CHICAGO _ Coming off his best start of the season, Yu Darvish lasted only four-plus innings Saturday against the Cardinals.
But catcher Taylor Davis bailed Darvish out with a tying grand slam off Michael Wacha in the fourth inning, and Javier Baez's home run off John Brebbia in the eighth led the Cubs to a 6-5 win on a wild day at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs trailed 5-1 in the fourth when Baez and David Bote singled. Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked with one out before Davis launched the first pitch he saw into the left-field bleachers.
It was his first hit in seven at-bats, and Davis became the first Cubs player to hit a grand slam for his first home run since pitcher Kevin Tapani in 1998. The last position player to do so was Champ Summers in 1975.
Darvish was removed with no outs in the fifth, allowing five runs on six hits and five walks. Like Kyle Hendricks on Friday, he threw 81 pitches, though with a much worse outcome.
After Hendricks' gem Friday, Cubs starters had a combined 2.15 ERA over the last 18 games. Darvish was 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA coming in and had allowed one run in six innings against the Diamondbacks last Saturday. Davis has been Darvish's personal catcher of late with Victor Caratini out and Willson Contreras getting a rest.
Davis, 29 was promoted from Triple-A Iowa on April 12 to take the roster spot of Caratini, who broke a bone in his left hand. Davis had played in only 13 major-league games before this season, and his start Saturday was only the fourth of his career.
Baez homered to right field in the eighth, and Pedro Strop threw a perfect ninth for the save.
Daniel Descalso, who started at second base, left the game with a sore left ankle. Jason Heyward came in to play right field, with Kris Bryant moving from right to third and Bote from third to second.
