CHICAGO _ For four days at Wrigley Field the Cubs have had their new closer looming, awaiting his chance to announce his presence in this rivalry with authority.
The Cardinals know Aroldis Chapman well, though don't know what to do with him at all. In five years as the Cardinals manager, Mike Matheny has yet to see his team score a run against the fire-breathing left-hander, and any ninth inning he's had against them he's owned. So the Cardinals adopted an approach that might work against Chapman.
They never let him pitch with a lead.
The Cardinals rallied Sunday night for a second consecutive day with a thunderous eighth inning. Stephen Piscotty lofted a three-run homer to put the Cardinals ahead and Brandon Moss followed with a solo homer to give some space. Seung Hwan Oh worked a five-out save to close a 6-4 victory at Wrigley Field. The win split the four-game series and left the Cardinals right where they started, trailing the first-place Cubs by 12 games.
By rallying to win Saturday and overcoming a 2-0 deficit Sunday the Cardinals erased the bruising done in the first two games of the series. They also rendered Chapman a relative bystander. The lefty threw a scoreless, three-pitch ninth in a tie game Thursday, and he handled a swift ninth Sunday, though he was just there to keep the Cardinals close.
The Cardinals had already snacked on the Cubs bullpen.
Trailing by two runs entering the eighth inning, the Cardinals ignited a five-run rally and would send 10 batters to the plate against the Cubs. Kolten Wong opened the inning with a pinch-hit single and he would also close the inning with a flyout. In between Wong's at-bats, Piscotty homered and Moss homered. A key hit in the inning was the shortest hit of the inning. Greg Garcia, stuck in a one-for-33 tilt, dropped a keen bunt down the third-base line. The ball was too close to him for the third baseman to reach and too far away for the pitcher to grab. That brought Piscotty up with runners in scoring position and no outs.
Piscotty drilled a 1-1 pitch from Hector Rondon high and out to center field. Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler gave it a look but not a chase.
That upended the Cubs' lead and gave Chapman nothing to preserve but a two-run deficit by the time his turn came.
Moss added welcome insurance and chased Rondon, the Cubs' former closer, with his 21st home run of the season. Moss had three homers in the four-game series.
Oh had to throw a five-pitch save because Kevin Siegrist left the game abruptly. He allowed a homer to Anthony Rizzo, struck out a batter, and then was escorted from the mound by the Cardinals' trainer. The reason for his departure and his condition was not immediately available.
