Everything happened in the sixth inning. The Cubs led, the Cardinals took over, and then Chicago took it back — all in the span of a few minutes at Wrigley Field. When it was over, the Cubs had a 6-4 win and the Cardinals had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Javier Assad set the tone before the chaos arrived. The right-hander worked 4.2 innings, allowing just 2 hits and no runs while walking 2 and striking out 2 on 80 pitches. Drew Pomeranz earned his first win of the season, pitching 1.0 inning and allowing 1 run. Jacob Webb closed it out with 2.0 innings of scoreless work, recording his third save of the year with a 3.29 ERA.
Chicago struck first in the first inning. Crow-Armstrong scored on a Bregman double to center, and Bregman then scored on a Hoerner sacrifice fly to right, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead that stood until the sixth. Walker erased it in one swing — a 409-foot three-run homer to left center that scored Wetherholt and Burleson, putting St. Louis ahead 3-2. The Cubs answered immediately. Hoerner singled to right to score Kelly and tie the game at 3-3. Then Busch scored on a Swanson fielder's choice, with Hoerner reaching third safely on a throwing error by third baseman Fermín — the go-ahead run crossing the plate to make it 3-4. Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to right, and Hoerner and Swanson both scored, the second run coming on a throwing error by right fielder Walker, extending the lead to 6-3. Walker added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to score Wetherholt, but it was too little.
Matthew Liberatore absorbed the loss, falling to 4-6. He allowed 4 runs — 3 earned — on 4 hits over 5.0 innings, walking 2 and striking out 3 on 78 pitches. His ERA stands at 5.34. The Cardinals' two errors in the game proved costly, directly contributing to two of Chicago's runs in the decisive sixth.
Chicago improved to 49-40 with the win. St. Louis, which had won three straight entering the game, fell to 47-39.