LARS NOOTBAAR

Make it a very sweet 16 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals outfielders Lars Nootbaar, right, and Harrison Bader (48) celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs 8-5 in a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. Bader went 4 for 4 with a home run as the Cardinals beat the Cubs 8-5 Saturday. The Cardinals date their history to 1892, when they were known as the Browns and joined the National League. Stanton also had three hits and a three-run homer Friday night to help the Yankees win the series opener. Freddy Peralta (9-5, 2.65 ERA) faces New York, which has lost four in a row and 12 of 15.

Fresh off setting a franchise record with their 15th straight win, Harrison Bader and the St. Louis Cardinals try to finish off a sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt watches his one-run single during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The win streak has rocketed the Cards into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by five games. Paul DeJong also went deep and Nootbaar added a single for three hits in his first multihomer game as St. Louis pulled away. It’s the second time St. Louis has had three hitters with 30 or more. TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: SS Edmundo Sosa was in the right hand by a pitch in the sixth first game and left the game.

The surging St. Louis Cardinals emphatically matched a team record with their 14th straight wint, pounding the Chicago Cubs 12-4 in the second game of doubleheader behind Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar.

The surging St. Louis Cardinals emphatically matched a team record with their 14th straight win on Friday night, pounding the Chicago Cubs 12-4 in the second game of a doubleheader behind Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar. Harrison Bader added a solo drive, double and single as St. Louis batters went deep five times in the nightcap to sweep the twinbill and equal a run set in July 1935. Paul DeJong also went deep and Nootbaar added a single for three hits in his first multihomer game as St. Louis pulled away.

Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos fanned pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes for the final out and St. Louis won its 10th straight game, increasing its playoff lead by holding off the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-1.

Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each hit one of St. Louis’ four homers, and the Cardinals flashed some fantastic outfield defense in beating the New York Mets 11-4 for their fifth straight victory.

The Cardinals bullpen was pressed into duty after starter Wade LeBlanc exited with left elbow pain. A pair of homers turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead for St. Louis in the fourth. St. Louis has won five of six overall and 10 straight games at Pittsburgh. St. Louis closer Alex Reyes gave up a two-run homer to Bryan Reynolds with one out in the ninth following an error by right fielder Tommy Edman. He has not pitched in the majors since experiencing right forearm tightness during a start on May 22, which was his first for St. Louis since the 2019 NLCS.

Six St. Louis relievers combined to allow three runs in seven innings, Paul DeJong and Lars Nootbaar homered, and the Cardinals hung on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep.