Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
CHC	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	11	0
STL	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	10	1

Javier Assad (6-1, 3.75 ERA) got the ball for Chicago in the finale, going up against Andre Pallante (11-6, 3.64 ERA) at 1:15 PM CT with the Cubs already up 2 games to 1 in this set. Pallante has been arguably the best arm on either staff over the past few weeks, and the Cardinals need every bit of it — St. Louis is 2.5 games back of the final NL wild-card spot and can't afford to keep bleeding games in their own building.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Cubs(61-47)

LWWLW

4

+1.5-203+102o8.5+106

Cardinals(54-54)

WLLLW

2

-1.5+199-104u8.5-106

Best BetCubs +100

Postgame

Cubs won outright 4-2, cashing the moneyline pick as the series-form bull point played out over the Pallante bear.

Pregame

We backed the Cubs at plus money (+104) before it shortened to -101, and it cashed. Chicago had already taken 2 of the first 3 in this series and simply has more depth in the lineup, and Assad did enough to get the win column moving again after a shaky stretch.

Nico Hoerner slid back into the lineup at second base after sitting out Wednesday's extra-innings loss, batting sixth. St. Louis, meanwhile, is trying to ride the emotional high of Ivan Herrera's walk-off two-run double in the 10th inning that snapped a brutal 9-losses-in-11-games skid — the kind of night a struggling club points to as a turning point, even against a Cubs team that's simply been the better team in this series.

Javier Assad

(6-1)·3.59 ERA

Jul 11 @ Reds

ND

5.0IP

2ER

4K

0BB

82P

07/30 Lineup

Andre Pallante

(12-6)·3.46 ERA

Jul 25 vs Reds

W

7.0IP

0ER

8K

1BB

90P

07/30 Lineup

It played out about how the price implied it would. Chicago pushed across the tying and go-ahead run in the 4th and 7th, then salted it away with a 2-run 9th to put the game out of reach, while a Cardinals offense that's had trouble stringing innings together against this Cubs staff managed just single runs in the 2nd and 7th.

Chicago out-hit St. Louis 11-10 and played clean defense behind Assad and the pen, while a Cardinals error opened the door for extra chances the Cubs didn't need to cash in on. It's the same story that's defined this series — St. Louis has had stretches of competitive baseball, including Wednesday's walk-off win, but couldn't sustain it across four games against a Cubs club that's simply deeper.

Chicago Cubs

(14)

• 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — Shaw is still feeling discomfort related to his left hand sprain and has yet to resume swinging a bat, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.07/18
• 15-Day-ILHoby Milner (RP) — Milner (abdomen) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning.07/30
• 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.07/27
• 15-Day-ILDaniel Palencia (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Palencia (elbow) is scheduled to throw an up-and-down bullpen session Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.07/26
• 15-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — The Cubs placed Maton on the 15-day injured list Monday with right knee tendinitis, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.07/20
• 15-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Brown (neck) has begun to increase his activity and has taken part in workouts with plyometric balls, MLB.com reports.07/20
• 15-Day-ILEthan Roberts (RP) — Roberts (forearm) tossed a perfect inning in a rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Iowa.07/20
• 15-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — The Cubs announced June 10 that Martin (elbow) has resumed playing catch, MLB.com reports.06/22
• 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — The Cubs announced July 5 that Miller (elbow) has resumed a throwing program in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell said July 8 that Harvey (triceps/shoulder) has resumed a throwing program at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, but the right-hander remains without a clear timeline for a return from the 60-day injured list, MLB.com reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Steele (elbow) was cleared to begin ramping up his throwing program Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.07/08
• 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

St. Louis Cardinals

(3)

• 15-Day-ILJoJo Romero (RP) — The Cardinals do not expect Romero (appendicitis) to be ready for activation from the 15-day injured list when first eligible, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.07/19
• 60-Day-ILRamon Urias (3B) — Urias' (elbows) rehab assignment has been paused after he was hit on the elbow by a pitch at Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILMax Rajcic (RP) — Rajcic revealed on his Instagram account Thursday that he recently underwent a right elbow UCL reconstruction.07/23

Chicago improves to 61-47 and takes the series, a nice bounce-back after dropping the extra-innings game, even with a bullpen that's been picked apart by IL trips all season. St. Louis falls to 54-54 and now has to regroup fast — Herrera's walk-off gave the clubhouse something to build on, but they left this series having been outscored badly in the two blowout losses, and the wild-card gap isn't closing itself.

Chicago Cubs

(61-47)

Jul 29L@ Cardinals2-3

Jul 28W@ Cardinals10-2

Jul 27W@ Cardinals7-3

Jul 26L@ Pirates7-8

Jul 25W@ Pirates11-0

St. Louis Cardinals

(54-54)

Jul 29Wvs Cubs3-2

Jul 28Lvs Cubs2-10

Jul 27Lvs Cubs3-7

Jul 26Lvs Reds3-5

Jul 25Wvs Reds7-0