Cubs Come to St. Louis and Pour Beer on the Home Team

The Cubbies continue to be a strong contender in the NL East, sweeping the tough Cards squad and moving to 21-11. They won all three of these games pretty decisively, scoring boatloads of runs and holding down the Cards offense.

Game One: Cubs 10, Cards 3
W: Decker (5-1)
L: Torrez (3-4)

The Cards gave the Cubs a few gift runs, as St. Louis starter Mike Torrez walked five with no Ks in 5.2 innings, and the Cards played hot potato with three key errors. The Cubs worked their 10 hits efficiently (only one an extra base knock)  to score 10 times, as both Don Kessinger and Jack Hiatt knocked in two apiece in the balanced attack. Youngster Joe Decker goes to 5-1 and only allows four hits in six innings.

Game Two: Cubs 9, Cards 0
W: Holtzman (5-3)
L: Carlton (3-4)

Kenny Holtzman continues to round into good pitching shape, winning his third in a row and hurling a complete game masterpiece. While he was shutting out the Cards on six hits, the Cubs offense again was in full throttle. The great Billy WIlliams went three for four with two home runs, his 13th and 14th, and drove in four to lead the scoring. His veteran teammate Ernie Banks went three for five and continues to surprise with a solid campaign, as he's hitting around .315.

Game Three: Cubs 5, Cards 1
W: Jenkins (5-3)
L: Briles (1-2)

Fergie Jenkins followed Holtzman with another pitching gem for Chicago, throwing a complete game six hitter with six Ks. The Cards' Nelson Briles also was on command early, and the score was 2-1 Cubs going into the eighth. Dick Allen's bat finally awoke, as he hit his seventh homer of the year for the Cards' scoring. But Chicago put it away with three runs in the top of the eighth off reliever Sal Campisi, led by an RBI single from Banks and a ground rule double from Hiatt to plate two more.