Kyle Schwarber occasionally gets annoyed by defensive shifts.
‘‘They all do,’’ Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of his hitters.
One way to beat the shift is to slam an RBI double off the ivy-covered wall. Or to rip an RBI single into center field.
That’s the strategy Schwarber used to help the Cubs pull away for a 5-1 victory Sunday against the Cardinals. The Cubs completed a three-game sweep of their National League Central rivals and wrapped up a seven-game homestand 6-1.
Maddon’s crew also posted its seventh consecutive victory against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field, including six in a row this season.