Weekend Series Review 7/4-7/6
The Chicago Cubs emphatically defended their home turf at Wrigley Field, taking two of three games from the rival St. Louis Cardinals in a weekend filled with offensive fireworks. After a record-setting power display on Friday, the Cardinals battled back to win a slugfest on Saturday before the Cubs slammed the door with a dominant shutout on Sunday to clinch the series.
Friday (Cubs won, pick won) Cubs 11 - Cardinals 3. The Cubs put on a historic power display to kick off the weekend, setting a franchise record with eight home runs in a single game. Michael Busch led the charge with three homers and five RBIs, while Pete Crow-Armstrong added two of his own. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas was shelled for eight runs and six home runs, and the Cubs' offense never looked back.
Saturday (Cardinals won, pick lost) Cardinals 8 - Cubs 6. St. Louis returned the favor in a back-and-forth slugfest on Saturday. The Cardinals overcame an early deficit with a five-run eighth inning, capped by a go-ahead three-run pinch-hit home run from Yohel Pozo. The Cubs' bullpen couldn't hold the lead, wasting home runs from Michael Busch and Carson Kelly.
Sunday (Cubs won, pick lost) Cubs 11 - Cardinals 0. The Cubs secured the series with a dominant performance on Sunday Night Baseball. Matthew Boyd, hours after being named an All-Star, was brilliant, striking out nine over five shutout innings. The offense exploded again, with Seiya Suzuki hitting his 25th homer and Nico Hoerner falling just a home run shy of the cycle. The Cardinals' starter, Erick Fedde, lasted only 1.1 innings as the Cubs jumped out to an early lead and never let up.
Key stat from the series - Team Slugging Percentage. This was the defining story of the weekend. The Cubs showcased their massive power advantage, slugging their way to two blowout victories. Their franchise-record eight home runs on Friday set the tone, and their ability to generate extra-base hits was something the Cardinals couldn't match outside of their eighth-inning rally on Saturday. The team with the superior power won the series.
The Cubs improve to 54-36, extending their lead in the NL Central to four games over the Brewers. The Cardinals fall to 48-43 and are now 6.5 games behind the Cubs.
Cubs -155 to win the series: WIN