Randal Grichuk’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Cardinals Past Cubs 4-3

Randal Grichuk hit a two-out, solo walk-off home run into the bullpen in right field to cap off the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 home victory over the Chicago Cubs in the first of a three-game series on Monday night.

Randal Grichuk’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Cardinals Past Cubs 4-3

St. Louis rallied from a 3-1 deficit on a two-run homer by Matt Adams— his second pinch-hit homer of the season–to tie it up in the seventh.

This was the Cardinals’ third win in 13 games against the Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals.

“This is a team that can do damage in a hurry,” said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. “That’s something we haven’t had in the past as much, the ability for quite a few guys to feel good about getting the ball over the fence and create instant offense. Good to have in the memory bank.”

Center-fielder Grichuk, 24, added, “Everybody on the team can drive the ball out of the ball park at any moment. We’re never out of it, as was shown today.”

Grichuk’s walk-off homer was his first and came off Chicago reliever Adam Warren.

Cardinals relief right-hander Trevor Rosenthal pitched out of trouble in the ninth inning when Matt Carpenter made a diving catch on a ball hit by Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and then doubled-up Cubs center-fielder Dexter Fowler at third after Fowler raced to home assuming the ball would drop.

Adams’ homer off starting Cubs right-hander John Lackey came after Yadier Molina opened the seventh inning with with a single. Adams fired the ball to straight-away center field, a ball that traveled 407 feet. It was the team’s ninth pinch-hit homer of the year.

The Cubs stretched their lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning when Cardinals right-handed pitcher Adam Wainwright walked Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist to open the inning. Rizzo then singled to left field with Bryant scoring.

Wainwright left Busch Stadium after six innings with the Cubs ahead 3-1. He threw 104 pitches, allowed seven hits, walked three and hit a batter.

 Meanwhile, Lackey also lasted six innings but threw only 71 pitches and allowed singles from Grichuk and Matt Holliday.

Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz drove in the first run of the night with a sacrifice fly after Grichuk singled up the middle, advanced to second when Kolten Wong was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice by Wainwright.

Wainwright, who had walked eight in his first two games of the season, hadn’t walked more than one in any of his next seven starts. He also hadn’t allowed a run to the Cubs in his last 20 regular-season innings covering three starts, all at Wrigley Field.

“The two walks really burned me,” said Wainwright. “They cost me a run and almost an inning’s worth of pitches.”

The Cubs and the Cardinals will next face each other again at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday night.

ST. LOUIS, MO – MAY 23: Randal Grichuk #15 of the St. Louis Cardinals follows through on his solo walk-off home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on May 23, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)