Apr 4, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) pitches to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
ST. LOUIS — With a good outing from Jake Arrieta and a timely defensive play, the Chicago Cubs bounced back Tuesday night from a season-opening loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Arrieta allowed four hits and one unearned run in six innings, and center fielder Albert Almora preserved the lead with a terrific catch in Chicago’s 2-1 victory over the Cardinals at sold-out Busch Stadium.
In upping his career mark to 8-2 against St. Louis, Arrieta walked two and fanned six. He extricated himself from a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth, inducing a popout by Randal Grichuk on his 90th pitch.
Almora saved the Cubs’ advantage in the seventh. Matt Adams drilled a 2-1 pitch from reliever Koji Uehara just to the left of the 402-foot sign in center, but Almora got to the wall and gloved the ball before it left the park.
Pedro Strop pitched a clean eighth, and Wade Davis, in his first game with Chicago after being acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the offseason, worked the ninth for the save.
Adam Wainwright absorbed the loss for the Cardinals after going five innings and allowing two runs, three hits and two walks. Wainwright fanned six.
Chicago broke the scoring seal in the top of the fourth by manufacturing two runs with good base running. Jason Heyward blooped a single to left center that scored Addison Russell, who read that the ball would drop in as it cleared the infield, and moved Willson Contreras from first to third.
Javier Baez dropped a safety squeeze on a tough inside pitch from Wainwright. Contreras got a very good jump off third and slid in just ahead of Wainwright’s flip to catcher Yadier Molina.
Meanwhile, St. Louis generated next to nothing against Arrieta until creating a run in the fifth with the help of two errors by Baez at second base.
Baez bobbled Kolten Wong’s two-out roller that was ruled an infield hit, allowing Stephen Piscotty to score from second, and Baez’s wild throw home struck Piscotty in the left ear, moving Wong to second.
NOTES: St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal (right lat strain) threw a bullpen session with no difficulties. Rosenthal, who is on the 10-day disabled list, is scheduled to throw another one this weekend and could return next week. … Willson Contreras’ Opening Night homer marked the second straight year a catcher went deep for the Cubs. The previous time a Cubs catcher homered in the opener was in 1996, courtesy of Scott Servais. … Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter was hitless in three at-bats against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta, making him 0-for-27 in his career against his former TCU teammate.
