Gibson dominates, Pagés homers as Cardinals beat Cubs 3-0

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Gibson pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, Pedro Pagés broke a scoreless tie when he led off the eighth with his first career homer and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Friday.

Pagés, who has just four hits in 32 major league at-bats, picked the perfect moment to go deep. With his family on hand, the 25-year-old Venezuelan gave the Cardinals the lead with a drive to the left-field basket against reliever Hayden Wesneski (2-4).

Pagés said he and his dad later hugged and shed a few tears.

“It’s just a big moment for us,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot together as a family. Being able to be here and be a part of it, it’s amazing.”

Michael Busch singled leading off the bottom of the eighth against Ryan Fernandez. Pinch runner Pete Crow-Armstrong stole second and went to third on a ground out but he was thrown out at home by second baseman Nolan Gorman trying to score on Miguel Amaya’s one-out ground ball. JoJo Romero retired pinch hitter Patrick Wisdom on a fly to the left-field corner that Brendan Donovan caught just in front of the ivy.

The Cardinals scored two more runs in the ninth. Iván Herrera blooped an RBI double off a lunging second baseman Nico Hoerner’s glove and Dylan Carlson drove him in with a single.

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley retired the first two batters in the ninth before walking Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. He then struck out Hoerner for his major league-leading 23rd save in 24 chances.

Gibson (5-2) struck out six and walked one. The veteran right-hander made it look like a breeze for the most part on a day when the wind might have kept a couple of balls in the park.

Chicago’s Cody Bellinger hit a fly to the right-field warning track in the sixth, and the exit velocity on Wisdom’s drive was 111 mph. Either way, the Cubs lost for the 15th time in 21 games.

Starter Jordan Wicks left the game in the second inning because of a strained right oblique and will likely be placed on the injured list, manager Craig Counsell said. The left-hander walked off the field accompanied by a trainer after giving up a two-out single to Carlson. Kyle Hendricks came in and retired Brendan Donovan on a grounder to second.

“He felt it a couple pitches before, and then after he threw a couple more pitches, knew he couldn’t do any more,” Counsell said. “So, we’ll get imaging tomorrow and likely IL, and we’ll go from there.”

Wicks gave up two hits and struck out two in his first start and second appearance since returning from a strained left forearm. He was sidelined for six weeks.

Hendricks pitched two-hit ball over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He retired 11 straight batters before giving up back-to-back singles in the sixth. Hendricks got out of that jam by getting Paul Goldschmidt to fly out and Nolan Arenado to ground into a force.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Ben Brown has a stress reaction in his neck, and the Cubs are still trying to figure out how much time he will miss. “It’s a unique injury, a little bit of a rare injury for a pitcher,” Counsell said. “We’re just trying to just get some more opinions and figure out exactly kind of what’s next for him.” The Cubs placed Brown on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.

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Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong, right, is tagged out at home plate by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals' Iván Herrera (48) gestures after hitting a one-run double as Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) stands nearby during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong, left, is tagged out at home plate by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong, left, is tagged out at home plate by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ makes a catch a ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) throws out St. Louis Cardinals Alec Burleson at first during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals' Michael Siani signs an autograph before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks throws the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Gibson throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, top, forces out Chicago Cubs' Mike Tauchman at second base during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

The president of Bolivia, who was the target of an attempted coup on Wednesday night, is a 60-year-old leftist whom many see as an opponent of Washington-backed free-market and neoliberal policies.

Luis Arce, who studied economics in London, was economy minister under President Evo Morales, whose time in office from 2006 to 2019 made him an icon of the Latin American left.

After Morales left office, Arce became president in November 2020, following Jeanine Añez's short time in office.

Bolivian television showed Arce confronting the apparent leader of the rebellion — the general commander of the Army — in the hallway of the government palace Wednesday night.

“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.

Arce's career has mirrored Bolivia's economic trajectory from boom to bust. He worked in the Central Bank from 1987 to 2006 and worked for Morales administering a bonanza in metals and hydrocarbons prices that came to be known as the “Bolivian Miracle.”

But by the time Arce took office, Bolivia was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and social tensions set off by Morales' 2019 departure after street protests and extreme pressure from the military.

Neoliberal reforms in the 1990s helped Bolivia become a significant energy producer, and it moved from a low-income to a middle-income nation, according to the World Bank. The percentage of people in extreme poverty fell to 15%, the state built highways and cable cars, and cities grew.

But incomes began to fall in 2014.

Assuming the presidency, Arce described his country’s recession as the worst in 40 years.

He recently said gasoline and diesel production no longer covered national consumption, and that the country had to import 86% of its diesel and 56% of its gasoline because of a lack of exploration and production.

Households also have been forced to grapple with high food prices.

Meanwhile, tensions between Morales and his party continued to rise.

In November, Arce criticized his opponents and said they “dreamed of new coups d’état.”

FILE - Bolivian President Luis Arce attends an Indigenous ritual before delivering his annual state of the nation address at the presidential palace in La Paz, Bolivia, Jan. 22, 2024. Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia's government palace Wednesday, June 26, 2024, as a top government official warned of a coup attempt. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)