Yadier Molina hit a three-run double and Paul Goldschmidt laced a two-run homer as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the visiting Chicago Cubs 8-4 Saturday.
Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill hit solo homers for the National League Central-leading Cardinals, who won for the sixth time in seven games. They improved to 44-22 at home and 37-20 within their division.
Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (10-9) allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings. Andre Pallante, Jake Woodford, JoJo Romero and Giovanny Gallegos each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Wainwright and Molina made their 323rd career start as battery mates, one behind Bill Freehan and Mickey Lolich of the Detroit Tigers for most in baseball history.
Franmil Reyes and Rafael Ortega drove in two runs each for the Cubs, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly (5-8) allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.
The Cubs jumped to a 3-0 first-inning lead on singles by Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Reyes and Ortega.
The Cardinals responded in their half of the inning when O’Neill walked and Goldschmidt poked his two-run homer down the right-field line to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Wainwright allowed two-out singles by Ortega and Yan Gomes in the third inning, but he retired Alfonso Rivas on a groundout to strand them.
The Cardinals pulled ahead 8-3 in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back homers by Edman and O’Neill got the inning started, then the Cardinals knocked Smyly out of the game by loading the bases with one out.
Molina greeted reliever Jeremiah Estrada with a three-run double, then he stole third base and scored on Lars Nootbaar’s sacrifice fly.
The Cubs cut their deficit to 8-4 in the fifth inning when Happ doubled and scored on Reyes’ single.
–Field Level Media