Cardinals 4, Cubs 3
ST. LOUIS -- Six outs away from absorbing a three-game sweep that would have sent them on the road with a four-game losing streak, the St. Louis Cardinals flipped the Chicago Cubs' script.
Stunning Chicago with a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday, St. Louis salvaged the series finale with a 4-3 win at Busch Stadium.
Rookie left fielder Stephen Piscotty supplied the winning hit, lacing the first pitch from reliever Fernando Rodney to the center field wall for a two-run double that scored pinch runner Peter Bourjos and second baseman Matt Carpenter.
Third baseman Mark Reynolds started the rally with a one-out walk against reliever Pedro Strop. Pinch hitter Greg Garcia singled for the Cardinals' first hit since an RBI single by right fielder Jason Heyward in the first.
Carpenter greeted reliever Clayton Richard (3-1) with an RBI single to center, plating pinch runner Pete Kozma to cut the deficit to 3-2. That set the stage for Piscotty's game-winner.
Jonathan Broxton (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth to earn the win, while closer Trevor Rosenthal pitched a clean ninth for his 43rd save. St. Louis (88-51) took a five-game lead over Pittsburgh in the National League Central, pending the result of the Pirates' night game in Cincinnati.
The Cubs (80-58) saw their five-game winning streak end, and they fell 7 1/2 games in arrears of the Cardinals. They also trail Pittsburgh by 2 1/2 games for the first NL wild-card spot.
Chicago grabbed a first-inning lead for the third consecutive game on two-out RBI doubles by first baseman Anthony Rizzo and second baseman Tommy La Stella.
Center fielder Dexter Fowler made it 3-1 in the second with an RBI single, but that was it for the Cubs' offense, even though Chicago outhit St. Louis 11-5.
Chicago wasted a dominant outing from starter Jon Lester, who allowed only two hits and a run in seven innings, walking one and fanning seven. Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez gave up 10 hits and three runs over five innings, issuing one walk and whiffing eight.
NOTES: St. Louis 2B Kolten Wong (calf) didn't start for the third straight game. Wong experienced tightness before Monday's game and was a late scratch, then didn't play Tuesday night. ... Chicago gave 3B Kris Bryant, who played in 128 of the team's 129 games since his call-up from Triple-A Iowa, a day off. ... The Cardinals activated 1B Matt Adams (right quad) from the 60-day DL Wednesday and designated LHP Nick Greenwood for assignment. Greenwood went 12-6 for Triple-A Memphis this year but lost in his only major league appearance of the season as a reliever.