DeJong, O'Neill homer as Cardinals pull off DH sweep of Cubs

Paul DeJong and Tyler O'Neill drilled home runs and five relievers combined on a three-hitter to help the visiting St. Louis Cardinals secure a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 5-1 victory in Saturday's nightcap.

Paul DeJong and Tyler O'Neill drilled home runs and five relievers combined on a three-hitter to help the visiting St. Louis Cardinals secure a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 5-1 victory in Saturday's nightcap. After driving in two runs in St. Louis' 4-2 win in the opener, DeJong picked up where he left off in Game 2, smacking Colin Rea's first pitch of the second inning into the left field stands. Following a walk to Lane Thomas, O'Neill pushed the Cardinals to an early 3-0 lead with a two-run homer to right center, also striking on the first pitch.

Austin Gomber pitched steadily to help the Cardinals' early outburst hold up, starting the game and delivering 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball with three walks and five strikeouts. Four pitchers followed Gomber with 4 1/3 innings of one-run, two-hit relief to lift St. Louis to its fifth win in seven games. Ryan Helsley was the winner, improving to 1-0 after allowing one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings with one walk. Activated from the injured list before the doubleheader, lefty Andrew Miller (shoulder soreness) pitched a perfect seventh to end the game.

Chicago scored its lone run on a David Bote RBI groundout in the fifth, drawing the Cubs to within the final margin. The Cardinals' Brad Miller delivered an RBI single in the third inning before Harrison Bader contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fourth. Rea (1-1) struggled in his spot start for Chicago, which also employed a bullpen game. The right-hander yielded four runs on five hits in two innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

Tyson Miller scattered one run and one hit in three innings in the second outing of his career. Jason Kipnis doubled for Chicago's only extra-base hit.

O'Neill was 2-for-3. The Cardinals and Cubs split their previous two doubleheaders this season before Saturday. The longtime rivals are set to conclude the regular-season series with games Sunday night and Monday afternoon.

--Field Level Media

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