Cubs hold on to top Cardinals, 8-6
Both Ian Happ and Cole Hamels are ending 2019 on high notes for the Chicago Cubs.
Happ hit a pair of homers and Hamels worked 4 innings of 2-hit shutout ball Saturday night as the Cubs won their second in a row over the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-6, at Busch Stadium. The Cubs (84-77) kept the Cardinals from clinching the National League Central. St. Louis (90-71) still leads the Milwaukee Brewers (89-72) by 1 game going into Sunday's regular-season finales.
Happ, who started his season in the minor leagues, has 11 homers.
"I'm having good ABs," he said. "It's just a matter of getting barrel on balls, and I've been able to do that."
Hamels is coming off a bout of shoulder fatigue. He spent time on the injured list earlier this season with an oblique injury. Hamels walked none and struck out eight. This could be his last start as a Cub as he enters free agency.
"I enjoyed my time here and would love to continue it," he said. "I do understand what they have to go through, construct, identify. I would love to be a Cub, and if it's not the case, I know I left it out here. I wish I would have been able to do it a little better. I wish I was healthy. I do feel like I let them down."
The game featured a minor dust-up in second, when Hamels grazed Yadier Molina with a pitch. Molina glared at Hamels before walking toward the pitcher's mound. Both teams' bench and bullpens emptied but no punches were thrown, and there were no ejections.
"It's kind of a crazy situation," Hamels said. "We all know what's at stake over there. We were there last year. The intensity's a little bit different."
The Cubs held a 6-0 lead against Adam Wainwright, getting homers from Kyle Schwarber (No. 38) and Victor Caratini (No. 11).
Left-hander Derek Holland will start Sunday for the Cubs.
Loving the experience:
Nicholas Castellanos sat out Saturday's game and likely will do so Sunday because of right-groin tightness.
Since coming to the Cubs in a July 31 trade with Detroit, Castellanos has a line of .321/.356/.646 with 15 homers and 36 RBI. He has 21 of his 58 doubles with the Cubs.
Castellanos is a free agent at the end of the season, and he has expressed his fondness for the Cubs and for playing at Wrigley Field.
"It was an incredible learning experience," he said. "For me, it was the first time I was in an organization that wasn't Detroit. It was the first time that I really had learned myself as a baseball player. I was in a place to really compete with a purpose to win. I really just enjoyed learning about myself and enjoying the ride."