Cubs on rare skid after losing 4-3 to Cardinals
CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Cubs have been so dominant this season it's stunning when they drop consecutive games.
Well, the major league leaders are on a slide.
Jason Hammel gave up home runs to Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday, and the Cubs dropped their second straight to St. Louis, losing 4-3 to the Cardinals on Tuesday night.
"It's wonderful that people are shocked," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said.
Chris Coghlan scored two runs for Chicago, whose longest losing streak is three games. The only other time the Cubs dropped two in a row at home was when San Diego swept a doubleheader on May 11. But they came up short in this one, hitting into three double plays and going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
"I have no complaints about the last two nights - zero," Maddon said. "We played well. We played good baseball."
Hammel went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.
"I really wasn't pitching like myself in the first couple innings," he said. "Throwing a lot of curveballs."
The Cardinals won their second straight game after going 0-5 on their first winless homestand of at least two series since 1983.
They made it consecutive one-run wins over the Cubs after three straight one-run losses to Texas. And while Adam Wainwright called it an "overstatement" to "say this is a statement series," there are certainly some promising signs coming from St. Louis.
Carpenter and Holliday connected against Hammel (7-3) in a three-run third inning that made it 4-1. Wainwright (6-4) pitched into the seventh and improved to 10-1 in 21 games - 16 starts - at Wrigley Field.
The Cardinals put themselves in position to sweep their first trip to Chicago since last year's NL Division Series, though it won't be easy with the major league-leading Cubs sending reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound.
"They're really, truly buying into the idea that we've got to look like the kind of team that we should do that," manager Mike Matheny said. "When we do that, we'll throw ourselves in the ring with anybody."
Wainwright allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Chicago's Addison Russell doubled off the wall in left leading off the seventh. Jonathan Broxton came in with two outs and walked Coghlan, putting runners on first and third, but first baseman Brandon Moss made a diving stop on Jason Heyward's grounder to end the threat.
Kevin Siegrist worked the eighth, and Trevor Rosenthal handled the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances. Shaky in Monday's win, he gave up a one-out single to Russell and walked Javier Baez with two outs before pinch-hitter Matt Szczur grounded into a force play to end the game.
STRETCH TO START
The Cubs optioned right-hander Adam Warren to Triple-A Iowa to prepare him for a major league start. The Cubs plan to have him start two minor-league games and make one for them before the All-Star break. Warren might make another start after that.
Chicago will have played 24 consecutive days before the break. Stretching Warren will give the starters an extra day of rest.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: C Brayan Pena (left knee surgery) was hitting .179 through 11 minor league games. His rehab stint will expire next week.
Cubs: The Cubs placed LHP Clayton Richard on the 15-day DL because of a blister on his left middle finger.
UP NEXT
The Cubs send Arrieta (11-1, 1.74 ERA) to the mound while the Cardinals go with RHP Michael Wacha (2-7, 4.56) in the finale of the three-game series. Arrieta got the win at St. Louis on May 25 despite allowing a season-high four runs over five innings. Wacha is 0-7 in his last 10 starts.