Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker both had three hits, a home run and four RBIs on Sunday afternoon to help the visiting St. Louis Cardinals breeze past the Chicago Cubs for an 11-4 win.
JJ Wetherholt, Blaze Jordan and Ivan Herrera also drove in a run apiece for the Cardinals, who posted 19 runs across the final two games of the series.
Hunter Dobbins (3-3) went five innings, allowing two runs on two hits, striking out seven and walking for St. Louis, which won its fourth game in five tries and clinched its fourth straight series victory.
Making his first major league appearance since June 23 due to a left hamstring strain, Edward Cabrera (5-5) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who dropped their first series since July 31-Aug. 2. Miguel Amaya also homered in the loss.
After Wetherholt began the game with a ground-rule double, Burleson connected on his 21st homer of the season — a 421-foot shot — to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Jimmy Crooks hit a two-out double and Jordan followed that with his RBI single to push the margin to three.
Chicago rookie James Triantos stepped in for Dansby Swanson in the bottom of the third after Swanson hurt himself on a swing on the first pitch of the inning.
Triantos worked a walk before scoring on Crow-Armstrong’s 28th homer of the year, cutting the Cubs’ deficit to one.
St. Louis broke the game open in the top of the fourth. After Masyn Winn and Crooks worked a pair of one-out walks, Jordan’s single loaded the bases. From there, Wetherholt’s walk and Herrera’s sac fly gave the Cardinals a 5-2 advantage, chasing Cabrera from the mound.
Ryan Rolison entered in relief and allowed Burleson’s two-run single and Walker’s two-run homer, stamping a six-run frame.
Walker ripped a two-run double off Trent Thornton in the top of the eighth to punctuate the Cardinals’ second straight blowout of their division rival.
Tyrone Taylor drove in the Cubs’ third run in the bottom of the inning with a sac fly before Amaya’s solo homer in the ninth.
