High-scoring Cubs aim to tee off again vs. rival Cards

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is having a blast batting in his team's loaded lineup.

"This is the best offense I've ever been a part of, ever seen," Crow-Armstrong said. "It's extra rewarding after the year we had last year in terms of ballpark factors and whatnot, with all the wind blowing in and everything. I love what we're doing at home."

After enjoying a record-setting day at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, the Cubs will try to keep the good times coming in the Friendly Confines on Saturday when they host the Cardinals in the middle game of a three-game set.

The Cubs routed the Cardinals 11-3 on Friday afternoon by hitting eight homers, a franchise single-game record, while extending their winning streak to four.

Michael Busch had his first career three-homer game and drove in five runs. Crow-Armstrong added two home runs while going 4-for-4 with four runs, lifting his on-base-plus-slugging percentage to .868.

"We swung the bats great," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "You see something different at the park every day. We hit a bunch of home runs today, it was fun to watch. Guys had huge days."

The Cubs have won seven of their past nine games during a run that started with two victories in St. Louis. They have scored 475 runs this season, the second-highest total in the majors.

Chicago will open the Saturday contest with Drew Pomeranz (2-1, 0.00 ERA) in a bullpen game. Pomeranz threw two scoreless innings against the Cardinals in two relief outings last week. In 26 appearances this year covering 23 1/3 innings, the 36-year-old left-hander has allowed just one run, which was unearned.

Pomeranz is 0-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 10 career appearances (two starts) against St. Louis.

The Cardinals have lost four straight to fall 6 1/2 games behind the National League Central-leading Cubs. On the plus side, St. Louis snapped its 31-inning overall scoreless streak and its 53-inning scoreless streak in the division when Brendan Donovan hit a homer Friday.

St. Louis will try to cool off the Cubs with left-hander Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA), who earned a 7-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in his latest start. He held them to three hits and five walks while striking out five in six-plus innings to run his personal winning streak to three starts.

"Overall, that was a very good outing, and his usage was exactly what you want out of him as far as mixing the sinker and the curveball," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said following that contest. "All of it was a good mix. I like what we saw out of him today. He was stubborn and not giving in to certain guys, and it paid off."

Liberatore earned an 8-2 home victory over the Cubs on June 23 after allowing two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five in seven innings. Crow-Amstrong hit two doubles off him in that game.

Liberatore is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in nine career outings against the Cubs, including three starts.

--Field Level Media