Willson Contreras drove in three runs, including the game-winner, to rally the visiting Chicago Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 in 10 innings Sunday.
The Cubs erased a 5-0 deficit to win for the third time in five games and take this weekend series 2-1.
Cubs starting pitcher Alec Mills allowed five runs on six hits — including three homers — in just 2 2/3 innings. But relievers Matt Swarmer, Chris Martin, Rowan Wick, Mychal Givens and David Robertson combined to blank the Cardinals on just two hits rest of the way.
Robertson (2-0) got the final four outs to earn the victory.
Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty lasted just two innings before departing with shoulder stiffness. He didn’t allow a run, but he walked two batters, allowed a double, committed a throwing error and needed 49 pitches to get the six outs.
Zack Thompson (1-1), the sixth of seven Cardinals pitchers, took the loss.
The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning when Brendan Donovan hit a one-out triple and scored on Nolan Arenado’s single.
They doubled their lead to 2-0 in the second. After Dylan Carlson was hit by a pitch, Ivan Herrera sent him to third base with a one-out single, his first big league hit, and Tommy Edman drove him in with a fielder’s choice grounder.
Homers by Donovan, Paul Goldschmidt and Juan Yepez in the third inning put the Cardinals up 5-0 and knocked Mills from the game.
The Cubs tied the game 5-5 in the fourth inning. Singles by Nico Hoerner, Yan Gomes and Alfonso Rivas against Nick Wittgren produced one run.
David Bote hit a single to load the bases. Johan Oviedo entered the game and allowed Rafael Ortega’s two-run double and Contreras’ two-run single.
In the 10th inning Contreras drove home the tiebreaker runner with a single to decide the outcome.
–Field Level Media