CHICAGO (AP) — The series opener between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed because of poor weather.

With light snow falling and the temperature around 30 degrees, Monday night’s game was postponed about six hours before the scheduled first pitch. It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on July 21.

The Cubs are pushing their rotation back a second day with Tyler Chatwood — originally scheduled to pitch Sunday against Atlanta — starting Tuesday and Jon Lester going Wednesday. St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright will have his start moved back a day to Tuesday. But the Cardinals will go with Luke Weaver instead of Michael Wacha on Wednesday.

The postponement was the third on the Cubs’ first homestand of the season — and second in as many days. Sunday’s series finale against Atlanta got pushed back to May 14 because of rain.

There were 21 postponements in the majors through Sunday.

The Cubs were hoping to get Anthony Rizzo (lower back tightness) back from the 10-day disabled list on Monday. But the postponement delayed the three-time All-Star’s return.

The Cardinals activated infielder Jedd Gyorko (strained right hamstring) and reliever Luke Gregerson (strained left hamstring) and optioned right-hander Mike Mayers and infielder Yairo Munoz to Triple-A Memphis.

Gyorko, who hit 20 homers last season, has been sidelined since April 2. Gregerson was injured in spring training.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Carlos Martinez’s changeup was too much for the reeling Reds.

The St. Louis right-hander struck out a season-high 11 in seven shutout innings and Harrison Bader’s two-run home run helped the Cardinals complete their first four-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1949 with a 3-2 win on Sunday.

After waiting through a rain delay of 2 hours, 36 minutes, Martinez allowed two hits and four walks while helping send the Reds to their eighth consecutive loss, one short of matching their longest losing streak of last season.

“I just told myself to stay calm and not worry about it,” said Martinez (2-1), who described his changeup as “nasty” and said he could move it to both sides of the plate.

“He was great,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “He had electric stuff. He had great execution when he needed it. He was smooth and had a good plan.”

The Reds scored 10 runs in the series while being swept in four games at home by St. Louis for the first time since July 8-10, 1949.

The Reds haven’t enjoyed a lead in 32 innings, going back to the fourth inning on Thursday. They are 2-13 overall this season for the first time since the 1931 Reds won two of their first 19 games.

Bud Norris allowed Adam Duvall’s ninth-inning leadoff homer and the Reds got a runner to second with nobody out. Norris struck out Alex Blandino and Phillip Ervin and got Billy Hamilton to line out to clinch his third save.

The Cardinals have won five of their past six games.

The Cardinals swept the Reds in a four-game series in St. Louis on Aug. 13-16, 2001.

Bader drove Homer Bailey’s 1-0 pitch into the right field seats for an opposite-field homer with two outs in the second inning. The opposite-field shot was his first in four big league homers. He credited the experience he gained in 32 games with St. Louis last season.

“That was the biggest thing from my little stint last year,” he said. “They really worked the outside half of the plate to me.”

The Cardinals added a run with one out in the seventh on Jose Martinez’s one-out double and Yadier Molina’s RBI single, his second hit of the game.

Hamilton homered off reliever Tyler Lyons in the eighth inning for his 500th hit.

Bailey (0-3) allowed four hits and three runs with four strikeouts and two walks in a season-high seven innings.

“Homer was very, very good,” manager Bryan Price said. “He was really acute with his location. He didn’t give them much, but they did get the hit, they were able to handle and score a few runs, enough to win.”

The Reds have scored a total of five runs in Bailey’s four starts, but he was aware of his team’s struggles overall.

“We’re 2-12,” said Bailey, accidentally subtracting a loss. “That’s not very good at all, regardless of my numbers. My numbers alone don’t count. It’s what we’re doing as a team, man.”

A MAN ON BASE

The Cardinals’ first seven home runs in the series were solo shots before Bader’s two-run shot in the second.

JACKIE’S DAY

Everybody in uniform on both teams wore No. 42 as part of Major League Baseball’s annual Jackie Robinson Day festivities. Sunday was the 71st anniversary of Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

SABO’S DAY

Former Reds 3B Chris Sabo celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Rookie of the Year season by throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.

PERAZA WALK

Cincinnati shortstop Jose Peraza’s third-inning walk was his first in 53 plate appearances this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 1B Marcell Ozuna was scheduled to get Sunday off after playing every inning of St. Louis’ first 15 games.

Reds: OF Scott Schebler made a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville at Lehigh Valley on Sunday. He’s been out since April 9 with a bruised nerve in his right elbow after being hit by a pitch on April 8.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-2), who is 10-2 in 23 games at Wrigley Field, was scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago on Monday.

Reds: RHP Luis Castillo (0-2), who went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two games against the Brewers last season, was Cincinnati’s scheduled starter in the opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee on Monday.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — After three last-place seasons, the Reds hoped they’d turned a corner. Instead, they’re off to their worst start since the Great Depression.

And there’s no telling how low they’ll go.

Greg Garcia hit two home runs for the first time in his career, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-1 victory Saturday that left Cincinnati with the worst record in the majors at 2-12. The last time the Reds opened a season so badly was 1931, when they dropped 17 of 19.

“You never expect it,” manager Bryan Price said . “It’s a tough spot, but you’ve got to deal with it.”

It’s especially discouraging for a rebuilding team that’s seen attendance drop significantly while it put together three straight seasons with at least 94 losses.

“That’s the way it’s going,” said left-hander Brandon Finnegan (0-1), who made his season debut. “Everything that can do against us goes against us. We can’t find the big break.”

The Cardinals are heading in the opposite direction, winning a season-high three in a row with an offense that’s finally rounding into form. They’ve scored 24 runs and piled up eight homers — by six different players — during the first three games of the series.

Garcia had a solo homer and a two-run shot off Finnegan. He came into the game with a total of seven career homers, including only two last season. Garcia also doubled and scored on Tommy Pham’s double.

Getting a chance to start in a day game after a night game, Garcia — who usually faces right-handed pitchers — got his first career homers off a lefty.

“I hadn’t hit many home runs, so you remember most of them,” Garcia said. “I had an idea there weren’t many against a lefty, if any.”

Garcia also doubled and scored on Pham’s double as the Cardinals pulled away.

“It’s taking advantage of an opportunity — an unlikely opportunity against a left-handed starter,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He had great at-bats. It’s impressive how he stays sharp and is ready to go.”

Pham had a solid game at the top of the lineup. He singled twice, doubled, walked, stole two bases and scored two times. Marcell Ozuna had a sacrifice fly, but his hitting streak ended at 12 games.

Miles Mikolas (2-0) limited the Reds’ struggling offense to four hits in seven innings, including Tucker Barnhart’s homer . It was his best outing since signing with the Cardinals after spending the last three seasons pitching in Japan.

“It’s nice to kind of put that in your back pocket,” Mikolas said. “I’ll be in a good mood the next couple of days.”

The Reds placed their hopes for a turnaround on the top of their rotation staying healthy. The pitching staff has been sapped by injuries again this season and has given up the most runs and homers in the majors. Their 6.04 ERA is by far the worst in the majors.

Finnegan strained his left biceps during spring training. He was activated before Saturday’s game and gave up six hits, four walks and five runs in 4 1/3 innings, throwing 91 pitches on his 25th birthday.

“He wasn’t real sharp,” Price said. “He had a hard time getting things going.”

WALK THIS WAY

Ozuna drew his first walk of the season in his 66th plate appearance.

HOLLAND TIME

Greg Holland made his third appearance for the Cardinals and gave up a single during one inning. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year deal on March 31. In his last two appearances, he’s given up one hit and one walk in two innings.

GOLD GLOVE

Barnhart was presented with his 2017 Gold Glove Award on the field pregame, and fans received a Barnhart bobblehead. His homer was his second of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RH Luke Gregerson has made another step in his recovery from a strained left hamstring, pitching on consecutive days during a minor league rehab assignment. He got hurt during spring training.

Reds: OF Jesse Winker is expected to miss at least one more day with a sore right shoulder. He was scratched from the lineup on Friday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (1-1) is 6-3 career against the Reds. St. Louis has won six of his last eight starts against Cincinnati.

Reds: Homer Bailey (0-2) makes his fourth start still looking for his first win. Bailey is 6-13 career against the Cardinals with a 5.86 ERA.

— Associated Press —