CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt slugged his 32nd and 33rd homers to highlight a five-RBI performance, Corey Dickerson set a franchise record for consecutive hits and the St. Louis Cardinals rolled to an 8-3 win Thursday over the Chicago Cubs.
Goldschmidt, Dickerson and Tommy Edman collected three hits apiece as the NL Central-leading Cardinals (72-53) won for the 10th time in their last 12 games and concluded a 6-2 trip.
The Cubs (54-71) lost for the fourth time in six games.
The Cardinals collected 16 hits even without slugger Nolan Arenado, who returned to St. Louis to attend the birth of his first child. But that was plenty of support for Dakota Hudson (7-6), who pitched a season-high seven innings of five-hit ball.
Neither Albert Pujols nor Yadier Molina were in the lineup in their final visit to Wrigley Field.
Pujols, 42, an 11-time All-Star who ranks fifth with 693 career home runs, and Molina, 40, who has nine Gold Glove Awards for his catching excellence, were presented with Wrigley scoreboard panels with their numbers in a pregame ceremony.
Goldschmidt hit a two-run single in the fourth off Marcus Stroman (3-6) before smacking a solo shot that landed near the top of the left-field bleachers off Sean Newcomb in the sixth and hitting a two-run shot in the eighth off Kervin Castro.
Goldschmidt increased his season RBI total to 105, and this marked the third time this season he had a multi-homer game and the 23rd time in his career. Goldschmidt leads the NL in batting average (.339) and RBIs and is second to Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies (35) in home runs.
Dickerson set a franchise record with 10 hits in 10 consecutive plate appearances in the post-1961 expansion era dating to his first of two consecutive four-hit games in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Dickerson sparked a three-run first inning with an RBI single — for his ninth consecutive hit, breaking the previous mark of eight held by Curt Flood (1964, 1968), Felix Jose (1991) and Fernando Tatis (1998). Dickerson also had a single to start the third but was left stranded.
Nevertheless, the Cardinals collected 11 hits off starter Marcus Stroman (3-6), one more than Stroman surrendered against them on June 3.
Nolan Gorman followed Dickerson’s first hit with an RBI single, and Tyler O’Neill capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ leaped into the ivy-covered wall to rob extra bases hits from Gorman in the third and O’Neill in the seventh. Happ provided the bulk of the Cubs’ offense. Happ hit a double and scored on a throwing error by Edman in the second, and he followed with an RBI single in the third.
Happ hit a double that eluded Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar to score Nico Hoerner in the eighth off Packy Naughton.
NO TRIPPING TO TORONTO
The Cubs expect that three to four players won’t travel to Toronto for a three-game series starting Monday, Cubs' President of Business Operations Jed Hoyer said.
Canada’s government states that all visitors must be vaccinated in order to enter the country.
“You want to play at full strength all the time, but we have to make certain decisions in order to make sure we’re able to fill out a roster and be competitive up there,” Hoyer said. “It’s not something we look forward to. It’s not idea. But it’s also baseball in 2022 when you go to Toronto.”
Hoyer said the names of the players will be disclosed Sunday in Milwaukee.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: C Willson Contreras (sore left ankle) missed his third consecutive start but is expected to return as soon as Friday. … RHP Adbert Alzolay (right shoulder strain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday at Triple-A Iowa. … RHP Manny Rodriguez (right elbow strain) is scheduled to pitch this weekend for Iowa. Rodriguez has struck out five in his last two outings for Iowa.
TRANSACTIONS
Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley will rejoin the team Friday, manager Oliver Marmol said. Helsley was placed on the restricted list following the birth of his wife Alex’s first child.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Will start LHP Jose Quintana (4-5, 3.45 ERA) Friday night at Atlanta. Quintana allowed four runs (two earned) in a season-low 2 2/3 innings in a 6-4 win Sunday over the Diamondbacks.
Cubs: Will start LHP Justin Steele (4-7, 3.25) Friday night at Milwaukee. Steele pitched six shutout innings Sunday in a 5-2 loss to the Brewers.
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