ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
Bregman had sat out Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh after going hitless in his previous three games. Against the Cardinals, he snapped out of an 0-for-12 slump with four hits and scored three runs in a game that was delayed an hour and 46 at the start due to rain.
Nico Hoerner also had four hits,
including a two-run homer in the ninth as the Cubs banged out 14 hits in the win.
David Peterson (6-7) worked 5 2/3 innings and earned the win. The 30-year-old left-hander, who was acquired on June 25 from the New York Mets, struck out two and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks.
Matthew Liberatore (5-8) was tagged for three runs on eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Chicago has won eight of its last 12 games. Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals are 3-8 and slipped to 6-14 in their last 20 games.
Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million contract during the offseason, drove in Seiya Suzuki with a first-inning double.
The Cubs added a run in the second on a single by Miguel Amaya.
José Fermín hit a first-pitch fastball 407 feet into Big Mac Land in the left field upper deck in the second inning. The two-out homer cut Chicago’s advantage to 2-1.
Bregman led off the third with a first-pitch homer to right field, his 11th of the season. Over the last 11 games, Chicago has hit 12 home runs.
The Cubs extended their lead to 5-1 on a two-run single by Hoerner in the fifth inning.
Masyn Winn and Bryan Torres drove in runs for St. Louis in the sixth.
Cubs RHP Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85) will start the second game in the series. The Cardinals have not named a starter.
__
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
