ST. LOUIS (AP) The Chicago Cubs went into Tuesday nights game against St. Louis with a chance to clinch the NL Central. The Cardinals did everything they could to keep that from happening.
The Cardinals hit four home runs and were able to withstand a late Cubs rally for an 8-7 victory.
Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk homered and drove in two runs each and Matt Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko also homered for St. Louis, which remains 2 1/2 games behind the second Wild Card spot.
Zach Duke (1-1) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Juan Nicasio earned his fifth save.
The Cardinals scored five runs in the first two innings off Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, a scoring burst started by Carpenters lead-off home run, his 23rd, and capped by Phams two-run homer, his 23rd.
Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez allowed three runs (two earned) and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Arrieta (14-10) allowed five runs (three earned) and six hits in three innings, his second shortest outing this season.
Gyorko and Grichuk both hit solo home runs in the seventh, extending the Cardinals lead to 8-3. Gyorkos home run was his 20th. Grichuks his 21st.
Jason Heyward hit a three-run home run, his 11th, off reliever John Brebbia in the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-6. Ben Zobrist hit a solo homer off Brebbia, his 12th, to make it 8-7.
The Cubs had the tying run on second base with two outs in the ninth but Nicassio struck out Javier Baez to secure the victory.
Game three of the four-game series is Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. Michael Wacha (12-8) starts for the Cardinals while John Lackey (11-11) goes for the Cubs. Game time is 6:08 with the pre-game at 5:13 on KTLO-AM.
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