ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Busch hit a three-run home run, Matt Shaw added a homer and an RBI triple, and the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 Saturday night.
After getting shut out 5-0 in Friday’s series opener, the Cubs built a six-run lead against Andre Pallante (6-9) by the second inning.
Colin Rea (9-5) allowed one run in six innings, and Carson Kelly and Dansby Swanson each had three of Chicago’s 13 hits.
Busch set the tone by leading off the game with a double into the corner in right field, then scoring on Kyle Tucker’s RBI single. Tucker scored when right-fielder Jordan Walker’s throw got away from Willson Contreras, the cut-off man, on Kelly’s single.
In the second inning, Busch made it 5-0 by hitting his 22nd homer of the season — his sixth in eight games against St. Louis this season.
Busch hit four home runs during a three-game stretch when the Cardinals visited Wrigley Field last month, but he’d hit only three more in 25 games since.
Pallante allowed six runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings, his shortest outing in 53 career starts. He was pulled after Seiya Suzuki doubled and scored on Kelly’s RBI single.
Shaw tripled home Swanson in the third and added a 395-foot solo homer in the fifth that made it 9-0.
Lars Nootbaar doubled and scored the lone St. Louis run on Alec Burleson’s sixth-inning groundout.
The Cardinals played without All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan, a late scratch due to left groin tightness, and Contreras was removed from the game after an infield single in the sixth.
Key moment
After Pallante allowed a single to Swanson and walked Shaw despite getting ahead 0-2, catcher Yohel Pozo visited the mound. Busch drove Pallante’s next pitch 374 feet into the stands in right field for a 5-0 Cubs lead.
Key stat
Busch has six home runs in 34 at-bats against St. Louis this season.
Up next
The Cubs send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-4, 3.12 ERA) against Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (10-5, 4.21) in the series finale Sunday.