CHICAGO • The gulf in the standings between the Cardinals and the runaway rival Cubs revealed itself in the difference on the scoreboard Friday, summed up in an all too familiarly forgettable first inning.
Before starter Mike Leake got his first out of the game, the Cardinals had already walked the leadoff batter, permitted two extra bases with faulty defense, uncorked the first of two wild pitches, and fallen behind, right there, on the hand-operated Wrigley Field scoreboard. The Cubs did none of those things. Every bit as sharp and opportunistic as last year’s 100-win Cardinals team was, the Cubs scored four runs in the first and gave ace Jake Arrieta a tailwind he barely needed for a 5-0 victory.