Cubs 8, Cardinals 3
CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs hope to overtake both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central.
They got a good start of doing that on Friday afternoon.
Second baseman Starlin Castro hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth inning and added a three-run home run in the sixth as the Cubs routed the Cardinals 8-3.
The Cardinals needed to win and the San Francisco Giants to lose to clinch a playoff berth.
The Cubs, who entered the day two games behind the Pirates for the second wild card, jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning. The Cardinals tied it in the fifth before Castro delivered his ninth and 10th home runs.
Cardinals pitchers walked a season-high 11 batters. Starting right-hander Lance Lynn allowed three runs and six walks - one intentional - in 3 1-3 innings. He dropped to 0-4 against Chicago this season and expressed displeasure with home-plate umpire Dan Bellino as he exited.
Cubs right-hander Dan Haren gave up three runs - one earned - in 4 1/3 innings.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo ignited the Cubs scoring with an RBI single after Lynn issued two walks in the first. Third baseman Tommy La Stella followed with an RBI double. After catcher Miguel Montero walked to load the bases, Castro hit an RBI single.
The Cardinals pulled to within one run in the second. Left fielder Stephen Piscotty reached on a Rizzo error, and second baseman Kolten Wong drove him in with a triple. Wong scored on catcher Tony Cruz's groundout.
St. Louis tied the game in the fifth. Haren allowed a one-out double before he hit pinch hitter Matt Holliday on the helmet with a pitch. Zach Rosscup replaced Haren and walked two batters to allow the tying run. Tommy Hunter replaced Rosscup and got shortstop Jhonny Peralta to fly out to leave the bases loaded.
The Cubs regained the lead on Castro's two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
Cardinals reliever Matt Belisle was ejected after he hit Rizzo in the seventh. The pitch sailed behind Rizzo's legs, and Rizzo walked toward the mound. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was also ejected. The teams were warned after Holliday was hit.
NOTES: Cardinals OF Matt Holliday was hit by a pitch in the back part of his helmet when he pinch hit in the fifth against Haren. It was Holliday's second at-bat since he came off the disabled list for a quadriceps injury. He was replaced by a pinch runner. ... 3B/LF Kris Bryant was out of Chicago's on Friday for a day of rest. Bryant said he's feeling good. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the sixth. ... Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he had yet to decide on Saturday's starting pitcher against the Cardinals, who are expected to start RHP Michael Wacha. Chicago candidates include LHPs Clayton Richard and Travis Wood, and RHPs Trevor Cahill and Carl Edwards Jr. ... Cardinals C Yadier Molina was out of the lineup for the second straight game for rest. He went 0-for-9 with six strikeouts in two games against the Brewers. C Tony Cruz got the start for the second straight game. ... Maddon said the Cubs send their well wishes to Pittsburgh Pirates INF Jung Ho Kang, who will miss the rest of the season after he was injured on a takeout slide by Cubs INF/OF Chris Coghlan on Thursday. Maddon didn't consider the slide a dirty play. "Anyone that wants to go there doesn't know the game at all," Maddon said. Kang underwent surgery for a fractured tibia and torn meniscus.