Pitching Carries Cards Past Cubs in the Weekend Series Win

The Cardinal Chronicle
Pitching Carries Cardinals Past Cubs in Weekend Series Win
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals needed a clean, steady, professional pitching performance Sunday night.

They got exactly that.

Matthew Liberatore set the tone, Hunter Dobbins delivered important bulk innings out of the bullpen, and the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 at Busch Stadium to take the weekend series from their longtime National League Central rivals.

After splitting the first two games of the series, St. Louis needed more than a good offensive night. The Cardinals needed pitching stability after a bullpen-heavy Friday win and a frustrating Saturday loss. Liberatore gave them the kind of start that let the game breathe, and Dobbins followed with the kind of relief appearance that saves a bullpen and wins a series.

That was the story of the night.

Liberatore attacked early, worked with purpose, and kept the Cubs off the board long enough for the Cardinals to build a lead. He opened the game by striking out Alex Bregman in the first inning, an early sign that his stuff was playing and that Chicago was not going to get comfortable right away.

The Cardinals struck first in the bottom of the first when Jordan Walker delivered an RBI single, giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead.

From there, the Cardinals added on in the third inning and created separation. Masyn Winn delivered the biggest swing of the inning with a two-run single, helping push the lead to 5-0. JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera were again in the middle of the offensive action, giving the Cardinals early pressure and forcing Chicago to chase the game.

That was more than enough for the way the Cardinals pitched.

The Cubs finally broke through in the sixth when Bregman drove in Chicago’s only run against Dobbins, but the rookie right-hander did not let the inning become something larger. That mattered. With a four-run lead, the job was not to be fancy. It was to throw strikes, keep the ballpark quiet, and get the game to the finish line.

Dobbins did that.

Recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Memphis, Dobbins stepped into a bullpen role and gave the Cardinals the kind of multi-inning coverage that can change the shape of a pitching staff. He is not just a one-batter reliever or a matchup arm. He gives Oliver Marmol length, flexibility, and protection on nights when the bullpen needs to avoid being emptied.

That has real value, especially during a long homestand and a stretch of divisional games.

The move to bring Dobbins back came with Matt Pushard being designated for assignment. On the surface, that was a pitching transaction. Underneath it, it also carried roster significance. Pushard’s DFA clears a 40-man roster spot, giving the Cardinals more flexibility as Lars Nootbaar nears a return from his rehab assignment.

Nootbaar’s return has been moving closer, and the Cardinals have needed a clean roster path for his activation. The Pushard decision appears to help create that path.

On the field Sunday night, though, the Cardinals’ pitching staff owned the moment.

Liberatore gave St. Louis the start it needed. Dobbins gave the club the relief length it needed. Together, they held a dangerous Cubs lineup to one run and allowed the Cardinals to control the game from the early innings through the final out.

After Friday’s 6-5 win and Saturday’s 6-1 loss, Sunday was the separator. The Cardinals did not just win the rubber game. They won it the old-fashioned way: score early, pitch well, play from ahead, and make the other club earn everything.

Against the Cubs, that still plays.

Final Score
St. Louis Cardinals 5
Chicago Cubs 1

Key Game Notes
- Matthew Liberatore set the tone with a strong start.
- Hunter Dobbins, recalled earlier in the day, delivered valuable multi-inning relief.
- Matt Pushard was designated for assignment, opening a 40-man roster spot and giving the Cardinals flexibility for Lars Nootbaar’s expected return.
- Jordan Walker drove in the first run of the game.
- Masyn Winn delivered a two-run single in the third.
- JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera helped fuel the early offense.
- The Cardinals held the Cubs to one run and took the weekend series.

Old School Take

This is how winning baseball is supposed to look.

The Cardinals did not need fireworks all night. They needed a starter to take command, a long man to save the bullpen, and enough early offense to make Chicago play from behind.

Liberatore and Dobbins gave them the backbone of the game. The bats gave them the cushion. That is a series win you can build on.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
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Photo Credit: Hunter Dobbins | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images