Jorge Soler hit two home runs as part of a 3-for-3 game and the Chicago Cubs took a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series.
Soler hit a solo home run and a two-run shot, while Luis Valbuena and Arismendy Alcantara each gave a solo homer for the Cubs, who snapped a two- game slide.
Kyle Hendricks pitched six innings and gave up two runs on five hits. Neil Ramirez (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win.
Matt Holliday and Jhonny Peralta each drove in a run for the Cardinals, who have lost five of their last seven. Shelby Miller allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings in the no-decision.
The score was tied going into the eighth inning with Pat Neshek (6-1) on the mound for St. Louis, but the Cubs quickly took the lead. Logan Watkins singled to start the frame and Chris Coghlan followed with a ground-rule double along the right-field line. Javier Baez then blasted a double to left-center to score two runs and Soler later crushed a pitch over the wall in left for a 6-2 lead.
Alcantara hit a pitch over the wall in center to lead off the ninth for a 7-2 lead.
Holliday and Peralta gave RBI singles in the first inning for a 2-0 Cardinals lead, but Valbuena led off the second with his 14th home run of the season.
Soler's leadoff home run in the seventh tied the game.
Game Notes
St. Louis still leads the season series, 7-6 ... The Cardinals were just 2- for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base ... The Cardinals activated catcher Yadier Molina from the 15-day disabled on Friday and optioned catcher Tony Cruz to Double-A Springfield.
[SportsNetwork.com]