Cody Bellinger hits 2-run homer as Chicago Cubs edge St. Louis Cardinals 4-3

CHICAGO - Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs stopped St. Louis’ six-game win streak with a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals on Friday.

Bellinger capped Chicago’s four-run third inning with a 400-foot drive to right against Jack Flaherty. He finished with three hits in another strong performance at the plate.

Bellinger, a possible trade target ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, is 10 for 20 in his last five games. Since returning from a bruised knee on June 15, the 2019 NL MVP is batting .381 (40 for 105) with six homers.

"I feel really good man," Bellinger said. "Just tying to understand my body and strength and what I need to do every day.

"I just show up every day to help the team win and go out play baseball, and that’s what I like doing. That’s the only thing I can control."

The Cubs (46-51) improved to 4-4 on their 10-game homestand. Bellinger skirted questions regarding a possible trade, and manager David Ross called the 28-year-old Bellinger "a pleasure to be around."

"He’s the total package for sure, especially when he’s playing like that," Ross said.

All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (10-3) struck out a season-high nine in 6 1/3 innings for Chicago, bouncing back from a lackluster performance against Boston. He allowed two runs and six hits.

"I was kind of doing the entirety of the game pretty much what I wanted to do," Steele said. "Executing pitches, putting the ball where I wanted to and stuff."

Miles Mastrobouni lined his first big league homer for the Cubs, and Mike Tauchman added an RBI double.

Flaherty (7-6) was charged with four runs and eight hits and six innings. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his previous four starts.

St. Louis trailed 4-1 before Nolan Arenado hit a two-run single against Julian Merryweather with two out in the seventh.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on walks to Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Walker and Paul DeJong. Pinch-hitter Alec Burleson then had a 3-0 count against Mark Leiter Jr. before he looked at two called strikes that appeared to be outside.

Burleson bounced into an inning-ending double play, and then was ejected for yelling at plate umpire Ron Kulpa.

Both Burleson and Cardinals manager Oilver Marmol were angered by what they felt was an expanded strike zone.

"When you have to expand the zone and put something in play that’s off the plate, that’s where you tend to be on the ground and less productive," Marmol said. "Unfortunately that’s the way it worked out."

"You can’t make those calls in that situation," Burleson said. "Doing everything in my power right there to, you know, not do what I did."

Adbert Alzolay worked the ninth for his eighth save. Arenado reached on second baseman Christopher Morel’s two-out error and Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch before O’Neill flied out to center.

Right fielder Seiya Suzuki also made a nice running catch on Paul Goldschmidt’s drive for the second out in the ninth.

St. Louis grabbed a 1-0 lead on Andrew Knizner’s run-scoring grounder in the second. But Steele limited the damage when he retired Dylan Carlson on a weak comebacker for the final out.

Mastrobuoni tied it at 1 with a leadoff drive to right-center in the third. It was his first homer in his 45th big league game.

CARDINALS DEAL CABRERA

The Cardinals traded reliever Génesis Cabrera to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league catcher Sammy Hernandez. The 26-year-old Cabrera was designated for assignment by St. Louis on Monday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Drew VerHagen (right hip impingement) is nearing a return, Marmol said. He is eligible to come off the injured list on Saturday. ... INF/OF Brendan Donovan, limited to DH duties since July 4 because of a sore throwing arm, said he expects to continue in that role this season. The 26-year-old won a Gold Glove as a rookie utilityman last year, playing all four infield positions and left and right field.

Cubs: SS Dansby Swanson (left heel bone bruise) ran the bases before the game. ... INF Nick Madrigal (right hamstring strain) was set to make a rehab appearance at Triple-A Iowa.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (6-5, 4.14 ERA) takes the mound on Saturday against RHP Michael Fulmer (1-5, 4.43 ERA).