ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Busch hit a three-run home run, Matt Shaw added a homer and an RBI triple, and the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 Saturday night.
After getting shut out 5-0 in Friday’s series opener, the Cubs built a six-run lead against Andre Pallante (6-9) by the second inning.
Colin Rea (9-5) allowed one run in six innings, and Carson Kelly and Dansby Swanson each had three of Chicago’s 13 hits.
Busch set the tone by leading off the game with a double into the corner in right field, then scoring on Kyle Tucker’s RBI single. Tucker scored when right-fielder Jordan Walker’s throw got away from Willson Contreras, the cut-off man, on Kelly’s single.
In the second inning, Busch made it 5-0 by hitting his 22nd homer of the season — his sixth in eight games against St. Louis this season.
Busch hit four home runs during a three-game stretch when the Cardinals visited Wrigley Field last month, but he’d hit only three more in 25 games since.
Pallante allowed six runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings, his shortest outing in 53 career starts. He was pulled after Seiya Suzuki doubled and scored on Kelly’s RBI single.
Shaw tripled home Swanson in the third and added a 395-foot solo homer in the fifth that made it 9-0.
Lars Nootbaar doubled and scored the lone St. Louis run on Alec Burleson’s sixth-inning groundout.
The Cardinals played without All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan, a late scratch due to left groin tightness, and Contreras was removed from the game after an infield single in the sixth.
Manager Oliver Marmol described Contreras’ issue as cramping and the first baseman reported “no discomfort” after the game.
Marmol said Donovan likely would have been able to play through his injury if needed, but he could be held out of Sunday’s series finale if there are no signs of improvement.
Key moment
After Pallante allowed a single to Swanson and walked Shaw despite getting ahead 0-2, catcher Yohel Pozo visited the mound. Busch drove Pallante’s next pitch 374 feet into the stands in right field for a 5-0 Cubs lead.
Key stat
Busch has six home runs in 34 at-bats against St. Louis this season.
Up next
The Cubs send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-4, 3.12 ERA) against Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (10-5, 4.21) in the series finale Sunday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
