Pederson homers in 3rd straight game, Cubs beat Cards 7-2

CHICAGO (AP) — Joc Pederson homered for the third straight game, Sergio Alcántara and Ian Happ also went deep, and the Chicago Cubs used a five-run second inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Saturday night.

Kyle Hendricks (8-4) threw six solid innings for his sixth consecutive victory and the Cubs won for the seventh time in 11 games.

Nolan Arenado and Paul DeJong hit home runs for the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of 12 and fell to .500 at 32-32 for the first time since April 28.

John Gant (4-4) lasted 1 2/3 innings to add to St. Louis' rotation struggles, allowing five runs, five walks and a hit with just one strikeout.

The Cubs sent 11 batters to the plate in their five-run second. Happ hit a two-run shot to put the Cubs ahead 2-1 before Gant walked the next three batters — including Hendricks. Pederson popped out before Kris Bryant drew the fifth walk of the inning to score a run.

Jake Woodford replaced Gant and allowed an RBI single to Javier Báez before hitting Anthony Rizzo with a pitch to bring in another run.

Woodford got his first major league hit — a single off Hendricks — in the next inning after DeJong hit a leadoff homer.

Alcántara added a solo shot off Woodford in the third.

Pederson once again did a stutter step at third base to celebrate homering off Seth Elledge in the fourth, a move he's copied from Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.

Arenado hit his 12th homer off Hendricks in the second inning. Hendricks leads the majors with 19 homers allowed. He gave up two runs and three hits.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the ninth, but Craig Kimbrel took the mound and got a groundout to end the game for his 17th save in 19 chances.

The crowd of 39,095 was larger than Friday’s 35,112, when Wrigley Field opened to full capacity for the first time since...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Pederson-homers-in-3rd-straight-game-Cubs-beat-16244173.php