Cardinals Defeat Cubs 5-3 After 3-Hour Delay

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk robbed Chicago Cubs infielder Anthony Rizzo of a home run with an over-the-wall catch in the first inning on Wednesday, and the Cardinals beat the Cubs 5-3 to avoid a sweep to their NL Central rivals.

Cardinals Defeat Cubs 5-3 After 3-Hour Delay

Grichuk helped Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez settle into seven strong innings after robbing Rizzo of his home run, and Martinez expressed his appreciation for him following the game.

“It was so big I’m going to pay him a dinner in San Diego,” Martinez said. Martinez (3-0) allowed three hits and one run. He struck out five and walked three in recording his third quality start in three outings this season.

Matt Holliday homered and the Cardinals scored twice in each of the first two innings against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-2), who gave up seven hits and four runs over 5 1/3 innings.

The Cubs, the first team in the majors to reach 11 wins, had won three of its previous four games and won the first two of the series.

“It’s the second robbed homer I’ve gotten to,” Grichuk said. “Definitely being the Cubs in a big game, it’s probably my top one.”

The game was delayed 3 hours, 21 minutes by rain in the middle of the seventh inning.

Martinez also added a run-scoring hit in the second to push the lead to 4-0.

St. Louis relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal got his fourth save by striking out the side in the ninth. It was his 100th career save.

Cubs starters had gotten through the sixth inning in 14 straight games to begin the season, a streak that matched the 1910 team for the franchise record.

“It was just a battle today,” Hendricks said. “It kind of started in the bullpen. I just didn’t have it.”

Catcher Yadier Molina extended the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3 with an RBI single in the eighth off reliever Adam Warren. 

The cubs are now 7-2 on the road and have outscored their opponents by 43 runs so far this season, the largest differential in the majors.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon stated he was pleased with the way his team fought back from 4-1 down to get to within just one after the long delay. “I was really impressed with the way we went about our business,” Maddon said. “They were chirpy in the clubhouse the whole time.”

Chicago (11-4) won two out of three against St. Louis (8-7). The Cubs will next visit the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night, while the Cardinals will visit the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

PHOTO: ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 20: Matt Holliday #7 of the St. Louis Cardinals hist a two run home run during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on April 20, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)