CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Mike Tauchman doubled in Dansby Swanson for the winning run as the Chicago Cubs scored three times in the ninth inning to rally for a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
With Chicago down 4-2, Cody Bellinger hit a solo homer with one out. After Nico Hoerner singled and stole second with two outs, Swanson followed with an RBI double to tie it.
Tauchman lined St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley’s 2-2 fastball down the left field line for Chicago’s second straight win.
Both Swanson and Tauchman fell behind Helsley 0-2 in the count. The St. Louis closer had five saves in five previous appearances against the NL Central rival Cubs this season and 33 for the season, tied for tops in the majors.
With the Cubs down to their last strike, Swanson and Tauchman made contact and found some outfield grass.
“He made two really good pitches and then at that point, it’s like, if it’s close you gotta put a bat on it,” Tauchman said.
Added Swanson: “I feel like the at-bats that entire inning were so good. Ultimately we were able to come up with some big hits in the end.”
And facing Helsley for a sixth time this season might not have hurt.
“I think that familiarity can, you know, can kind of breed some confidence,” Tauchman said. “There’s no secrets when you see a guy.”
Helsley (4-4) blew a save for the third time in 36 chances by allowing a season-high three runs.
“He’s (Helsley) been really, really good,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s hard to put that game on him. This guy has carried us the way through this year. You’re going to have games like that. Unfortunately this one didn’t work out.”
Reliever Nate Pearson (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings for the win.
Rookie Masyn Winn hit a two-run homer, then Nolan Arenado added an RBI single in a three-run seventh inning to put St. Louis ahead 4-2.
Paul Goldschmidt hit his 17th homer in the first, then added a single and double. The veteran first baseman has nine hits in his last 20 at bats (.450) over five games.
Bellinger has seven hits in three games since coming back from a broken finger.
St. Louis starter Sonny Gray tossed seven effective innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out nine and walking one. Gray was sharp after yielding 24 runs over 28 1/3 innings in five previous starts for a 6.67 ERA during the span.
Seiya Suzuki hit a 459-foot solo shot in the sixth inning, the longest by a Cubs player this season.
Winn’s eighth homer, off a high, inside fastball from Shota Imanaga, barely made it to the basket in left field.
Tommy Pham added two more hits and is 5 for 10 in three games with St. Louis since being acquired from the White Sox on Monday. Arenado, Winn and Michael Siani each finished with two hits.
Imanaga yielded four runs on 10 hits. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none.
CARDINALS MOVES
RHP Erick Fedde, acquired from the White Sox on Monday, and RHP Shawn Armstrong, acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday, joined the Cardinals and were activated. Fedde will start Friday and Armstrong was available from the bullpen. To make room, RHP Michael McGreevy and RHP Ryan Loutos were optioned to Triple-A-Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay, on the IL since May 13, will need surgery to repair a flexor muscle in his right forearm, manager Craig Counsell said. The Cubs closer last season with 22 saves, Alzolay didn’t bounce back from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa last Saturday. Counsell said Alzolay would seek a second opinion before setting a surgery date.
UP NEXT
Fedde (7-4, 3.11) makes his first start for the Cardinals on Friday against Cubs RHP Javier Assad (5-3, 3.23).
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This story corrects Ryan Helsley’s save chances to 36.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
