Skip to content

Cardinals explode for 9 runs in 8th inning against Cubs

David Banks / USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs may want to target elite relief pitchers on the trade market next.

After taking a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs needed three relievers to retire the side. In fact, it took until the third pitcher of the inning for the Cubs to record the first Cardinals out - 11 batters in. Here's how it went down:

Cardinals hitter Outcome Cubs pitcher Score
Matt Carpenter Double Carl Edwards Jr. 3-2
Tommy Pham Walk Carl Edwards Jr. 3-2
Dexter Fowler Walk Carl Edwards Jr. 3-2
Jedd Gyorko Walk Hector Rondon 3-3
Paul DeJong Double Hector Rondon 5-3
Kolten Wong Walk Hector Rondon 5-3
Randal Grichuk Single Hector Rondon 6-3
Carson Kelly Double Justin Grimm 8-3
Luke Voit Walk Justin Grimm 8-3
Matt Carpenter Single Justin Grimm 9-3
Tommy Pham Single Justin Grimm 11-3
Dexter Fowler GIDP Justin Grimm 11-3
Jedd Gyorko Walk Justin Grimm 11-3
Paul DeJong Strikeout Justin Grimm 11-3

Remarkably, the Cardinals put up nine runs in an inning without the help of a single home run.

It was such a horrendous inning that Carl Edwards Jr.'s season ERA climbed from 2.11 to 2.82 and Hector Rondon's went from 3.58 to 4.54 after facing just four batters.

With the victory, the Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak and ended the Cubs' six-game win streak. Only four games separate the first-place Milwaukee Brewers from the fourth-place Cardinals in the hotly contested National League Central.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox