NEW YORK — Paul DeJong tagged the Mets again, hitting a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning that sent the St. Louis Cardinals over New York 4-3 on Sunday.

The Cardinals won despite getting outhit 10-3. They took three of four in the series, and DeJong homered in each victory.

DeJong is 30 for 83 (.361) with nine homers and 10 doubles against the Mets overall.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a prodigious home run off the facade of the second deck and scored twice for St. Louis, which went 5-5 on its season-long 10-game road trip.

Robinson Cano returned from the injured list and doubled and scored a run, and Dominic Smith had two hits in his first career start in the leadoff spot for New York, which is 5-5 over its last 10 games.

Mets starter Jason Vargas exited in the fourth inning with a cramp in his left calf. He fouled a ball off his foot and was pulled during the at-bat.

DeJong connected off Chris Flexen (0-3) for a solo drive. He has six home runs in 11 games at Citi Field.

New York’s bullpen has allowed 15 earned runs over its last 20 1/3 innings. Flexen has been scored on in each of his three outings.

Andrew Miller (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the victory and Carlos Martinez went two innings for his second save.

Pinch-hitter Todd Frazier reached far over the plate and, with one hand, blooped an opposite-field single to right with one out in the Mets ninth. Frazier shared a quick laugh at first base with Martinez, who then got pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos to ground into a game-ending double play.

Goldschmidt’s first-inning homer was the only hit the Cardinals could muster in the first seven innings against Vargas and Wilmer Font.

Dakota Hudson struggled early, falling behind eight of the first 12 batters, but rebounded to keep St. Louis in the game, allowing three runs over six innings. The Cardinals have won each of his last six starts.

J.D. Davis and Adeiny Hechavarria each had an RBI for New York.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Goldschmidt returned to the starting lineup after a day of rest . C Yadier Molina was in the starting lineup after getting hit on his glove hand by a foul ball Saturday evening.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard was placed on the 10-day with a strained right hamstring. He underwent an MRI Sunday morning . OF Brandon Nimmo (neck) has visits scheduled with additional specialists as he continues to deal with a bulging disk.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-7, 4.83 ERA) opposes Miami’s RHP Elieser Hernandez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) to open a four-game series at home. Mikolas is 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts vs NL East opponents, but 1-5 with a 6.15 ERA in nine starts against all other divisions.

Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (5-4, 4.87 ERA) looks to bounce back as New York opens a three-game series at NL East-leading Atlanta. Wheeler allowed a career-worst nine runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Yankees on June 11, although only five were earned. He’s opposed by RHP Mike Soroka (7-1, 1.92 ERA), who has not lost since April 18.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK — Second baseman Jeff McNeil made a game-saving throw from right field to home plate for the final out, and the New York Mets held off the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 on Saturday night after starter Noah Syndergaard exited with a strained right hamstring.

Pete Alonso smashed a mammoth three-run homer for the Mets off the facing of the third deck in a five-run first inning against Michael Wacha (4-3). J.D. Davis homered and had four hits, finishing a triple short of the cycle. And this time, New York’s beleaguered bullpen finally held on — barely — after blowing late leads in the first two games of the series.

Seth Lugo struck out three in the eighth, fanning Matt Carpenter with the bases loaded to end the inning. Scuffling closer Edwin Diaz gave up a two-out RBI single to Yadier Molina in the ninth, and Kolten Wong lofted a blooper toward the right field line.

McNeil sprinted a long way in pursuit and converged with outfielder Michael Conforto, but neither was able to get there in time to make the catch. Conforto tumbled to the ground, but McNeil stayed on his feet and quickly grabbed the ball as it trickled away. He turned and made a perfect one-hop throw to the plate, easily nailing Jack Flaherty — the Cardinals pitcher who was pinch-running for the slow-footed Molina.

Flaherty looked back at the ball between second and third, then stumbled a bit coming around third, and it cost him.

A fired-up McNeil pumped his right arm and the Mets celebrated after a narrow escape.

Syndergaard (5-4) reached for his right hamstring after throwing a pitch in the seventh. Mets manager Mickey Callaway and an athletic trainer came out to check on the right-hander, who quickly walked off the field with a bit of a limp.

Robert Gsellman entered with New York leading 8-3. St. Louis scored three runs before the inning was over.

Syndergaard threw 102 pitches. He was charged with five runs, four earned, and six hits in six-plus innings.

Dexter Fowler homered early and had three RBI for the Cardinals, who stole six bases — their most in 20 years. Mets nemesis Paul DeJong added three hits and a sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt was rested before drawing a pinch-hit walk in the eighth. He remained in the game at first base. … Cardinals C Yadier Molina was shaken up after getting hit on his glove hand by a foul ball in the sixth. He was checked by an athletic trainer and manager Mike Shildt, but stayed in the game.

Mets: 2B Robinson Cano (left quadriceps) rejoined the team and is eligible to come off the injured list Sunday. He went 4 for 10 with three doubles in three rehab games at Triple-A Syracuse. … LHP Justin Wilson was scheduled for a rehab appearance at Class A Brooklyn after making two with Syracuse. He has been sidelined since May 7 with a sore left elbow. … OF Brandon Nimmo (neck) was returning to New York to be examined and treated after he was scratched from a scheduled rehab appearance with Syracuse with neck stiffness Friday night. Nimmo hasn’t played in the majors since May 20. … Gsellman returned to the mound after saying he had a stiff back following his scoreless inning Friday night.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (5-3, 3.47 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against LHP Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.68).

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK — Dexter Fowler hit a go-ahead, three-run homer moments after Paul DeJong’s tying shot in the eighth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 9-5 to sweep an odd double feature Friday night.

Hours earlier, DeJong helped the Cardinals complete a rally that started the night before, grounding an RBI single against Edwin Diaz in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win. The series opener Thursday was suspended following 8 1/2 innings, right after Harrison Bader drove in the tying run with a two-out double off Diaz in the rain. It took St. Louis 18 minutes to complete the victory.

DeJong tied the late game at 5 with a leadoff homer against Jeurys Familia (2-1). It was DeJong’s 12th homer of the season, including one off NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom on Thursday.

After a double by Yadier Molina and a walk by Bader, Fowler drove a ball into the visiting bullpen in center field, admiring the shot and taking an easy jog around the bases.

Familia gave New York its major league-leading 16th blown save. He was booed loudly after striking out pitcher John Gant to end the inning and has a 6.91 ERA after signing a $30 million, three-year free agent deal this offseason.

DeJong’s homer steadied St. Louis following a rocky seventh. New York rallied for three runs after loading the bases against Andrew Miller with no outs. The big blow was a go-ahead, two-run single by Wilson Ramos off Gant (6-0) to put the Mets up 5-4.

Jose Martinez gave St. Louis a 4-1 lead with a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the fifth off Steven Matz.

Matz hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning, becoming the fourth Mets starter to go deep this season. The pitching staff entered the night tied with Arizona for the major league lead with four homers.

Matz also singled and raised his average to .261 this season. The left-hander pitched six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) and three hits while striking out six.

Kolten Wong added a leadoff homer for the Cardinals in the ninth.

New York made two errors in the late game, bringing its total to an NL-most 50 through 69 games.

FREAKY FRIDAY

In an unusual scene, Thursday’s game resumed at 6:10 p.m. Friday with no anthem, no ceremonial first pitch, no player introductions — none of the hubbub that usually accompanies the start of a big league game. A small crowd at Citi Field saw Carlos Martinez (1-0) pitch a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, and Diaz (1-4) then jogged out of the bullpen to continue his outing.

Pinch-hitter Yairo Munoz led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on Matt Carpenter’s groundout. DeJong followed by grounding a ball into left field to score Munoz.

Jordan Hicks pitched perfectly through the bottom of the inning for his 14th save.

“Carp said right before the game, `We’re about to win this game in 20 minutes,” DeJong said.

WELL MET

DeJong is 26 for 76 (.342) career against New York with 18 extra-base hits.

NO REGRETS

St. Louis rallied for two runs off Diaz in the ninth Thursday after first baseman Pete Alonso and other Mets players lobbied hard to keep the game going. Alonso logged onto Twitter between games Friday and responded to criticism over his decision to shoo away the tarp. Some suggested that if the Mets had kept quiet, the umps would’ve left the tarp on the field and not taken it off, resulting in a Mets win.

“Are you kidding me? Why are you mad at me for having confidence in my teammates?” Alonso wrote. “I’m a damn competitor and I’ll take my team over any one else any day. A real Mets fan doesn’t talk like that. Clean it up.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Dominic Leone was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to be the 26th man for the second game.

Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo was scratched from a rehab appearance with Triple-A Syracuse with neck stiffness. Nimmo hasn’t played since May 20. … 2B Robinson Cano (left quadriceps) was in the lineup for Syracuse. … RHP Taylor Bashlor was brought up from Triple-A Syracuse to be New York’s 26th man.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha (4-2) pitches against Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (4-4). Wacha made a successful return to the rotation Monday with six scoreless innings against Miami. Syndergaard previously threw seven shutout innings against Colorado.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — The game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets was suspended because of rain Thursday night, moments after Harrison Bader hit an RBI double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning that made it 4-all.

Play will resume Friday at 6:10 p.m. beginning in the bottom of the ninth. That will be followed by the regularly scheduled game between the teams.

St. Louis scored twice in the ninth off closer Edwin Diaz to tie it, capping a bizarre sequence that saw umpires reverse their call and order the tarp off the field right after it had been rolled out.

Rain was falling hard when New York took the field for the ninth with a 4-2 lead, and umps ordered the field covered. As the tarp got spread, rookie first baseman Pete Alonso and several other Mets pleaded their case to play on.

After the umps and both managers met in the middle of the diamond, the call was overturned – no review of the weather map needed. The grounds crew finished working on the field and action resumed after a nine-minute wait.

Kolten Wong hit an RBI single off the left field wall with two outs against Diaz, then scored when Bader doubled into the corner. Wong managed to keep his footing on the soaked dirt as he rounded third, helped when shortstop Amed Rosario had trouble handling the wet ball on a weak relay.

Bader was thrown out after he slipped and fell between second and third. The field was covered after that, and the suspension was announced 50 minutes later.

The Mets top the majors with 15 blown saves, including three by Diaz in 17 tries.

New York starter Jacob deGrom pitched seven efficient innings. And a little fit, too.

Bader doubled in the St. Louis third, stole third and scored with two outs when Matt Carpenter hit an easy grounder to an empty spot on the left side of the infield.

When the inning ended, deGrom slammed his glove to the floor in the dugout. Not done, the NL Cy Young Award winner picked up his mitt and zinged it off the wall, ricocheting around a Mets trainer sitting nearby.

Michael Conforto connected for a two-run homer off Jack Flaherty, the Mets’ team-record 17th straight home game with a long ball. Paul DeJong went deep for St. Louis.

OH, BABY!

Mets catcher Wilson Ramos got a big surprise when he was in the on-deck circle in the fourth inning: His wife made her way down to the screen and held up a sign that said, ”We’re Pregnant!”

Moments later, Ramos struck out looking. This will be the couple’s third child.

BADER’S BACKERS

This was the first big league game in New York for Bader, who grew up in nearby Bronxville. His mom, dad and 150 people from his high school came out to root for him, and he rewarded them with two doubles, a single, two steals and a nifty catch on Rosario’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

TRUE BLUES

The Cardinals joined in the celebration for the St. Louis Blues winning their first Stanley Cup, cheering in the visitors’ clubhouse at Miami after a 9-0 loss Wednesday night. The Cards watched most of the third period as the Blues beat Boston 4-1 in Game 7, the hockey game ending shortly before they boarded the bus to the airport.

”We counted it down and the ‘Let’s go, Blues!’ chants started,” manager Mike Shildt said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley (shoulder impingement) was put on the 10-day injured list and rookie lefty Genesis Cabrera was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: In the regularly scheduled game, RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 1.80 ERA) starts in place of injured Adam Wainwright (hamstring).

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (5-4, 3.88) is 0-3 with an 8.49 ERA in three career starts vs. St. Louis. Overall, the Mets have won the last seven times Matz has started at Citi Field.

— Associated Press —

MIAMI — Jordan Yamamoto pitched seven innings to win his major league debut, and Garrett Cooper hit a grand slam and the Miami Marlins broke a six-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 Wednesday night.

Yamamoto, acquired last year in the Christian Yelich trade, allowed three hits and two walks and threw 95 pitches. The rookie also earned an RBI with a squeeze bunt.

Two relievers completed a three-hitter.

Yamamoto was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville to fill in for Jose Urena, who went on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower back.

Cooper finished a double shy of the cycle, and pulled a two-out inside fastball that was off the plate for a grand slam in the second inning against Miles Mikolas (4-7).

An off-target throw to first cost the Cardinals a chance to turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Curtis Granderson, batting .181, then drew a two-out walk before Cooper hit his sixth homer and second career grand slam, with both coming in the past three weeks.

Cooper tripled and scored in the first inning, and singled in the fifth. He struck out in the seventh and eighth.

Mikolas gave up five runs in five innings and lost his fifth decision in a row.

Granderson hit a three-run homer in the eighth. The laugher was quite a change for the Marlins, who totaled 10 runs during their losing streak.

Yamamoto mixed speeds and threw strikes, but the Cardinals had several hard-hit outs against him. Their best threat came with runners at the corners and none out in the fourth, when the rookie right-hander escaped with a foulout by Marcell Ozuna and a double play grounder by Yadier Molina.

Yamamoto was acquired in January 2018, and Yelich went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player award for the Milwaukee Brewers.

NATIVE STATE

Yamamoto, born in Hawaii, wore jersey No. 50. When he notched his first strikeout, the stadium PA system played the theme from “Hawaii Five-0.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley faced two batters in the sixth and then left the game accompanied by a trainer. … Barring a setback, INF Jedd Gyorko (strained lower back) is expected to be activated Tuesday, when he’s eligible to come off the 10-day injured list.

Marlins: 3B Martin Prado (tight right hamstring) pulled up while running out a groundout in the third and left the game. His status is day to day. … Urena went on the IL retroactive to Sunday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (4-3, 4.08) is scheduled to start Thursday to begin a four-game series at the New York Mets. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 1.80) is scheduled to make his second start of the season Friday as a replacement for the injured Adam Wainwright.

Marlins: Following a day off, RHP Trevor Richards (3-6, 3.31) is scheduled to start Friday to begin a three-game series at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Richards is 3-1 with 1.09 ERA in his past four starts.

— Associated Press —

MIAMI — Rookie Dakota Hudson allowed one run in a career-high seven innings, and the St. Louis Cardinals handed the Miami Marlins their sixth consecutive defeat Tuesday night, 7-1.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina returned after missing 11 games because of a strained right thumb and went 2 for 5 with a single and double.

Marcell Ozuna punctuated the victory with a ninth-inning homer, his 18th. He has a career average of .452 (14 for 31) against his former team.

Hudson (5-3) gave up four hits, struck out six and retired 10 in a row during one stretch for the Cardinals, who have won his past five starts.

The right-hander has the highest groundball rate in the majors, and 12 of his 21 outs came on grounders. He hasn’t given up a homer in 47 innings.

The Marlins totaled five hits, all singles. They rank last in the majors in runs and have been outscored 31-10 in the past six games.

Elieser Hernandez (0-1), recalled from Triple-A New Orleans to make his first start of the year, allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Kolten Wong had two of the Cardinals’ 13 hits and reached base four times, and teammate Harrison Bader drove in two runs with a triple and a bases-loaded walk. Dexter Fowler had an RBI single in the seventh and then scored from first on Jose Martinez’s pinch-hit two-run single.

St. Louis broke a 1-all tie in the sixth. One run scored on a throwing error by shortstop Miguel Rojas, and three consecutive walks forced in another run.

NEW ADDITION

The Cardinals signed their first-round draft choice, LHP Zack Thompson of Kentucky, and announced they had agreed to terms with seven other picks.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Riley Ferrell (right biceps tendinitis) joined Class A Jupiter on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-6, 4.54) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday when the Cardinals try for a sweep. He started twice against the Marlins last year and won both games.

Marlins: RHP Jordan Yamamoto, acquired in the Christian Yelich trade in January 2018, is expected to be recalled from Double-A Jacksonville to make his major league debut. He is 3-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts for Jacksonville.

— Associated Press —

MIAMI — Michael Wacha pitched six scoreless innings in his return to the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation Monday, and they broke a three-game losing streak by beating Miami 4-1.

Wacha (4-2), who was briefly demoted to the bullpen, benefited from three double plays and a pickoff in his first start since May 22. The former All-Star allowed five hits, struck out four and lowered his ERA to 5.63.

Jordan Hicks worked around a leadoff single in the ninth and struck out two for his 13th save.

The Cardinals totaled only four hits but scored three unearned runs in the sixth, when catcher Jorge Alfaro made a wild throw on a sacrifice bunt. Sandy Alcantara (3-6), facing his former team for the first time, struggled through five-plus innings and allowed four runs, but only one was earned.

St. Louis bounced back after being swept by the Chicago Cubs in a three-game weekend series. The Marlins, saddled with the National League’s worst record, have scored nine runs while losing five games in a row.

The Cardinals scored the first run in the fourth on doubles by Marcell Ozuna and Yairo Munoz.

After their first two batters reached in the sixth, Kolten Wong laid down a bunt, and both runners scored when Alfaro threw the ball down the right field line. Harrison Bader followed with a sacrifice fly.

Marlins rookie Harold Ramirez had three hits to hike his average to .330.

TAKE A BREAK

Cardinals SS Paul DeJong was given the night off. It was the first game he has missed.

FIRST-HAND LOOK

Derek Jeter watched JJ Bleday have a big night at the Southeastern Conference tournament, which may be one reason the Marlins took the Vanderbilt outfielder with the fourth pick in the draft last week.

“I only saw one game, and he was 5 for 5,” said Jeter, the Marlins’ CEO. “I told him everything is downhill from this point forward.”

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (4-3, 3.94) is scheduled to start Tuesday. He has an ERA of 2.19 over his past four outings, and the Cardinals have won each game.

Marlins: RHP Elieser Hernandez (0-0, 9.00) will be recalled from Triple-A New Orleans to make his first start of the season as a replacement for LHP Caleb Smith (left hip inflammation). It’ll be the first time one of the Marlins’ five starters to begin the season has missed a turn.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO — Kyle Hendricks tossed one-run ball over seven innings to continue his dominance over St. Louis, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 win over the Cardinals on Sunday night.

Carlos Gonzalez hit his first homer with the Cubs and Kyle Schwarber went 2 for 3 with two RBI as Chicago completed a three-game sweep of its NL Central rivals and a 6-1 homestand.

All nine games between the Cardinals and Cubs this season have been won by the home team. The Cardinals swept the Cubs in St. Louis last weekend, and Chicago had another three-game sweep at Wrigley Field last month.

Hendricks (7-4) scattered eight hits to win his sixth straight decision. Steve Cishek worked a scoreless eighth, Carl Edwards got two outs in the ninth and Pedro Strop got the final out for his seventh save.

Hendricks is now 7-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his last 10 starts against St. Louis. The Cubs have won all 10 games.

Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and Kolten Wong added an RBI double for St. Louis.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI groundout by Anthony Rizzo. The Cardinals quickly tied the score in the second on an RBI double by Wong.

The Cubs regained the lead with two runs in the fifth. Jason Heyward led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Hendricks. David Bote, batting ninth, followed with a single to center to score Heyward. Schwarber then doubled to right-center, scoring Bote all the way from first base.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-6) exited the game at that point and Giovanny Gallegos came in and retired Kris Bryant and Rizzo to keep the score 3-1.

St. Louis tried to answer in the sixth as Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double and Marcell Ozuna followed with a broken-bat single to put runners on the corners. But Dexter Fowler hit a grounder to first base and Rizzo threw home to nail Goldschmidt. Hendricks then retired Wong and Harrison Bader to end the threat.

Chicago made it 4-1 in the seventh on an RBI single by Schwarber.

Gonzalez’s solo blast in the eighth capped the scoring.

ROSTER MOVE

Before the game, the Cardinals recalled RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon from Triple-A Memphis and optioned RHP Ryan Helsley to Memphis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina (right thumb tendon strain) took batting practice Sunday and is expected to join the team in Miami on Monday. “He continues to progress in a positive direction,” manager Mike Shildt said. “He’ll take batting practice with us (Monday), then we’ll evaluate from there.”

Cubs: LHP Xavier Cedeno (left wrist inflammation) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday and tossed a hitless inning with a walk and a strikeout.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (3-2, 6.30 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Miami. RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-5, 3.80) pitches for the Marlins.

Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 4.88 ERA) takes the mound Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Colorado. RHP German Marquez (6-3, 4.07) goes for the Rockies.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini hit a tiebreaking bases-loaded double in Chicago’s four-run sixth inning and the Cubs rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 Saturday night.

Hitting for starting pitcher Jon Lester with the bases loaded, Caratini lined the first pitch from John Gant to left field. Marcell Ozuna attempted a sliding catch, but the ball dropped and rolled to the wall, allowing three runs to score.

Kyle Schwarber followed with a double to drive in Caratini, and the Cubs won for the fifth time in six games since being swept in a three-game series at St. Louis last weekend.

Schwarber’s 12th homer tied it at 4 in the fourth. Javier Baez had a triple and two RBI as Chicago remained percentage points ahead of Milwaukee in first place in the NL Central.

Lester (5-4) was hit hard early, allowing all four St. Louis runs in the first inning on long homers by Ozuna and Harrison Bader. The 35-year-old left-hander settled down and retired the last 11 hitters he faced in five-hit, six-inning outing. It was Lester’s second straight win following a three-game slump in which he was 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA.

Three Cubs relievers combined to set down the next eight St. Louis hitters in order before Kolten Wong struck out swinging, but reached on a passed ball in the ninth against Tyler Chatwood.

John Brebbia (1-3), the first of five St. Louis relievers, allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.

Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty labored in a 3 2/3-inning no-decision, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks.

The Cardinals jumped ahead 4-0 in the first. With two runners on, Ozuna crushed a 3-0 pitch through a steady wind and off the metal roof of an enclosed viewing area deep in the center field batter’s eye. The ball landed with a thud that could be heard throughout Wrigley Field.

Jose Martinez flew out to the wall in left, then Bader launched the first pitch he faced over the left-field bleachers and onto Waveland Avenue.

The Cubs cut it to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning. Chicago loaded the bases with none out, then picked up runs on Baez’s force out and a single by Willson Contreras.

Baez tripled home Anthony Rizzo from first with none out in the third, cutting the score to 4-3.

Schwarber capped an 11-pitch at-bat by lining his 12th homer to right in the fourth to tie it 4-all.

KIMBREL WATCH

New Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel threw a bullpen session at Wrigley Field on Saturday before leaving for the team’s training facility in Mesa, Arizona. On Friday, Chicago finalized a three-year contract with the right-hander that guarantees him $43 million.

Manager Joe Maddon had no details on Kimbrel’s session. The 31-year-old Kimbrel turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox in November, then sat out. Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations, hasn’t set an exact timetable for Kimbrel’s return to the majors.

DFA

The Cardinals designated RHP Merandy Gonzalez for assignment.

TRAINERS ROOM

Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower back before Saturday’s game and St. Louis purchased the contract of infielder Tommy Edman from Triple-A Memphis. The 30-year-old Gyorko said he first felt his back spasm in the third inning of Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs when he fielded Anthony Rizzo’s grounder at third base.

Edman made his major league debut as pinch hitter in the ninth and struck out swinging.

Cubs: INF Addison Russell was held out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game with a bruised right (throwing) hand, but delivered a pinch-hit sac fly in the seventh to make it 9-4 and remained in the game at second. Maddon said Russell was injured sliding against Colorado on Tuesday.

UP NEXT: Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (5-5, 4.34) faces Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-4, 3.16) in the series finale on Sunday night. Wainwright tossed eight shutout innings in a 2-1 win over the Cubs at St. Louis last Sunday when he allowed two hits, but walked a season-high seven. Hendricks has won five straight decisions over his last seven starts with a 2.09 ERA during that span.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS — After sputtering for most of May, the St. Louis Cardinals are running past opponents.

Paul DeJong homered and St. Louis tied its season high with four stolen bases in a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday that completed a 4-1 homestand.

“We’re always going to look to attack,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “We don’t hold our cards back a whole lot. It’s just about opportunity.”

After dropping five games back in the division in late May, St. Louis closed within 2 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs and second-place Milwaukee. St. Louis started 20-10 but is just 31-29 overall.

DeJong hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Michael Lorenzen (0-1) in the seventh inning, DeJong’s ninth home run this season and first since May 18. He had been in a 3-for-43 slide with no extra-base hits.

“Probably too patient, taking too many heaters early in the count,” DeJong said. “Today I felt on that last at bat I was sticking to the middle, and it showed up and I put a good swing on it.”

Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Marcell Ozuna and Dexter Fowler swiped bases for the Cardinals, who are tied with Milwaukee for the NL lead with 37. Wong became the only player in the major leagues who has 10 steals without being caught.

St. Louis stole three bases off DeSclafani after not registering a theft in two previous games against him.

“It’s not a huge running team, but they do look for opportunities,” Reds manager David Bell said. “That’s what happened today.”

John Gant (5-0) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings in his ninth relief appearance of four outs or more this season. He is tied with Adam Wainwright for the team lead in wins.

Jordan Hicks threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.

Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, which matched his high in 12 starts this season.

“He’s a guy that’s attacking with his stuff,” Shildt said. “He’s got such a heavy ball, and he’s got the good slider going too. He’s on the plate with both of them, ahead in counts. It’s a good recipe.”

Anthony DeSclafani gave up one run and six hits in five innings.

“It was a big day for him against a really good team,” Bell said. “I feel like the adjustments he’s making are showing up on the mound. You hold this team to one run over five innings, that’s a good day.”

Harrison Bader singled leading off the third, Hudson sacrificed and Bader realized third base was uncovered and kept on running, sliding in head first. Carpenter singled through the drawn-in infield.

“It just kind of boils down to wanting everything, wanting to be on first, wanting to take that extra base,” Bader said. “That was just kind of a hustle play.”

Tucker Barnhart hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Mike Mayers (right lat strain) is slated to throw a bullpen session Friday or Saturday according to Shildt.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle (2-5, 4.26) is to start the opener of a three-game series at Philadelphia on Friday night. Mahle allowed three runs in one inning in his lone previous start against the Phillies, last July 26.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.11) starts at the Chicago Cubs in the beginning of a season-high 10-game trip.

— Associated Press —