ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Gorman singled home the winning run, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs to wrap up their three-game series Sunday night.
In the seventh, Jordan Walker singled with two outs. He stole second and scored when Gorman singled to right field to knock Shota Imanaga (8-5) out of the game.
Imanaga went 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. He gave up the three runs on four hits.
Sonny Gray (11-5) threw seven innings to earn the win. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
JoJo Romero pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to record his third save despite giving up a walk and two singles in the ninth. Pinch-runner Jon Berti was caught stealing for the second out. After two hits, Romero got Matt Shaw to ground into a fielder’s choice to escape the jam.
Shaw pulled Chicago even at 2-2 with a home run into the left field bullpen in the fifth.
Pedro Pagés gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead when he homered after Thomas Saggese led off the third inning with a single.
Key moment
In the fourth inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with one out. He stole second for his 30th steal. But then he was picked off by Gray, who threw to shortstop Masyn Winn.
Key stat
The Cardinals are 13-2 in Gray’s 16 home starts this season. That is the best home team record for any starting pitcher in MLB this season. Overall, the Cardinals are 18-6 in his 24 starts this season, tied with Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez for the best team record for any pitcher with 20 or more starts.
Up next
Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (6-9, 5.11 ERA) starts against the Rockies on Monday.
The Cubs visit Toronto on Tuesday to face RHP José Berríos (8-4, 3.89).