The Sports Xchange
May 12, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- Eddie Butler gave the Chicago Cubs a badly needed shot in the arm while stopping the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals' offense Friday night.
Firing six shutout innings, Butler won his first big league start of the year, lifting Chicago to a 3-2 verdict in front of a sellout crowd at Busch Stadium.
Butler, who was 6-16 over parts of the last three seasons while toiling for Colorado, gave up only two hits while walking three and striking out five in a 94-pitch outing. The result snapped a six-game winning streak for the Cardinals (19-15).
Four relievers handled the last nine outs for the Cubs (18-17), with Wade Davis notching his eighth save in as many chances by working the ninth inning.
Davis was charged with an unearned run when catcher Willson Contreras threw wildly to first after Kolten Wong waved at strike three in the dirt, scoring Randal Grichuk from second. Davis rebounded to fan pinch-hitter Matt Adams on three pitches.
It was just the second win in seven games for Chicago, which scratched right fielder Kris Bryant just before first pitch because of the stomach flu.
Contreras led the Cubs, cracking two of their three solo homers. Tommy La Stella belted the third, touching Brett Cecil for his first of the year with one out in the seventh.
Grichuk homered off Carl Edwards Jr. in the bottom of the seventh for St. Louis' only run. But after Edwards walked Greg Garcia and Dexter Fowler with two outs, Contreras nipped the promising rally in the bud by picking Fowler off first.
Mike Leake (4-2) absorbed the loss, allowing five hits and two runs in six innings while doling out three walks and whiffing five.
NOTES: Chicago SS Addison Russell (right shoulder) didn't start for the second straight game. Javier Baez took his place. ... The Cubs recalled RHP Eddie Butler from Triple-A Iowa to start on Friday night, optioning RHP Justin Grimm to Iowa. ... St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler (right shoulder) was back in the starting lineup Friday night after not starting on all six games of the team's road trip to Atlanta and Miami. ... Cardinals RF Stephen Piscotty (right hamstring) anticipates being ready to play after his stint on the 10-day disabled lis ends Monday.