Fowler's homer trumps Javy's heroics as Cardinals sweep Cubs
ST. LOUIS - Dexter Fowler hit a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals finish a weekend sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win on Sunday night.
The victory was the Cardinals' fifth straight, matching their season-best winning streak. It also improved St. Louis to 4-1 on the season against the rival Cubs, a year after Chicago won 14 of the 19 games between the two.
After Chicago took a 3-2 lead on Javier Baez's solo shot in the top of the 14th, Luke Farrell (1-2) struck out the first two Cardinals batters he faced before allowing an infield single to Harrison Bader. Fowler then lifted a 2-2 pitch down the right-field line and just over the glove of Chicago outfielder Jason Heyward.
Mike Mayers (1-0) earned the win in relief for St. Louis, allowing one run in three innings.
The loss was the season-high fifth straight for Chicago, the team's worst losing stretch since a six-game skid in late May last season. The Cubs have now failed to score more than three runs in 10 of their last 11 games.
The game, which ended at nearly 1 a.m. local time, was delayed twice by rain, a 30-minute delay in the first inning and then 29 minutes during the third. It was also matched the longest game between the Cubs and Cardinals in nearly 12 years, equaling a 14-inning Chicago win over St. Louis on June 2, 2006.
Both starting pitchers fared well despite the start-and-stops. Michael Wacha allowed one earned run in 5 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, and Jon Lester overcame four walks to allow two runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Cubs.
A night after hitting the game-ending home run in St. Louis' win over Chicago, Kolten Wong ended something else. The second baseman hit a game-tying triple in the sixth inning on Sunday, giving the Cardinals their first triple of the season after 31 games without one. The season-opening stretch was the longest in franchise history, surpassing St. Louis' 2015 start of 15 games without a triple.
Trainer's room:
Cardinals: St. Louis put catcher Yadier Molina and reliever Dominic Leone on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday, recalling Carson Kelly and Mayers from Triple-A Memphis. Molina is expected to miss at least four weeks after being hit in the groin by a foul tip on Saturday, and Leone is out after leaving Friday's game with upper arm nerve irritation. ... Center fielder Tommy Pham pinch hit in in the sixth inning of Sunday's game - a day after being removed from a game with lingering hip abductor injury. .... Closer Bud Norris missed the series finale with a triceps injury after being taken out of Saturday's game, and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said he'll be revaluated in 2-3 days with hopes of keeping him off the disabled list.