The Chicago Cubs dominated their fierce rivals, the St Louis Cardinals, in a 9-1 victory during the first game of the 2023 London Series. This historic matchup marked the first time in 140 years that the Cubs and Cardinals faced off outside of the United States. The game took place at London Stadium and drew a crowd of over 54,000 spectators.
The event was filled with exciting festivities for the London crowd, including a mascot race featuring Henry VIII, Winston Churchill, and Freddie Mercury. Additionally, cricket stars Jimmy Anderson and Nathan Lyon threw out the ceremonial first pitches, and actor Nick Offerman entertained the crowd with a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch.
Although the previous London Series games between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were high-scoring affairs, this game showcased a dominant performance from the Cubs. Cardinals’ starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, playing in his final season before retirement, struggled against the Cubs’ offense, giving up 11 hits in three-plus innings.
Ian Happ, the Cubs’ switch-hitting outfielder, proved to be Wainwright’s biggest challenge, hitting two home runs off him and bringing his total to six home runs against the Cardinals pitcher. The Cubs’ scoring barrage included RBI hits from Nick Madrigal, Christopher Morel, Yan Gomes, Mike Tauchman, and Seiya Suzuki, helping the team build a substantial lead.
The Cardinals managed to score one run in the fifth inning, but Cubs’ starting pitcher Justin Steele kept their bats mostly silent, pitching six strong innings with eight strikeouts. In the top of the ninth inning, Cubs’ shortstop Dansby Swanson sealed the victory with a two-run home run off Cardinals reliever Drew VerHagen, marking the Cubs’ largest margin of victory over the Cardinals since May 2021.
Unlike the lengthy 2019 game, this matchup flew by with a total duration of two hours and 40 minutes, thanks in part to the implementation of a pitch clock. With this win, the Cubs extended their winning streak to four games, bringing their season record to 37-38, while the Cardinals fell to 31-45, trailing the Cubs by 6.5 games in the standings.
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