The Cubs kicked off the second half by facing their bitter rivals from St. Louis at Wrigley on Thursday. The Cardinals jumped ahead early, but defensive miscues helped Chicago pull out their fourth straight win.
Kyle Hendricks again struggled in the 1st inning, this time allowing three singles, including a Marcell Ozuna flare that gave the Cards a 1-0 advantage. Tommy Pham followed up in the 2nd inning with a solo shot to left field to make it 2-0. The Cubs got one back in the 3rd when Jason Heyward singled to left in an inning extended by a Jedd Gyorko error.