Cardinals Hit Season-High Four Homers, Beat Cubs 8-2

The St. Louis Cardinals delivered a commanding performance against the Chicago Cubs, winning 8-2 with a season-high four home runs, all two-run shots from left-handed batters Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and Nolan Gorman. Matthew Liberatore pitched seven strong innings, allowing only two runs on six hits while striking out five, helping the Cardinals secure their sixth win in seven games and close the gap to 3.5 games behind the division-leading Cubs. The power display marked a shift from the Cardinals' previous hitting approach, which focused more on singles and doubles, and was crucial in a tightly contested National League Central division race. Key moments included Nootbaar breaking a scoreless tie with his 10th homer and the Cardinals extending their lead with back-to-back homers from Donovan and Burleson in the fifth inning. The Cubs struggled with pitching, as Ben Brown allowed eight runs in five-plus innings, and despite some offensive efforts from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Carson Kelly, they lost their fourth game in five. The series between these rivals continues with three more games over the next two weeks, with the Cardinals aiming to sustain their momentum and improve their playoff positioning.