By MATT PIKE
Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker each hit home runs and drove in four runs each, helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a fourth consecutive series win, pounding the Chicago Cubs 11-4 at Wrigley Field.
After JJ Wetherholt opened the game with a leadoff double, Burleson started the scoring with his two run home run in the first inning to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Burleson has homered in consecutive games giving him 21 home runs on the season, tying a career high. In the second inning Blaze Jordan extended the lead with an RBI single, driving in Jimmy Crooks, before the Cubs cut the Redbirds lead to one in the bottom of the third inning scoring two runs on a two run home run by Pete Crow-Armstrong, scoring James Triantos, to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Cardinals offense exploded in the fourth inning for six runs, starting with a bases loaded walk to Wetherholt that brought home Masyn Winn. Iván Herrera hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Crooks before Burleson cleared the bases with a two RBI single, scoring Jordan and Wetherholt. Walker capped the scoring in the inning blasting a two run home run to center field, putting St. Louis up 9-2.
Cardinals starter Hunter Dobbins, who improved to 3-3 earning the win, allowed two runs on two hits through five innings, striking out seven and walking four. Luis Gastelum followed out of the bullpen striking out three and giving up just one hit through two innings before being replaced by Gordon Graceffo in the eighth inning while Caleb Ferguson pitched the ninth.
Walker's two run double scored Wetherholt and Herrera for the final Cardinals runs in the top of the eighth. In the bottom half of the eighth, Tyrone Taylor's sacrifice fly off Graceffo drove in Seiya Suzuki and in the ninth Ferguson surrendered a solo home run to Miguel Amaya to cap the scoring. Both Burleson and Walker finished the day for the Cardinals with three hits, Walker going 3-for-4 and Burleson going 3-for-5, with four RBIs.
Joshua Báez, who became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues on Saturday, went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts.
St. Louis will travel to Cincinatti tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Reds. Quinn Matthews (0-1, 3.60 ERA, 3Ks) will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to start the first game of a doubleheader against a pitcher the Reds have yet to announce. First pitch will be at 12:40pm, coverage begins at 12:30pm on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
Andre Pallante (12-6, 3.46 ERA, 92Ks) will start the second for the Cardinals while Rhett Lowder (4-8, 5.15 ERA, 77Ks) for the Reds with first pitch at 5:40pm, coverage beginning at 5:30pm.
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