CHICAGO • With Jake Arrieta out of the game, the Cardinals lineup opened up before the skies did at Wrigley Field.
A home run by Aledmys Diaz and three other runs allowed the Cardinals to take a 7-0 lead on the Chicago Cubs through 7 1/2 innings. Diaz's two-run homer punctuated a sixth inning that saw the Cardinals send 10 batters to the plate. Brandon Moss, as previously mentioned, started the scoring in the inning when he raced home ahead of a throw from third baseman Kris Bryant.
Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong scored on Matt Carpenter's double that extended the inning even as it amplified the Cardinals' lead.