Russell delivers in 3-run 7th, Cubs beat Cardinals 5

Ray (3-4) pitched four-hit ball over a career-high 7 2-3 innings. Hector Rondon retired the side in the eighth.

The Cardinals scored once in the ninth off right-handed reliever Jason Motte as pinch hitter Tony Cruz singled home left fielder Randal Grichuk with one out to make it 5-3.

Jhonny Peralta singles in the seventh to end Cubs Jon Lester’s hitless game through his first six innings pitched.

You’ve heard those kinds of lines before, but in this case Russell wasn’t even born yet, in fact more than a year away from arrival on Earth when the Cubs took two from the Cardinals June 8, 1992 in St. Louis.

Cain (1-1) had not pitched at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark since July 9, 2014, when he earned his last win before missing the final half of the season following elbow surgery.

The potential pitching duel between Cueto and Scherzer never materialized.

Beeler was credited with allowing two runs, while he gave up four hits, struck out six and walked two in five full innings. The five runs were more than the right-hander allowed in his previous four games combined, a stretch that included a no-hitter and a one-hitter.

It took 10 seasons and 67 at-bats, but Cubs pitcher Jon Lester finally notched his first major league hit Monday, snapping a 0-for-66 skid that was the longest in baseball history to start a career.

Arrieta’s performance was backed by a few offense that was notable because it came in this season series. Mets pitchers have allowed exactly three hits in each of their last three wins. He has made strategic strides over his first four seasons, and he’s shown more flexibility than we’ve seen in the past, but the key this year has been keeping the Cardinals, who have been riddled with serious injuries and a big heaping pile of Ugly Off-Field Distraction, focused on the task at hand.

It’s the only logical explanation for their wacky day on Wednesday when they played a doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs in Chicago.

The Cardinals scored two in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead while chasing out Dallas Beeler. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Escobar emptied the bases, breaking a 1-all deadlock.

Lawrie pulled a 0-2 breaking ball just inside the left-field foul pole for his eighth home run.

In the past 10 games, the majority went UNDER.

He’s in the top 10 in the league in ERA, innings and opponents’ average; top six in wins and strikeouts. They had been the only major league team without a win after the ninth. It is fantastic that Wong is not on the All Star Team.

John Lackey hurled seven shutout innings to earn the win against the Cubs on Monday. He is the most winning Cardinals pitcher and owns a 2.66 ERA through 16 starts. The total, meanwhile, is sitting at 7 runs. The Cardinals have scored 13 runs in their last three games and three or less runs in six of their last eight games. “It’s a great honor to get that from the players…For the players to vote me in is really special”.

MILWAUKEE – Kelly Johnson homered and drove in three runs as Atlanta ended Milwaukee’s eight-game winning streak.