Cubs set HR record to inch closer to NLCS berth

The winds were blowing out at Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Monday night, and it resulted in a historic amount of home runs.

The Chicago Cubs slugged a playoff-record six homers to back up a rare mediocre outing from Jake Arrieta, as the Cubs bashed their way to an 8-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals to gain a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

Kyle Schwarber, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler, and Dexter Fowler all went deep on a night where 25-mph winds were blowing out to right field at the iconic stadium.

Top Performer: Soler continued his bid to become the new Mr. October, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks to complement his two-run homer. The 23-year-old Cuban has now reached base in a MLB-record nine straight plate appearances to begin his postseason career.

Starting Pitchers: ​Arrieta, who had yielded only four runs since July 25, had his scoreless streak snapped at 34 innings when he coughed up a pair in the fourth inning. Jason Heyward later ripped a two-run homer in the sixth, ending Arrieta's day. Michael Wacha's recent struggles continued, as the righty was pounded for three homers for the first time in his career, forcing the Cardinals to go to their bullpen early.

Turning Point: After Heyward's two-run homer cut the Cubs' lead to 5-4, Soler stepped up against two-time World Series champion Adam Wainwright in the sixth inning and sent the Wrigley Field faithful into a frenzy with a two-run blast, which proved to be the difference in the contest.

Up Next: The two clubs will be back in action for Game 4 on Tuesday afternoon. Chicago will turn to right-hander Jason Hammel (10-7, 3.74 ERA) for the potential series clincher, while St. Louis counters with John Lackey (13-10, 2.77 ERA). Lackey allowed only two hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the series opener.