Post Game: The live coverage comes to an end and the St. Louis Cardinals avoided the sweep with a 5-4 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. A solid performance from the Cardinals' bullpen that propelled them to the win! Thanks for tuning to the best MLB action at VAVEL USA! I'm Juan Pablo Aravena (@jparavenarant in Twitter), thanks for following our coverage!
End 9th: It was a game that turned out to be more fought than expected and vibrant until the end! All the runs tonight were scored with two outs on the board and the Cardinals spaced out with two runs in the ninth only to see Trevor Rosenthal saving it out against Chicago's top of the order. A good win for the St. Louis Cardinals!
Bot 9th: Rizzo grounds out, Rosenthal makes the play and the game is over!!
Bot 9th: Rosenthal goes ahead in the count. He's 0-2 against Anthony Rizzo!
Bot 9th: Valbuena with an RBI double!! A deep line that Holliday can't grab, Bonifacio scores and the Cubs have shorten the lead to a single run!
Bot 9th: Luis Valbuena draws a full count..
Bot 9th: Bonifacio moves up to second and Valbuena is still ahead on the count 2-1,
Bot 9th: Bonifacio walks. Luis Valbuena will try to keep the inning alive and he's already ahead 1-0.
Bot 9th: Emilio Bonifacio goes ahead in the count 3-0.
Bot 9th: Castillo with an infield groundout and Matt Carpenter makes the play. Two outs.
Bot 9th: Welington Castillo enters the game as a pinch-hitter.
Bot 9th: Darwin Barney is called out on strikes! One out. Fifth straight K for the Cardinals bullpen.
Bot 9th: As expected, Trevor Rosenthal (4.73 ERA, 7 SV) enters the game in a save situation. He will face Darwin Barney, a pinch-hitter and Emilio Bonifacio.
Mid 9th: The Cubs have a steep road ahead of themselves now. The two-run RBI single from Yadier Molina gave St. Louis a two-run lead going to the bottom of the ninth where Trevor Rosenthal will try to seal the deal for the Cardinals.
Top 9th: Rondon settles and dominates Holliday for the third out.
Top 9th: Yadier Molina comes through!! An infield hit through the middle drives in two runs and the Cardinals now have a two-run lead in the top of the ninth!
Top 9th: Molina keeps fouling the ball and fights the at-bat. 1-2 the count so far.
Top 9th: Rondon has Molina in the hole! 0-2 the count for Molina, who has been 0-for-4 tonight.
Top 9th: Hector Rondon loses him! Matt Carpenter walks and now the Cardinals have the bases loaded with two outs. Yadier Molina steps up to the plate.
Top 9th: Rondon will now face Matt Carpenter. Carpenter has been 2-for-4 tonight.
Top 9th: Rondon strikes him out!! Two outs and two runners on.
Top 9th: Rondon evens things up and the count is 2-2, Bourjos keep battling to keep the AB alive!
Top 9th: Rondon can't find the strike zone tonight. 2-1 the count for Bourjos.
Top 9th: Peter Bourjos enters as a pinch-hitter replacing Kevin Siegrist.
Top 9th: Ellis with his third hit of the night! A single to left and now the Cardinals have two runners on with one out.
Top 9th: Dan Ellis up to the plate now. Ellis is 2-for-3 tonight with a double, a single and a RBI.
Top 9th: Rondon loses Grichuk and the rookie walks to first. Still one out in the ninth.
Top 9th: Randal Grichuk up to the plate. He's 1-for-3 with a triple tonight.
Top 9th: Jhonny Peralta is called out on strikes! One out.
Top 9th: Hector Rondon (0.59 ERA, 3 SV) replaces Justin Grimm to take over the ninth-inning duties.
End 8th: Both bullpens have looked dominant so far. We go into the ninth tied at three runs per team.
Bot 8th: Siegrist strikes out Baker and struck out the side in order!!!
Bot 8th: Siegrist with his second K of the night! Lake strikes out swinging and there are two outs already.
Bot 8th: Lake goes down quickly in the count. 1-2.
Bot 8th: Ryan Kalish leaves the game and Junior Lake enters as a pinch-hitter.
Bot 8th: Siegrist comes out firing from the bullpen and strikes Nate Schierholtz out! One out.
Bot 8th: Kevin Siegrist (0-1, 3.55 ERA) replaces Carlos Martinez.
Mid 8th: A very good performance from Justin Grimm. The former Texas Rangers prospect retired the side in order, keeping the Cubs in the game at the bottom of the eighth.
Top 8th: Starlin Castro with another defensive play! Another grounder that the SS gives to Rizzo and Justin Grimm retires three straight batters!
Top 8th: 2-1 count for Allen Craig so far as Grimm looks to retire the side in order.
Top 8th: Matt Adams grounds out to short and Starlin Castro makes the play, Two outs.
Top 8th: Matt Holliday works a full count but Grimm strikes him out! One out.
Top 8th: Justin Grimm (2.31 ERA) enters the game to replace Carlos Villanueva. Grimm has been one of the most consistent relivers for the Cubs so far in 2014.
End 7th: The Cubs managed to tie the game after Valbuena tripled and later scored on a wild pitch. The final two innings should be very interesting as the bullpen will play a major role!
Bot 7th: Starlin Castro strikes out and the inning is over!
Bot 7th: The Cubs tie the game!!! A wild pitch from Carlos Martinez goes between the legs of Yadier Molina and Luis Valbuena runs from third to score the tying run!
Bot 7th: Carlos Martinez will intentionally walk Rizzo. Runners on first and third with two outs as Starlin Castro comes up to the plate.
Bot 7th: Luis Valbuena with a triple!!! The Cubs have a runner in scoring position with two outs and Anthony Rizzo coming up to the plate!
Bot 7th: Emilio Bonifacio also grounds out to the right side of the infield. Two outs.
Bot 7th: Recent call up Chris Coghlan opens up the seventh with a grounder to short. One out.
Bot 7th: Carlos Martinez (0-1, 2.76 ERA) replaces Lance Lynn.
Mid 7th: Carlos Villanueva manages to escape the seventh inning without runs scored against him. The Cardinals already took Lance Lynn out of the game so their bullpen will come into play in the bottom of the seventh.
Top 7th: What an amazing play by Luis Valbuena!!! After a Molina grounder to third, the Venezuelan steps on the base to retire Jay and throws to first to retire Molina! Double play for the Cubs and the inning is over!
Top 7th: The call is overturned! Matt Carpenter is safe and now the Cardinals have runners on first and second with one out.
Top 7th: St. Louis Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny comes out and asks for the challenge.
Top 7th: What a defensive play by Darwin Barney!! He fails to make it in the first instance but Carpenter is retired.
Top 7th: Matt Carpenter up to the plate. He's 1-for-3 so far tonight.
Top 7th: Jon Jay reaches first after a crazy play! A defensive swing finds its way into the infield so the outfielder breaks out of his slump!
Top 7th: Jay is already 1-2 down in the count. Jay hasn't hit safely in his last eight at-bats.
Top 7th: Jon Jay enters the game as a pinch-hitter replacing Lance Lynn.
Top 7th: What a defensive play by Emilio Bonifacio!!! A defensive catch from the center fielder puts the first out on the board!!
Top 7th: Carlos Villanueva (1-5, 9.78 ERA) replaces Jason Hammel. Hammel leaves the game with three earned runs and five strikeouts in six innings while throwing 101 pitches.
End 6th: St. Louis had a one-run advantage after six frames and the strategy becomes key at this point. Both pitchers surpassed the 100-pitches mark and the work done by either bullpen could be decisive.
Bot 6th: Barney flies out to second and the inning is over. The Cardinals continue to have a 3-2 lead after six full innings.
Bot 6th: Baker strikes out! Fifth K for Lynn and Darwin Barney comes to the plate with two outs and a man at first.
Bot 6th: The count is now 2-2 as Lance Lynn also reaches the 100-pitch mark.
Bot 6th: Lynn is slowly beginning to rattle now. 2-0 the count against Baker.
Bot 6th: The call is overturned!! Ryan Kalish stays at first and there's one out.
Bot 6th: Rick Renteria calls for the challenge. The game is delayed while the referees decided what to do with the call. It could be overturned as the replay quickly shows it was a safe.
Bot 6th: Matt Carpenter makes the play and Ryan Kalish is called out!
Bot 6th: Nate Schierholtz starts the inning grounding out to second base. One out. Five straight batters retired by Lance Lynn.
Mid 6th: Despite the fact that Hammel already surpassed the 100-pitch mark, he has settled as the game advanced. He could have enough gas for another inning if the Cubs continue to be close in the scoreboard.
Top 6th: Grichuk pops up in foul territory and Anthony Rizzo makes the play to end the inning.
Top 6th: Hammel is 2-1 on the count against rookie Randal Grichuk. The right-hander topped the 100-pitch mark.
Top 6th: Peralta with a hit to center field!! The SS moves up to first with two outs.
Top 6th: Hammel moves up to the count. 2-1 against Jhonny Peralta.
Top 6th: Double play!! A broken-bat grounder and between Valbuena, Barney and Rizzo the Cubs have two outs and no runners on.
Top 6th: A very high pitch for Hammel near Adams' head. 2-2 on the count.
Top 6th: Hammel is up on the count. 1-2 so far while Craig is at the plate.
Top 6th: Allen Craig up to bat now for the Cardinals.
Top 6th: Matt Adams kicked things off with a single to right field! Second hit of the night for Adams who is 2-for-3 so far.
End 5th: Lynn is nearing 100 pitches and after two shaky innings, he finally retired a side in order. St. Louis continues to have a one-run lead as we head into the sixth.
Bot 5th: Starlin Castro strikes out as well! Lynn retires the side on order and the Cardinals lead 3-2 after five innings.
Bot 5th: Lynn strikes out Rizzo! Third K of the night for the right-hander. Two outs.
Bot 5th: Rizzo is trying to work the count against Lynn. 2-2 so far and he's 1-for-2 tonight with a single.
Bot 5th: Valbuena grounds out to first. One out.
Bot 5th: Luis Valbuena starts things off for the Cubs in the bottom of the fifth. 3-1 in the count for the infielder so far.
Mid 5th: 83 pitches for Jason Hammel so far after five innings pitched. He's settling after a rough start and he's keeping his team in the game.
Top 5th: Hammel strikes out Holliday and the inning is over!
Top 5th: 2-2 on the count for Holliday.
Top 5th: Matt Holliday up to the plate now. 1-for-2 tonight with a run scored for the outfielder.
Top 5th: Molina grounds out to short and Starlin Castro makes the play. Two outs.
Top 5th: Yadier Molina now up for the Cardinals. He takes a 2-0 lead in the count.
Top 5th: Matt Carpenter kicked things off in the top of the fifth and he goes down swinging. Fourth K for Jason Hammel tonight.
End 4th: Jason Hammel hasn't been very sharp on the mound but he's producing with his bat. The right-hander drove in two rund and now the Cardinals have a one-run lead over the Cubs after four innings.
Bot 4th: Bonifacio chases a breaking ball and he goes down swinging ending the fourth inning.
Bot 4th: Emilio Bonifacio is now up for the Cubs. 1-2 in the count for Chicago's leadoff man.
Bot 4th: Hammel with a two-RBI, two-out single!!! Jason Hammel drives in both Kalish and Baker and the Cubs put two on the board!
Bot 4th: Barney grounds out to short and can't beat the throw. Kalish goes to third and Baker moves up to second with two outs.
Bot 4th: Darwin Barney goes down quickly in the count. 1-2 for the infielder.
Bot 4th: Lynn loses Baker and the Cubs have runners on first and second with one out. Fourth BB today for Lynn.
Bot 4th: John Baker is up for his second turn. 3-1 on the count for the veteran catcher.
Bot 4th: Ryan Kalish with an infield single! The outfielder moves up to first with one out.
Bot 4th: Schierholtz grounds out to Lynn and he makes the play. One out.
Bot 4th: Lynn welcomes Schierholtz with a strike right down the middle.
Mid 4th: Nate Schierholtz (0-for-1), Ryan Kalish (0-for-1) and John Baker (0-for-1) are due up for the Cubs.
Top 4th: Lance Lynn grounds out to second and the inning is over.
Top 4th: Mark Ellis with his second hit of the day! A line drive to center and the Cardinals have a man on first with two outs.
Top 4th: Mark Ellis battles the count and he's ahead 3-1 against Hammel.
Top 4th: Randal Grichuk grounds out to shortstop and Starlin Castro makes the play. Two quick outs for the Cubs.
Top 4th: Jhonny Peralta flies out to center and there's already one out.
End 3rd: The Cubs looked much better on offense but failed to put runs on the board. The Cardinals still have a three-run lead after one third of the game has already gone in the books.
Bot 3rd: Castro hits the first pitch but Allen Craig caught it in right field. The inning is over and the Cubs left the bases loaded while failing to score.
Bot 3rd: Rizzo pops up to center field. Two outs and Starlin Castro comes up to the plate.
Bot 3rd: Rizzo battles as Lynn tries to get him to make weak contact. 1-2 in the count so far.
Bot 3rd: Rizzo steps up to the plate with the bases loaded. He's 1-for-1 so far today and Lynn welcomes him with a strike.
Bot 3rd: Valbuena draws the walk! The Cubs load the bases as Lynn gives his third consecutive BB.
Bot 3rd: Valbuena comes back fighting and he's 3-2 now. Lynn is struggling to find the strike zone right now.
Bot 3rd: Luis Valbuena can't replicate the success of his teammates so far. 0-2 in the count.
Bot 3rd: Lance Lynn continues to be wild. Bonifacio draws the walk and now Chicago has two runners on with one out.
Bot 3rd: Bonifacio moves ahead and he's 2-1 in the count against Lynn.
Bot 3rd: Hammel walks and he's on to first. One out and one on with Emilio Bonifacio coming up to the plate.
Bot 3rd: Hammel works a full count and then fouls. The Cubs pitcher continues to battle at the plate.
Bot 3rd: Jason Hammel doesn't start any better. He battles though and he's ahead 2-1 in the count.
Bot 3rd: Darwin Barney at the plate to kick things off for the Cubs. He flies out and the Cardinals have a quick first out.
Mid 3rd: Jason Hammel allowed another run and the Cubs are going deeper into their early hole. Hammel is working a lot also, nearing 60 pitches after only three innings of work.
Top 3rd: Jason Hammel strikes out Allen Craig to end the inning!
Top 3rd: Allen Craig battles and the count is now even at 2-2.
Top 3rd: Hammel goes ahead in the count. 2-0 against Craig after two nasty strikes and a foul ball.
Top 3rd: RBI triple for Matt Adams! A bomb that goes into the warning track, Holliday crosses home plate and Adams moves up to third.
Top 3rd: Matt Holliday walks. Matt Adams coming up to bat.
Top 3rd: 2-1 in the count for Matt Holliday.
Top 3rd: 1-2 the count for Molina. Schierholtz catches another fly out to get the second out.
Top 3rd: Matt Carpenter strikes out. One out with Yadier Molina coming up to bat.
Top 3rd: Another wild pitch from Hammel. 1-1 the count for Matt Carpenter to start the third inning.
End 2nd: The Cubs are down early by two runs and things aren't looking good for them. The Cardinals have been precise with their hitting and Lance Lynn looks dominant so far after two innings.
Bot 2nd: Baker grounds out to third and Matt Carpenter makes the play to end the inning.
Bot 2nd: John Baker continues to battle with Lynn. Full count.
Bot 2nd: Baker continues to battle with a foul ball. 2-2.
Bot 2nd: 1-2 in the count for John Baker.
Bot 2nd: Kalish grounds out, Lynn makes the play. Two outs.
Bot 2nd: Ryan Kalish sees a strike and then fouls. He's down 0-2 in the count already.
Bot 2nd: Matt Holliday with a great catch in left field! One out in the bottom of the 2nd.
Bot 2nd: Nate Schierholtz opens up the second innings with a ball and then he fouls off to left. 1-1.
Mid 2nd: Jason Hammel worked a lot in the second inning. He surrendered two runs and the Cardinals have built an early 2-0 lead.
Top 2nd: Lynn strikes out swinging and the inning is over!
Top 2nd: Jason Hammel is really working here. He's being unable to find the strike zone but he's already 0-2 against Lance Lynn.
Top 2nd: Mark Ellis with another RBI double! Grichuk crosses home plate and now St. Louis has an early 2-0 lead.
Top 2nd: Grichuk with the big hit! The rookie triples to center and Peralta scores the first run of the game!
Top 2nd: Wild pitch! John Baker comes to the rescue and Peralta moves up to second. 2-1 on the count.
Top 2nd: Jhonny Peralta walks and goes to first. Two outs and one on as Randal Grichuk comes up to bat.
Top 2nd: Hammel continues to be inaccurate with the strike zone. Three balls and one strike.
Top 2nd: Jhonny Peralta swings and misses and later Hammel misses the strike zone. 1-1.
Top 2nd: Craig grounds out to Rizzo and Hammel makes the play. Two outs.
Top 2nd: Craig continues to battle and now he's ahead in the count. 3-2.
Top 2nd: Craig battles with Hammel and the count still favors the Cubs' pitcher. 1-2.
Top 2nd: Jason Hammel goes ahead in the count. 0-2 already against Allen Craig.
Top 2nd: Hammel starts the second inning throwing to Matt Adams. The first baseman grounds out and the Cubs have the first out in the books.
End 1st: The first inning ends scoreless. Both teams managed to get one hit and the pitchers were quite efficient. Jason Hammel threw 12 pitches while Lance Lynn only needed 13.
Bot 1st: Castro pop ups to center field and the inning is over.
Bot 1st: Lynn welcomes Starlin Castro with a strike right down the middle.
Bot 1st: Single down the right field line and Rizzo has the first hit of the ballgame for Chicago! 2 outs with a man on first.
Bot 1st: 3-1 the count for Anthony Rizzo. The Cardinals put up a defensive shift.
Bot 1st: Valbuena goes down swinging! Lance Lynn strikes his first batter out and there are two outs already.
Bot 1st: Emilio Bonifacio bunts and Matt Carpenter makes the play. One out for the Cardinals. Luis Valbuena comes up to bat.
Middle of the 1st: A very efficient start to the game for Jason Hammel. Despite surrendering a lead-off hit, Hammel retired the side in order while throwing only 12 pitches.
Top 1st: Ryan Kalish catches a fly out near the warning track and the top of the first comes to an end.
Top 1st: What a play from Nate Schierholtz!! The right-field catches a bomb from Molina and later assists Anthony Rizzo for the double play!!
Top 1st: Hammel welcomes Molina with a ball down the strike zone. 1-0.
Top 1st: Carpenter kick things off with a hit to left field! One on, no outs.
Top 1st: Carpenter launches a line drive to foul in left field. 3-2.
Top 1st: Hammel quickly falls behind 3-1 in the count.
Top 1st: We're ready to go and Jason Hammel welcomes Carpenter with a strike!
20:08: The players are warming up and the game should start any minute now.
20:05: Jason Hammel will throw the first pitch of the game and will face Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday.
19:55: We're all set for the series finale between Chicago and St. Louis!
19:50: The Cardinals, on the other hand, are in win-now mode and they definitively need to improve over what they've done so far. They haven't been able to replace Carlos Beltran's departure and his presence in the lineup is still missed by the current NL champions.
19:45: Much has been talked about whether the Cubs are on the right track of their rebuilding efforts led by Theo Epstein. The organization has a strong farm system and the results haven't been there at the MLB level, but there's no secret to say that the team is slowly improving.
19:40: The Cubs, on the other hand, present the following lineup: Emilio Bonifacio CF, Luis Valbuena 3B, Anthony Rizzo 1B, Starlin Castro SS, Nate Schierholtz RF, Ryan Kalish LF, John Baker C, Darwin Barney 2B, Jason Hammel P
19:38: The Cardinals starting lineup will be the following: Matt Carpenter 3B, Yadier Molina C, Matt Holliday LF, Craig Adams 1B, Allen Craig RF, Jhonny Peralta SS, Randal Grichuk CF, Dan Ellis 2B, Lance Lynn P
19:35: The Chicago Cubs are looking to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and they will get their outcome with a win tonight at Wrigley Field.
19:32: Jason Hammel is confident on his abilities and he’s hoping to become a long-term piece for the Cubs. "It's something you think about. You want to be that guy who is dependable and you know what you're going to get every time out. Now that I'm healthy, and feel like I can execute when I want to."
19:30: Wrigley Field is almost fully crowded as the Cubs are looking to get their fourth straight win and sixth of their last seven games. Rick Renteria’s team is slowly putting a nice streak on their quest to leave the last place of the NL Central.
19:28: The Cubs, on the other hand, will have Jason Hammel on the mound. The costless-agent pickup has been the best pitcher for Chicago to start the season and his numbers back him up so far (4-1 with a 2.08 ERA while leading the Majors with a 0.69 WHIP)
19:26: The Cardinals will have Lance Lynn as their starter for tonight’s contest. Lynn has shown a huge ability to miss bats – over 10 Ks per 9 – but he throws a lot of pitches too. The Cubs’ hitters have been very good working the count in recent weeks and that combination doesn’t bode well for St. Louis’ chances tonight.
19:23: The Cubs’ offense, on the other hand, has been led by two of their core players: Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo. Castro seems to be back at the level he had in 2012 when he was considered one of the most promising young SS in the NL while Rizzo has been displaying his usual power – six HRs so far – while getting on base consistently with a .421 OBP average, the seventh best mark in all of baseball.
19:20: The St. Louis Cardinals will need to have their offense at their best tonight if they want to avoid the sweep. Their biggest strength last season was their hitting with RISP but they haven’t been very good at it this season: only .228 while averaging 3.5 runs per game.
19:15: Rick Renteria was quite happy with yesterday’s win, as it gave the Cubs their first series win of the 2014 season. "We're swinging the bats with some production," Renteria said. "I think we're playing pretty good defense and the starting pitching has done a pretty good job of keeping us in the ballgame. It doesn't hurt that to this point, the bullpen has stabilized a little bit. They've done a nice job when we've asked them to do what they've needed to do."
19:10: "It's just comes down to creating some confidence," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said when asked about how his team can get out of the slump. "It's what it comes down to. It can be personnel, it can be how we go about playing and challenging and pushing. If there was an answer, we would have never waited this long."
19:07: The rivalry between these two teams is one of the best in all of baseball. While it’s true that the Cardinals have had the Cubs’ number in recent years, Chicago has looked better as of late. They’ve won the last two games and they could complete the sweep with another win tonight.
19:00: The Cubs have won the first two games of this three-game set. The first win was a thrilling 6-5 win where Hector Rondon held the lead notching a SV. Meanwhile, yesterday Chicago shutout St. Louis with a 3-0 win behind homers from Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo.
18:55: It is safe to say that the Cubs have been record than what their record suggests this season. While the team is entering the third-year of their rebuilding phase, they have been constantly improving this season and would be a .500 team if their bullpen had been a tad better during the first two weeks of the year.
18:50: The Cardinals don’t look as dominant as they were last season and they clearly have a cause for concern. The pitching staff has been shaky, the offense hasn’t been able to get things done and as a result, they are in second place in the NL Central behind the surprising Milwaukee Brewers.
18:45: The Cardinals are the clear favorite if both teams are judged by the numbers. St. Louis sits in second place in the NL Central with a 15-16 record while the Cubs are fourth with a 11-17 total so far.
18:40: Welcome to the live coverage of the MLB! My name is Juan Pablo Aravena (@jparavenarant on Twitter) and I will be bringing you the live score and play-by-play commentary of an exciting rivalry duel between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field!