose Quintana's three-hit shutout Sunday at Milwaukee was the Cubs' first by a lefty since Rich Hill had one on Sept. 16, 2006, in a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati. ... St. Louis 1B Jose Martinez (thumb) wasn't in the starting lineup for a third consecutive game, and there is no timetable for his return. Martinez will take some swings before the Tuesday night game with hopes of getting back into games in the final week. ... If the Cubs can clinch a playoff spot, it would mark their third straight postseason berth, the first time they would have done so since 1906-08.
