Bregman's Late Double Secures Cubs' Series Win Over Cardinals

WHO:

MLB.com - Lars Nootbaar expressed accountability for the loss, stating, "I take accountability on that one. Unacceptable."

MLB.com - Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol defended Nootbaar, saying, "This is one of the most prepared guys in that clubhouse."

MLB.com - Alex Bregman, Cubs manager Craig Counsell, Javier Assad, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jacob Webb, Aaron Civale, Ian Happ, José Ramírez, Ryan Braun, Tarik Skubal, Jed Hoyer.

WHAT:

MLB.com - The Cubs' win marked the 13th different player to record a save in 2026, establishing a new franchise record.

Bleed Cubbie Blue - Nico Hoerner recorded his third game with at least three hits since the All-Star break, raising his batting average from .223 to .257.

MLB.com - Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning, leading the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.

MLB.com - Bregman finished the series with a .556 batting average (10-for-18), including seven extra-base hits and seven runs scored.

MLB.com - Javier Assad pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run, and has a 2.31 ERA over 50 2/3 innings since May 1.

MLB.com - Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded his 20th double of the season, achieving a 20-20-20 milestone for consecutive years.

MLB.com - Aaron Civale recorded his first save of the year, making it a franchise record with 13 different players having at least one save in 2026.

Bleed Cubbie Blue - The Cubs completed a 5-2 road trip and are now 57-52, five games ahead of the tied Phillies and Diamondbacks in the wild card race.

WHERE:

MLB.com - The game took place at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Bleed Cubbie Blue - The Cubs will begin a three-game series against the Yankees at Wrigley Field.

WHEN:

MLB.com - The Cardinals will promote left-hander Quinn Mathews to start on "Saturday" against the Blue Jays.

MLB.com - The Cubs' next game against the Yankees is scheduled for "Friday afternoon" with a game time of 1:20 p.m. CT.

WHY:

MLB.com - The Cardinals are expected to be active in the Trade Deadline environment, which could benefit teams with pitching to sell.

MLB.com - The Cubs are exploring trades to strengthen their pitching rotation due to injuries and recent struggles of players like Jameson Taillon.

HOW:

MLB.com - Mathews has posted a 1.04 ERA over four starts in July, with 111 strikeouts in 92 innings at Triple-A Memphis.

MLB.com - The Cubs utilized a combination of pitching strategies, including moving Assad from the bullpen to starting, and using multiple pitchers to secure saves throughout the season.

Lars Nootbaar took accountability for the Cardinals' recent loss, calling it "unacceptable," while manager Oliver Marmol defended him, highlighting his preparedness. In a notable achievement, the Cubs celebrated their 13th different player to record a save this season, setting a new franchise record, and Nico Hoerner boosted his batting average significantly with his third game of at least three hits since the All-Star break. Looking ahead, the Cardinals will promote left-hander Quinn Mathews to start against the Blue Jays on Saturday, as he has been impressive with a 1.04 ERA and 111 strikeouts over four starts in July at Triple-A Memphis.