ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt homered twice and Sonny Gray tossed five scoreless innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Sunday night in a game delayed more than 2 1/2 hours at the start by rain.
The Cardinals have won five in a row for the first time since winning six straight from July 15-20, 2023, and have won 10 of their last 12.
After the game started at 8:43 p.m. local time following a 2-hour, 33-minute rain delay, Gray (7-2) had another solid outing for the Cardinals. He allowed one hit and struck out eight before being removed after throwing just 74 pitches.
The Cubs mounted a late rally against Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley in the ninth. Ian Happ led off with his second home run of the game to make it a one-run game. Nick Madrigal and Mike Tauchmann each hit two-out singles before Seiya Suzuki hit a flyout to deep right-center field to give Helsley his 17th save to tie Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase for the major league lead.
Javier Assad (4-1) allowed four runs and five hits and struck out a career-best eight batters in five innings after not allowing more than two earned runs in any of his previous 10 starts this season. The Cubs have lost four in a row and six of eight.
Happ hit a two-run homer off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh to cut the Cubs’ deficit to 4-2.
Goldschmidt hit a two-run shot into the third deck in left field in the third and homered again in the fifth for his sixth of the season. It was Goldschmidt’s 27th career multihomer game and his first since May 23, 2023, in Cincinnati.
Cardinals rookie Masyn Winn singled in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, and Alec Burleson singled in the first to extend his streak to 10 games, matching the longest of his career.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: RHP Keegan Thompson (viral illness) threw a scoreless inning for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday in a rehabilitation assignment.
Cardinals: OF Lars Nootbaar was scratched as a precaution due to hamstring tightness after originally being listed in the starting lineup as the designated hitter. … RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the injured list retroactive to May 23. RHP Andre Pallante was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
Up next
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (0-2, 5.68 ERA) will face Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (2-0, 2.65 ERA) in the opener of a four-game series in Milwaukee on Monday.
Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (2-2, 3.68 ERA) opposes Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 3.34 ERA) in the first game of a three-game series in Cincinnati on Monday as the Cardinals start a season-high nine-game road trip.