Grichuk's Homer Lifts Cards To Win Over Cubs

Randal Grichuk told reporters Monday afternoon that his sore back was OK. A few hours later, Grichuk proved it with his first career walk-off home run.

Grichuk's solo homer in the bottom of the ninth lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.

"I was trying to battle and get a pitch in the zone and put good wood on it and get on," Grichuk said. "Luckily, I was able to get a homer."

Matt Adams tied the score with a two-run homer in the seventh for St. Louis' major league-leading ninth pinch-hit homer of the season. It also ended a streak of 13 innings of one-run pitching by Chicago starter John Lackey against his former team.

"This is a team that can do damage in a hurry," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "That's something we haven't had in the past as much, the ability for quite a few guys in that lineup that feel good about getting the ball over the fence and create instant offense."

Grichuk drove a 2-2 pitch off of Adam Warren (3-1) for the win.

Adams drove a high change-up to straight-away center to revive what was a stagnant offense against Lackey. It was Adams' second pinch-hit homer this season and he's hitting .500 off the bench.

"It's no secret," Adams said. "I just make sure I'm ready to go when my name's called."

Trevor Rosenthal (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Cubs' Ben Zobrist had three singles and a walk, extending his streak to 29 starts with reaching safely. He is hitting .387 during that span.

White Sox 7, Indians 6

Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura has been tinkering for a week looking to find a spark for his slumping offense.

The lineup for the opener of Monday's doubleheader had regular second baseman Brett Lawrie as the designated hitter, and he embraced the role.

Lawrie broke a fifth-inning tie with a three-run homer, Todd Frazier hit his 14th of the season and the White Sox held on for a 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

"The other day he had a day off," Ventura said of Lawrie. "The way he was swinging it today, you liked the way it was coming off his bat."

Austin Jackson added three hits and two RBI, Mat Latos (6-1) allowed three runs over six innings and David Robertson pitched a hitless ninth for his 12th save in Chicago's second consecutive win.

Marlon Byrd's two-run homer in the fifth off Latos tied it at 3 a half-inning before Lawrie sent Mike Clevinger's fastball into the left-field seats.

"I saw a bunch of pitches, sliders and curveballs, and it allowed me at 3-2 to get a fastball and I didn't miss it," Lawrie said.

Monday, May 23 Scoreboard

Pittsburgh 6, Colorado 3

Chicago White Sox 7, Cleveland 6

Detroit 5, Philadelphia 4

Miami 7, Tampa Bay 6

Los Angeles Angels 2, Texas 0

Kansas City 10, Minnesota 4

New York Mets 7, Washington 1

St. Louis 4, Chicago Cubs 3

Cleveland 5, Chicago White Sox 1

Oakland 5, Seattle 0

Los Angeles Dodgers 1, Cincinnati 0

San Francisco 1, San Diego 0

Tuesday, May 24 Schedule (All Times Central)

Tampa Bay at Miami, 11:10 a.m.

Chicago at St. Louis, 6 p.m.

Toronto at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

New York at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Arizona at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Colorado at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

San Diego at San Francisco, 9 p.m.

Oakland at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 25 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York Mets at Washington, 12:05 p.m.

Philadelphia at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Minnesota, 12:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis, 12:45 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Texas, 1:05 p.m.    

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.

San Diego at San Francisco, 2:45 p.m.

Toronto at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

Arizona at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Colorado at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Houston,  7:10 p.m.

Oakland at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.

Thursday, May 26 Schedule (All Times Central)

Arizona at Pittsburgh, 11:35 a.m.

Miami at Tampa Bay, 12:10 p.m.

Toronto at New York Yankees, 3:05 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Colorado at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, May 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

Baltimore at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

San Francisco at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

San Diego at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Houston at Los Angeles Angels, 9:05 p.m.

Detroit at Oakland, 9:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Saturday, May 28 Schedule (All Times Central)

Boston at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Detroit at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Baltimore at Cleveland, 3:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 3:10 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 3:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Colorado, 3:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 3:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Texas, 6:15 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 6:15 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets, 6:15 p.m.

Houston at Los Angeles Angels, 9:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

San Diego at Arizona, 9:10 p.m.

Sunday, May 29 Schedule (All Times Central)

Boston at Toronto, 12:07 p.m.

Baltimore at Cleveland, 12:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 12:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 12:35 p.m.

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Texas, 2:05 p.m.

Houston at Los Angeles Angels, 2:35 p.m.

Detroit at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Seattle, 3:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Colorado, 3:10 p.m.

San Diego at Arizona, 3:10 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 4:05 p.m.

Los Angeles at New York, 7 p.m.

Monday, May 30 Schedule (All Times Central)

Chicago White Sox at New York Mets, noon    

San Francisco at Atlanta, 12:10 p.m.

Boston at Baltimore, 12:35 p.m.

St. Louis at Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Minnesota at Oakland, 3 p.m.    

San Diego at Seattle, 3:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Colorado, 3:10 p.m.

Houston at Arizona, 3:10 p.m.

Texas at Cleveland, 5:10 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Detroit at Los Angeles Angels, 8:05 p.m.