CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs made Jon Lester's job easier by staking him to an early lead.
Lester was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start with the Cubs, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and Chicago defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday.
Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings.
Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.
Heyward’s homer and a triple by Javier Baez were the only extra-base hits as Chicago sprayed 12 singles around Wrigley Field.
“This is so much fun to watch,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “Keep your launch angles, keep your exit velocities, give me a good at-bat. Seeing inside the ball, using the whole field. With that you’ll see better situational hitting, better batting average. That’s just good hitting.”
Lester (2-0) didn’t allow a hit until Jedd Gyorko lined a single to left with one out in the fifth. The left-hander gave a first-inning unearned run, struck out seven and walked one.
“Everything was good,” Lester said. “Any time you have six runs in the first two innings, it always helps.”
Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.
Ten of Chicago’s first 16 batters reached against Luke Weaver (2-1), who allowed six runs and nine hits in four innings. He had yielded only four runs over 17 1/3 innings in three previous starts.