McKinstry, Pitching Key To Cubs Victory Over Cardinals

After a brutal 13-3 loss in their previous outing, the Chicago Cubs didn't dwell on the past, outclassing the St. Louis Cardinals at the dish and on the mound to pick up the 7-1 victory. 

The Cubs sent Luke Farrell to the mound for his season debut. The righty previously pitched with Chicago in 2018 and had spent 2022 with Triple-A Iowa after pitching in the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins organizations. 

Though Farrell worked with traffic on the bases in all but one inning, the Cardinals couldn't deliver the big hit they needed, stranding all five runners that reached in the first four innings. St. Louis' struggles were highlighted by Nolan Arenado striking out on a check swing. The third baseman vehemently disagreed with the call and was ejected following an argument with the home-plate umpire. 

While Farrell kept Chicago in the game, the Cubs offense would get a rally going in the second beginning with Nico Hoerner breaking out of an 0-25 slump with a single. He'd score on a Yan Gomes fielder's choice groundout. 

A Nelson Velasquez 107.7 MPH double would score Patrick Wisdom and a Zach McKinstry groundball would give Chicago a 3-0 lead after two innings. 

St. Louis would finally get to Farrell on a Lars Nootbaar solo shot that would make it a 3-1 ballgame, and end Farrell's day at 4.1 innings pitched. Rowan Wick would pitch the next 1.2 innings, striking out two and escaping a two-on one-out jam in the sixth unscathed.

That would be the final real opportunity for the Cardinals as, after Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Cubs would get some insurance runs on a two-run blast from McKinstry, his first in Chicago, to make it a 5-1 ballgame. 

Left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes wouldn't let St. Louis even entertain a rally, striking out the side before the Cubs tacked on two more on a Gomes sac-fly and a Hoerner single. Hoerner finished with a much-needed 3-4 game.

Kervin Castro, called back up today, would work a drama-free ninth to even the series up at two. It was the third time the Cubs held St. Louis to one run or less in the series. 

Chicago will send right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman to the mound for the series rubber match. The 31-year-old has been fantastic since July 1, owning an ERA of just 2.23 in his eight starts since then. 

The Cardinals will send Dakota Hudson to the bump. The righty has walked 10.9% of the batters he's faced and struck out just 13.6% of them. 

The final matchup of the five-game set will begin at 1:20 CDT, Thursday at Wrigley Field.