CHICAGO (AP) - Hot as they’ve been of late, even the Chicago Cubs couldn’t withstand a six-run eighth inning.
Randal Grichuk hit a grand slam to cap the six-run burst and the St. Louis Cardinals stopped the Cubs’ 11-game winning streak, beating Chicago 8-4 on Saturday.
The Cardinals took advantage of a bullpen missing injured setup men Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon. Starter Kyle Hendricks handed over a 2-2 game to Carl Edwards Jr. (0-1) to begin the eighth, and he allowed two runs on four walks, a single and a wild pitch. Joe Smith then entered and allowed Grichuk’s slam.
“That’s an example of what the team looks like without Strop and Rondon,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Regardless, I felt really good with C.J. in that moment. He has been outstanding.”
Edwards had allowed just one run over his previous 11 appearances, and his ERA ballooned from 1.42 to 3.66 on Saturday.
Smith, meanwhile, has an 8.10 ERA in five games since being acquired from the Angels. The sidewinding right-hander has allowed three home runs, two to righties.
“I never had a problem with that in my career. I don’t know (the answer),” Smith said. “Aggravating. Coming to a new team, you want to do well.”
Hendricks gave up solo homers to Jedd Gyorko and Brandon Moss but was otherwise outstanding over seven innings. He matched his career high with 12 strikeouts while allowing five hits and no walks.
“Just two bad changeups, really, two changeups up,” Hendricks said. “That was about it. Hopefully, we could keep that winning streak going, but we’ll start a new one tomorrow.”
Addison Russell hit his 14th homer for the NL Central-leading Cubs.
St. Louis starter and hyped prospect Luke Weaver gave up two runs on four hits in his major league debut. The 22-year-old was lifted for a pinch hitter after four innings and 85 pitches.
Fellow top prospect Alex Reyes (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to get the win.
“You probably couldn’t throw them into a hotter spot than what we just threw them into,” manager Mike Matheny said. “This is a tough place to pitch and watching them … not just survive, I thought they looked terrific.”
The Cubs added a pair of runs in the ninth before Zach Duke recorded the final three outs.
La STELLA UPDATE
The Cubs are awaiting a decision from INF Tommy La Stella, who was put on the inactive list earlier this week after failing to report to Triple-A Iowa following a demotion last month. La Stella returned to his home in New Jersey.
“I’m still very optimistic about him coming back, but nothing has really abruptly changed right now,” Maddon said. “I think he was very clear how he felt. I think we were very clear back to him how we felt.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) was placed 15-day disabled on Saturday to make room for Weaver on the roster.
Cubs: After a bullpen session Friday, Rondon (sore triceps) reported no physical complications. Maddon said the reliever was “real close” to a return to the active roster. … Strop, who had an arthroscopic procedure to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee on Thursday, was back in the clubhouse and walking on crutches. He’s expected to be sidelined four to six weeks.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP John Lackey (9-7, 3.56 ERA) pitches the finale on Sunday. Lackey, who jumped from the Cardinals to the Cubs in the offseason, is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA against St. Louis this season. RHP Mike Leake (8-9, 4.79) goes for the Cardinals.
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