- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Hot Cards rout Cubs; half-game back in WC
- Updated: September 25, 2016
CHICAGO — Just when the Cardinals needed a win to keep pace in the National League Wild Card race, it was Alex Reyes’ turn to pitch. Stephen Piscotty smacked a solo home run and Yadier Molina drove in four runs to back Reyes and power the Cardinals to a 10-4 victory on Saturday at Wrigley Field over the Cubs and slow their drive for 100 wins.
“They’re a really good hitting ballclub,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the Cardinals, who evened the season series at nine wins apiece with one game remaining. “They’re very good offensively. They have a lot of veterans on the team. They’re very formidable.”
Reyes had shut down the Cubs on Sept. 13, throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, and he was coming off a stellar outing against the Giants. On Saturday, he struck out six over five innings and threw a season-high 115 pitches. Reyes got the outs when needed, as the Cubs went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
“I thought he did a nice job of managing the damage,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of his rookie starter. “You’re at 71 pitches after three, you typically have a lot more runs on you than the three he had. He just did a nice job of managing the innings and not letting them get out of control.”
• Big first inning sets tone for Cardinals
The Cardinals began the day a half-game behind the Giants in the NL Wild Card standings, and that’s where they end it after the Mets lost to the Phillies and the Giants bested the Padres in extras, tying for the top two spots. Despite the loss, the Cubs still boast the best record in the Major Leagues (98-56), and they have secured home-field advantage through the NL Championship Series.
Dexter Fowler missed hitting for the cycle by a home run, but that wasn’t enough to help Jason Hammel, who took the loss, serving up four runs in the first inning. The Cardinals ended up tallying runs in five innings.
“It kind of felt like yesterday, just flip-flopped,” said St. Louis center fielder Randal Grichuk, who drove in three. “They tried to rally and we kept putting it on them. Whenever they scored, we’d come right back at them and score. We never really gave them a chance to gain momentum and ran away with it.”
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDStanding tall: Reyes labored through five innings, but the rookie right-hander saved some of his best pitches for the most precarious spots. He stranded a runner at third in three of his …
