The Chicago Cubs lost starting pitcher John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras to ejections, but it didn't matter as they blew out the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 at Wrigley Field.
After the ejections, the Cubs scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, as six different players drove in runs to cap off the wild inning.
The victory drops the Cubs' magic number to 13 to clinch the division, and gives them a four-game lead over the Cardinals in the Central.
In the top of the fifth inning, Lackey appeared to strike out Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez, but the pitch was ruled a ball by home plate umpire Jordan Baker. On the very next pitch, Martinez lined a single into center to score Kolten Wong, sending Lackey into a frenzy.
He was ejected, along with Contreras, and Justin Wilson finished off the inning for the Cubs.
In the sixth inning, the Cubs' offense exploded. Alex Avila and Jon Jay both lined singles into center field to score a pair of runs, and then Ian Happ hit a two-run single to make it 6-2. Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant each drove in runs to cap off the rally, which gave the Cubs a six-run lead.
That was all they would need, as Wade Davis got the final six outs and secured the win.
Chicago Baseball
The two teams will battle again on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
