Bethancourt, Busch homer in 5-run 2nd inning as Cubs spoil Fedde's debut with Cardinals 6-3
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 02: (L-R) Héctor Neris #51 Michael Busch #29 Christian Bethancourt #60 and Isaac Paredes #17 of the Chicago Cubs celebrate their team win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on August 02, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois
CHICAGO - Christian Bethancourt and Michael Busch homered in a five-run second inning and the Cubs spoiled the Cardinals’ debut of new acquisition Erick Fedde as Chicago stretched its winning streak to three games with a 6-3 victory over St. Louis on Friday.
Tyson Miller (3-1), the first of four relievers, earned the victory and Héctor Neris picked up his 15th save as Chicago won its third straight game against its NL Central rivals.
The Cubs’ big inning came against Fedde (7-5), who was acquired earlier in the week from the White Sox in a three-team trade.
"I had terrible command," Fedde said of the second inning. "It brought me to long at-bats where I couldn’t put people away."
The 31-year-old right-hander gave up the first five runs and six hits and finished with four strikeouts in five innings.
"We had a really good second inning and put pressure on them right away," said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, whose team needed a three–run ninth to top the Cardinals a night earlier.
Rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong added an RBI single in the second before Bethancourt hit a three-run homer to right-center field.
"I was just trying to hit the ball in the gap," Bethancourt said. "Thank God I got that one very well and hit it out of the park."
Busch followed a batter later with a solo shot.
Seiya Suzuki scored from second in the eighth inning after Kyle Leahy’s errant pickoff throw dribbled into center field.
The Cardinals got all three runs by drawing bases-loaded walks. Paul Goldschmidt earned the first off Assad in the third, and Tommy Pham and Brendan Donovan got two-out passes in the eighth from Julian Merryweather and Neris, respectively. Neris struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Crawford to end the threat.
Masyn Winn added two hits for St. Louis, which has dropped five of its last eight games.
Cubs starter Javier Assad allowed four hits, walked three and struck out three in the opening four innings.
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St. Louis’ Kyle Gibson (7-4, 3.97 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-6, 3.35) on Saturday.