ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals brought the heat Monday night, launching four home runs and riding a dominant start from Matthew Liberatore to an 8–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan each hit two-run blasts in the fifth inning, while Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman also went deep in a game that marked the first time the Cardinals have hit four homers since April 30 in Cincinnati.
Liberatore (5–6) delivered one of his strongest outings of the season, allowing just two runs on six hits over seven innings while striking out five. The win helped extend the Cardinals' recent hot streak, as they’ve now won six of their last seven games.
The Cubs, on the other hand, struggled to gain momentum. Starter Ben Brown (4–6) was roughed up for eight runs on nine hits over five innings as Chicago dropped its fourth game in its last five.
Big Bats, Big Inning
Donovan opened the scoring surge in the fifth with his fifth home run of the year, and just two batters later, Burleson followed with his ninth, giving St. Louis a commanding 6–1 lead.
Nootbaar had already put the Cardinals on the board with his 10th homer of the season in the fourth inning, following a two-out double from Willson Contreras. Gorman added the final exclamation mark with a solo shot in the sixth.
Defensive Highlight
One of the game’s pivotal moments came in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Ian Happ hit into an inning-ending double play started by third baseman Nolan Arenado, extinguishing a potential Cubs rally.
Notable Stat
Former Cub Willson Contreras had a standout night at the plate, going 3-for-4. Since joining the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 season, Contreras is batting .349 (22-for-63) with six doubles and a home run against his former team.
What’s Next
The series continues Tuesday night, with Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (7–4, 3.84 ERA) set to take the mound against Cardinals righty Michael McGreevy (1–1, 2.70 ERA), who will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis.