The Wrigley Field wind blew out at 20 miles per hour, and the home team Chicago Cubs took full advantage, blasting a Major League postseason record six home runs in defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. With the win, the Cubs lead 2-1 in games and have a chance to clinch the best-of-five series on Tuesday.

Kyle Schwarber started the home run parade with a line drive solo shot (#2 in the postseason) into the basket in the bottom the second.

The home run gave the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Starlin Castro reinvigorated the crowd with a solo shot (1) of his own that tied the game at 2-2.

St. Louis had temporarily taken the lead when Jake Arrieta uncharacteristically walked the first two hitters of the fourth. With one out, Jhonny Peralta laced a double off the left-field wall to score Stephen Piscotty and tie the game at 1-1.

Tommy Pham then drove in Matt Holliday with the go-ahead run on an RBI ground out.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo both broke out of a combined 1-for-22 postseason funk with back-to-back home runs. Bryant's was a two-run shot (1) that scored Jorge Soler (video), and Rizzo's was a tape-measure job (1) that extended the Cubs' new lead to 5-2.

Jason Heyward, though, brought the Cardinals back to within a run with a two-run bomb (1) of his own in the top of the sixth.

Jorge Soler then gave the Cubs some insurance with a two-run blast (2) in the bottom of the sixth (video) with pinch hitter Chris Coghlan aboard via a base hit. Soler is 8 for 8 in getting on base in the NLDS.

Dexter Fowler smashed the record-setting sixth home run with one out in the bottom of the eighth, a solo shot (2) into the right-field bleachers off Jonathan Broxton (video). With Fowler's shot, the Cubs' first six hitters in the lineup all went deep at some point in the game.

As usual, the Cardinals did not go down easily. In the ninth, Randal Grichuk reached on an infield single that shortstop Javier Baez misplayed. Piscotty homered one out later to make the score 8-6. Closer Hector Rondon, though, got Holliday to ground out to end the game.

Each team lost a key player in Game 3. St. Louis's Yadier Molina left in the sixth for pinch hitter Brandon Moss. Molina's thumb strain got the best of him in his fourth-inning at bat. Tony Cruz finished the game behind the plate. The Cubs lost Addison Russell in the fourth following his two-out triple. Russell mildly strained a hamstring while running. Baez pinch ran and played shortstop for the duration of the game.

Neither Molina's nor Russell's status for Game 4 is available at this time.

Arrieta (W: 2-0, 2.45 ERA in postseason play) did not dominate as well as he has since early June, but he held the Cardinals to four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched with the wind howling straight out. He walked two, struck out nine, and served up Heyward's home run. Both walks scored in the fourth. 

Cardinals starter Michael Wacha (L: 0-1, 8.31) allowed four earned runs on six hits (three home runs) in 4 1/3 innings. Adam Wainwright pitched 1 2/3 innings after missing nearly the entire season. He allowed Soler's home run and struck out two. 

Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. EDT. The Cubs will try to clinch the series with Jason Hammel on the mound. Meanwhile, St. Louis will pitch John Lackey, who won Game 1.

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About the author
Raymond Bureau
Raymond became a baseball fan at a very young age. He played baseball through high school and soon after became a varsity coach. He is now the P.A. announcer at his high school where he teaches. Raymond previously produced radio sports talk shows and hosted a weekly MLB radio call-in show. His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Raymond is a devoted husband, father, and Christ follower. His life verses are Philippians 4:13, John 14:6, and Isaiah 41:10.