ST. LOUIS — In front of a roaring home crowd at Busch Stadium on June 23, the St. Louis Cardinals delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, defeating the division-leading Chicago Cubs 8–2 and reminding fans that the race for the NL Central is far from over.
Led by a balanced offensive attack and sharp pitching, the Cardinals improved to 42–36, closing the gap on the Cubs in a division that’s shaping up to be one of MLB’s most competitive.
The Cardinals wasted no time asserting dominance. Brendan Donovan continued his hot stretch with a pair of hits, while Alec Burleson came through with timely contact, driving in runs and setting the tone from the heart of the lineup. It wasn’t just the stars — contributions came throughout the batting order, a sign that the team’s depth is beginning to click.
A strong first inning and a momentum-building fourth pushed the Cardinals into a comfortable lead that they would never relinquish. The offense racked up seven hits, and more importantly, capitalized on key scoring opportunities, a problem that had plagued them earlier in the season.
On the mound, the Cardinals got a composed and efficient outing from their starter, who kept Cubs hitters off-balance through the early innings. The bullpen held strong, allowing just two runs total and stranding multiple Chicago runners in scoring position. The pitching staff combined for 10 strikeouts on the night.
This performance came at the perfect time for St. Louis, who entered the game trying to shake off a disappointing series loss to the Reds. With Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger and rising star Pete Crow-Armstrong in the opposing dugout, the pressure was on — but the Cardinals responded in every phase of the game.
The Cardinals will look to carry this momentum into the next game of the series, with another chance to tighten the NL Central standings. With the Cubs still leading the division at 46–31, every win counts. This game showed that the Cardinals are not backing down.
Manager Oli Marmol emphasized postgame, “We’re playing like a team that knows what’s at stake — and that’s exactly what you want in June baseball.”