By STEVE OVERBEY Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Hendricks struck out seven in seven innings and Ian Happ hit an RBI single in the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie as Chicago Cubs beat St. Louis 2-0 Wednesday night and moved into a tie with the Cardinals atop the NL Central.
The teams have identical 57-50 records. The Cardinal have lost three of their last four.
Hendricks (8-8) improved to 8-0 in his last 11 starts against the Cardinals. The Cubs have won all 11 of those games.
Hendricks allowed seven hits and didn’t walk a batter in a 104-pitch effort. He has allowed just one earned run over 23 innings in three starts (0.39) against St. Louis this season.
Closer Craig Kimbrel picked his eighth save in 10 chances. He worked out of a jam in the ninth. With runners at second and third and one out, he retired Matt Wieters and Yairo Munoz.
Happ, who was recalled from Triple-A Des Moines on Friday, singled off Miles Mikolas (7-11) and scored Kris Bryant, who had reached on a one-out error by third baseman Tommy Edman. Anthony Rizzo drew a walk, setting the stage for Happ’s run-scoring hit.
Mikolas did not allow an earned run over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one.
The Cubs scored an unearned run in the eighth inning. Javier Baez hit a two-out double that was originally ruled foul, but changed on video review. A pickoff throw to second from catcher Wieters skipped into the outfield and allowing Baez to score.
St. Louis failed to score despite leadoff doubles in the second, third and fourth innings.
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who entered the game with seven homers in his last eight games, had a pair of doubles.
MOVING UP
St. Louis LHP Adelberto Mejia, claimed on waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, was put on the active roster prior to the game. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon was sent to Triple-A Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: INF Matt Carpenter (right foot contusion) will continue his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Memphis on Thursday. He has gone 0 for 21 in seven games split between Memphis and Double-A Springfield.
UP NEXT
St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (4-6, 4.17) will face LHP Jon Lester (9-6, 3.63) in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday. Flaherty has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four starts. Lester is 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA in nine road starts compared to a 6-2, 2.95 ERA in 11 starts at home.
