ST. LOUIS _ Marcell Ozuna had two hits Friday after interim manager Mike Shildt moved him to the fifth spot in the batting order. He did even better Saturday, leading the Cardinals to a 6-2 win over the Cubs.
Matt Carpenter singled off Cubs starter Jose Quintana on the first pitch of the game, and the next seven batters saw the count go to at least three balls. Ozuna came to the plate with the bases loaded in the first, and he cranked a grand slam into the left-field bleachers. It was his first home run since June 16 and the start of a three-hit day.
Quintana's struggles didn't end when Ozuna returned to the Cardinals' dugout. Dexter Fowler walked, and Yairo Munoz drove him in with a double. The Cubs' starter finally escaped the inning after 51 pitches.
The Cubs didn't give Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas trouble until the fourth inning, when Javier Baez hit a two-run homer, his 21st of the year. Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ singled with two outs, but Mikolas stranded the runners by getting pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella to fly out to center field.
Mikolas, a 2018 All-Star, exited the game after six innings. He allowed two runs and fanned two.
Prospect Dakota Hudson made his MLB debut in the seventh inning, striking out two in a scoreless frame. For the second-consecutive game, the bullpen did not allow any runs.
