The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Saturday night, powered by a standout performance from rookie JJ Wetherholt. Playing through wet and foggy conditions at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals rode early offense and strong pitching to a division rival win.
Wetherholt crushed his fourth leadoff home run of the season on the game's very first pitch. The rookie also registered his seventh three-hit game, continuing a remarkable debut campaign that has made him a fixture atop the St. Louis lineup.
The shutout improves the Cardinals' standing in the tightly contested NL Central race. With the win, St. Louis gains ground on the Cubs, who now face increased pressure to hold their position in the playoff chase.
The two teams conclude their series on Sunday afternoon. St. Louis will look for the sweep behind a bullpen that has allowed just two runs over the first two games, while Chicago aims to salvage the finale behind its own starter.
"He set the tone from the very first at-bat," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Wetherholt's leadoff homer. "In conditions like that, you need a spark early, and he provided it."