Cardinals topple Cubs in rubber match

Kennedy and Pujols knock in two runs apiece

By Nate Latsch / Special to MLB.com


ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals closed out the longest homestand of the season on Sunday against the rival Chicago Cubs in front of a sellout crowd of 44,969 at Busch Stadium and a national television audience on ESPN.

It turned out to be a strong homestand for the National League Central-leading Cardinals, who defeated the Cubs, 5-3, to win the three-game series and finish the nine-game homestand with six wins.

The Cubs scored twice in the second inning off Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer. Catcher Geovany Soto doubled and scored on center fielder Reed Johnson's double to left. Second baseman Mike Fontenot, who had walked, scored on left fielder Alfonso Soriano's RBI sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning with four consecutive hits off Cubs right-hander Jason Marquis.

Wellemeyer and shortstop Cesar Izturis had one-out singles. Right fielder Skip Schumaker and second baseman Adam Kennedy followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the score.

The Cardinals took a 4-2 lead in the fourth when first baseman Albert Pujols smacked a two-run double down the left-field line to score Izturis and Kennedy.

Wellemeyer tossed five innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, struck out four and walked four. He threw 95 pitches, with 57 for strikes.

The Cubs loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh but only scored one run on an RBI sacrifice fly by right fielder Kosuke Fukudome.


Nate Latsch is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.