Winn Powers Cardinals Past Cubs in Tight 8-7 Victory
ST. LOUIS – Masyn Winn delivered a standout performance Tuesday night, blasting a home run and driving in four runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a narrow 8-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. The win marked the Cardinals' seventh victory in their last eight games.
Winn’s offensive surge included a two-run homer in the third inning and a crucial two-run double in the fourth that gave St. Louis the lead for good. He later scored on Alec Burleson’s sacrifice fly, stretching the Cardinals' advantage to 8-5.
Lars Nootbaar got the Cardinals on the board early with a two-run homer in the second inning. Nolan Gorman tied the game at 5-5 with a towering solo shot to open a four-run fourth inning for the Cardinals.
Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits across 4 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one. Steven Matz (4-2) picked up the win in relief, while Ryan Helsley secured his 15th save of the season despite blowing five earlier opportunities.
Chicago’s offense was fueled by Seiya Suzuki’s three-run homer in the third, which followed Kyle Tucker’s two-run single as the Cubs surged to a 5-2 lead. Nico Hoerner trimmed the Cardinals’ lead to 8-7 with his first home run of the season — a two-run shot in the sixth inning.
Turning Point
The Cubs had a prime opportunity in the seventh inning, trailing by just one run with runners on the corners and one out. Pete Crow-Armstrong laid down a bunt, but JoJo Romero fielded it cleanly and threw out the lead runner. Moments later, Alec Burleson made a difficult off-balance catch in foul territory to retire Dansby Swanson and end the threat.
By the Numbers
The Cardinals have found their power stroke, launching nine home runs over their last four games. Prior to that stretch, they had hit just 75 homers over their previous 77 games.
What’s Next
The Cubs will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (6-3, 2.84 ERA) to the mound for Wednesday's matchup, while the Cardinals will counter with right-hander Erick Fedde (3-6, 3.54 ERA).