On deck stood Taylor Davis, a backup catcher and perpetual farmhand with almost twice as many years in the minors as he had hits in the majors. The Cardinals, up by four runs, gave Schwarber first to load the bases and task Michael Wacha with retiring the Cubs’ No. 8 hitter. Davis stepped in still looking for his first big-league hit of the season.
Cubs starter Yu Darvish said it “looked like a movie.” Complete with spoilers: All the times the Cardinals failed to capitalize with runners on weren’t so quaint, the homers they’ve been prone to allow weren’t so easily ignored, and when Javier Baez hit a home run in the eighth a game the Cardinals controlled early was lost, 6-5, late.