Cards’ comeback comes up just short in finale

ST. LOUIS — The intrigue wasn’t over, as many may have expected, when the Cubs handed their starter, Jake Arrieta, a five-run second-inning lead. But despite their ambitious comeback against a pitcher who hasn’t lost in 10 months, the Cardinals fell short of flipping the results on Wednesday afternoon. Instead, Chicago escaped Busch Stadium with a 9-8 victory and second series win over its rivals this season.

The Cubs also extended their regular-season winning streak behind Arrieta to 23 games, tying a Major League record set by the Braves behind Kris Medlen.

For the second straight game, the Cubs deflated the home crowd quickly with a six-run inning. This one came in the second, as Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez labored through a 38-pitch frame in which Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate. Jason Heyward drove in a pair with a two-out double and Ben Zobrist capped the inning with a two-run single.

Zobrist extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a three-hit afternoon. He was a nuisance to the Cardinals all series, as he reached base 10 times over the three days.

The Cardinals methodically crept back, however. Arrieta served up a homer to Randal Grichuk and another two runs in the fourth before being pulled after a season-low five innings. It marked the first time in his last 30 starts that Arrieta had given up four runs.

The two teams traded three-run blasts in the sixth inning — Kris Bryant off Seung Hwan Oh, Matt Holliday against Adam Warren. And another home run, this by Matt Adams, pulled the Cards to within one in the seventh, but St. Louis’ push ended there.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDRoad warrior: Addison Russell and pinch-hitter Matt Szczur each singled to open the Chicago sixth, and both scored two outs later on Bryant’s 10th home run. Bryant didn’t hit his 10th last season until June …

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