Cubs rally with 3 runs in 9th to top Cardinals 5-4

CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Mike Tauchman doubled in Dansby Swanson with the winning run as the Chicago Cubs scored three times in the ninth inning to rally for a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

With Chicago down 4-2, Cody Bellinger hit a solo homer with one out. After Nico Hoerner singled and stole second, Swanson followed with his second RBI single of the night to tie it. Tauchman lined St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley's 2-2 fastball down the left field line for the win.

Helsley (4-4) blew a save for the third time in 36 chances. Reliever Nate Pearson (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings for the win.

Rookie Masyn Winn hit a two-run homer, then Nolan Arenado added an RBI single in a three-run seventh inning to put St. Louis ahead 4-2.

Paul Goldschmidt hit his 17th homer in the first, then added a single and double. The veteran first baseman has nine hits in his last 20 at bats (.450) over five games.

Bellinger has seven hits in three games since coming back from a broken finger.

St. Louis starter Sonny Gray tossed seven effective innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out nine and walking one. Gray was sharp after yielding 24 runs over 28 1/3 innings in five previous starts for a 6.67 ERA during the span.

Seiya Suzuki hit a 459-foot solo shot in the sixth inning for his second hit of the night. The team said it was the longest by a Cubs player this season.

Winn’s eighth homer, off a high, inside fastball from Shota Imanaga, barely made it to the basket in left field.

Tommy Pham added two more hits and is 5 for 10 in three games with St. Louis since being acquired from the White Sox on Monday. Arenado, Winn and Michael Siani each finished with two hits.

Imanaga yielded four runs on 10 hits. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none.

CARDINALS MOVES

RHP Erick Fedde, acquired from the White Sox on Monday, and RHP Shawn Armstrong, acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday, joined the Cardinals and were activated. Fedde will start Friday and Armstrong was available from the bullpen. To make room, RHP Michael McGreevy and RHP Ryan Loutos were optioned to Triple-A-Memphis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay, on the IL since May 13, will need surgery to repair a flexor muscle in his right forearm, manager Craig Counsell said. The Cubs closer last season with 22 saves, Alzolay didn’t bounce back from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa last Saturday. Counsell said Alzolay would seek a second opinion before setting a surgery date.

UP NEXT

Fedde (7-4, 3.11) makes his first start for the Cardinals on Friday against Cubs RHP Javier Assad (5-3, 3.23).

This story corrects Ryan Helsley’s save chances to 36.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado hits a one-run single against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Augu. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, center, is safe at home plate as Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya, right, makes a late tag during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, right, is safe at home plate as Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya, left, makes a late tag during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, right, is greeted by Tommy Pham, left, after scoring against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Mike Tauchman reacts after hitting a walkoff single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Mike Tauchman, top right, celebrates after his walkoff single against the St. Louis Cardinals with Nico Hoerner (2) and Pete Crow-Armstrong, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Mike Tauchman, top right, celebrates after his walkoff single against the St. Louis Cardinals with Nico Hoerner (2) and Pete Crow-Armstrong, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rishabh Pant is set to complete his international cricket return after being included in India’s squad for the first test against Bangladesh next week.

Pant sustained serious knee and back injuries in an auto accident in December of 2022 and was sidelined for 15 months.

He returned for the 2024 Indian Premier League, scoring 446 runs in 13 matches. He has also played one-day international cricket and was part of India’s squad that won the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States.

India is kicking off its 2024-25 international season with tests against Bangladesh in Chennai and Kanpur.

Rohit Sharma leads the test squad once again, with star batter Virat Kohli and pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah also included. It will be new coach Gautam Gambhir’s first test assignment.

Lokesh Rahul has been recalled after missing the majority of the last test series against England because of injury but there was no room in the 16-man squad for Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and KS Bharat.

Besides Pant, Dhruv Jurel is the second wicketkeeper-batter.

Paceman Mohammed Shami is yet to complete his return from an Achilles tendon injury, leaving Akash Deep to partner with Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

India has also called up left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal as it considers its options ahead of the five-test tour to Australia beginning in November.

Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were all included in the extended squad.

India leads the World Test Championship standings, followed by defending champion Australia.

Squad:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE -India's Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the first Twenty20 cricket match between Sri Lanka and India in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena), File)