Central STL News

In a decisive game against the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals showcased their power at Busch Stadium on Monday night, hitting four home runs to secure an 8-2 victory. The Cardinals' manager, Oliver Marmol, noted that despite previously focusing on singles and doubles due to fewer home runs compared to the Cubs, his team displayed impressive left-handed power in this matchup.

The Cardinals entered the game with 39 fewer homers than their rivals but quickly changed the narrative with two-run homers from Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and Nolan Gorman. Matthew Liberatore also contributed significantly with a strong pitching performance.

Lars Nootbaar commented on the team's hitting approach: “It’s just that hitting is contagious and sometimes it sparks you a little bit.” This sentiment was echoed by Alec Burleson who credited their success to individualized plans developed by hitting coach Brant Brown. “We were able to execute those plans with runners on and that helps,” said Burleson.

The four home runs matched the Cardinals' season-high for a single game. They narrowly missed a fifth when Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong made a critical catch at the center-field wall during the sixth inning.

Matthew Liberatore's performance was another highlight of the night as he limited Chicago to six hits and two earned runs over seven innings. He effectively maneuvered through challenging moments including getting out of a bases-loaded situation initiated by Ian Happ.

Reflecting on facing division leaders like the Cubs, Nootbaar emphasized its significance: “You want to play well all throughout the season, but when you have a team that’s ahead of you [in the standings], you can make up ground a little bit faster than usual.”

As both teams continue their series over 14 days with games in both St. Louis and Chicago, this victory sets an encouraging tone for the Cardinals who are looking to close in on their National League Central rivals.