Cardinals Fall to Cubs; Look for Redemption in Tuesday’s Matchup

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, dropping the first game of a divisional series 5-3 at Busch Stadium. Continuing their post-All-Star break struggles, the Cardinals have now lost 8 of their last 11 games and are 6-14 in their past 20 contests.

A rain delay of nearly two hours did not faze the Cubs, who dominated offensively with 14 hits. Nico Hoerner led the way with four hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth inning to cap the night. Fellow Cubs infielder Alex Bregman also had a breakout performance, snapping his 0-for-12 slump with four hits, including a solo homer and two doubles, while scoring three runs.

The Cubs struck early, with Bregman driving in Seiya Suzuki on a first-inning double. Miguel Amaya extended the Cubs' lead with an RBI single in the second inning. St. Louis cut the lead to 2-1 when José Fermín launched a 407-foot homer into the left-field upper deck, marking his first home run of the season.

Chicago responded in the third with a leadoff home run from Bregman, his 11th of the season, and added two more runs in the fifth on a single by Hoerner. Meanwhile, Cardinals pitchers struggled to contain the Cubs’ offense. Starter Matthew Liberatore (5-8) allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks across 3 2/3 innings. His outing fell short against Chicago’s David Peterson (6-7), who, in 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two.

The Cardinals generated some offense in the sixth inning, with Masyn Winn and Bryan Torres each driving in runs to narrow the deficit to 5-3, but that would be as close as St. Louis would get. Hoerner's ninth-inning homer solidified the Cubs' win, their eighth in the last 12 games.

The Cardinals, struggling offensively since the All-Star break, will look to regroup during Tuesday’s matchup. Chicago plans to start right-hander Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85 ERA), while the Cardinals have yet to name a pitcher. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at Busch Stadium, with pregame coverage starting at 5:50 p.m.