CHICAGO — John Lackey screamed at the plate umpire. Willson Contreras slammed his catcher's mask.
The rest of the Chicago Cubs kept their cool.
Kris Bryant had three hits, including his 27th homer, and Chicago overcame the ejections of Lackey and Contreras on the way to an 8-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
Bryant went deep in the fourth and singled twice in Chicago's seven-run sixth, helping the NL Central leaders open a big weekend series on a winning note.
The Cubs moved four games ahead of the Cardinals. Milwaukee, which began the day tied with St.