Bote's pinch-hit home run ends Chicago Cubs' losing skid
Had Wrigley Field and the surrounding neighborhood been filled with people Monday, this would have been an amazing moment.
Maybe not quite as dramatic as his walk-off grand slam a couple of years ago, but David Bote's 3-run, pinch-hit homer in the sixth inning was huge even in an empty stadium. The home run gave the Cubs a 5-4 win over the Cardinals in Game 2 of a doubleheader, ending the Cubs' losing streak at four.
"Obviously, the roar of the crowd is never overstated enough," Bote said after the game. "You miss that. You miss that roar. You miss the silence even sometimes, the gasp and then the roar."
Heading into the sixth inning, the Cubs didn't even have a hit against a line of young Cardinals pitchers. Willson Contreras finally broke up the four-pitcher no hitter with a double off the wall, which scored Javy Baez from first base to trim the St. Louis lead to 4-2.
Jason Heyward's two-out walk set the stage for Bote to come off the bench and hit for DH Victor Caratini. He drove the second pitch from Tyler Webb onto the center-field advertising tarp.
Jeremy Jeffress retired the side on seven pitches in the bottom of the seventh to earn his second save. Since this was a makeup of a game canceled by COVID-19 in St. Louis, the Cubs batted first in Game 2.
"This definitely a win you felt like you got a good one," manager David Ross said.
Earlier in the day, the Cubs' losing streak grew to four when Kyle Hendricks couldn't finish his own pitching gem. Hendricks was kicking himself after he gave up a decisive 2-run rally in the seventh, after allowing just 1 hit in the first six innings.
"I was just really upset with myself there," Hendricks said after Game 1. "I've got to go out there and stop that streak for us. That seventh inning is going to stick with me."
The lone hit against Hendricks in the first six innings was a home run by former teammate Dexter Fowler. Ian Happ matched the solo home run, so the game headed into the top of the seventh in a 1-1 tie.
But the Cardinals opened with a double by Paul Goldschmidt, a walk to Tyler O'Neill and a single from Matt Carpenter that loaded the bases.
"I felt good all day executing pitches, just really upset those first three at-bats of the seventh inning," Hendricks said. "All three were just terrible. Fall behind Goldschmidt and then give in, and then walking O'Neill was a terrible walk. And then Carpenter leaving that pitch up 1-2 when I've got three pitches to work with. Coming right out of it, that was not good."
Ross let Hendricks (96 pitches) face one more batter, and he coaxed a force play at the plate from Dylan Carlson. Then Ross brought in Rowan Wick, who gave up a 2-run double to Brad Miller. Albert Almora Jr. had made two great defensive plays in center field but just missed catching that one.
Miller brought more trouble in Game 2, with a pair of home runs. The Cubs scored in the first inning on 3 walks and a passed ball. Kyle Schwarber was then thrown out at the plate trying to score a second run on the play.