Aug 19, 2020 4 min read

David Bote hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh and final inning, Adbert Alzolay pitched five solid innings in his first start of the season, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Wednesday night to split a doubleheader.

St. Louis’ Brad Miller hit a tying RBI single in the bottom of the sixth against Jeremy Jeffress (2-1). But the Cubs quickly answered.

Playing as the visitor in the nightcap because the game was a makeup from a postponed series in St. Louis from earlier this month, the Cubs loaded the bases against Andrew Miller (0-1) with one out. Bote, whose pinch-hit, hit three-run homer won the second game of Monday’s doubleheader, then lined a single to center against Giovanny Gallegos, making it 4-2 and propelling the Cubs to their third win in four games.

Craig Kimbrel worked the seventh for his first save.

In the opener, Matt Carpenter belted a first-inning grand slam and the Cardinals beat the Cubs 9-3. St. Louis held Chicago to two hits in the seven-inning game even though shaky starter Jack Flaherty only recorded five outs.

Atlanta-Washington ppd: The planned major league debut for Braves top prospect Cristian Pache will have to wait.

Instead, Pache was given another first – a major league rainout.

The game between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed because of rain.

The teams will play a doubleheader of seven-inning games on Sept. 4. The Nationals return to Atlanta for what had been scheduled as a three-game series from Sept. 4-6.

American League

Astros’ Alvarez out for season: Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Álvarez, last season’s AL Rookie of the Year, will miss the rest of the season because of a partially torn right patellar tendon that requires surgery, manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday.

Álvarez hit 27 homers in 313 at-bats last season but appeared in just two games this year. He missed Houston’s summer camp and the first three weeks of the season while recovering from the coronavirus.

Álvarez made his season debut on Friday and homered against the Seattle Mariners. He played again Saturday but was scratched from Sunday’s lineup because of the knee injury and placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday.

Interleague

Kansas City 4, Cincinnati 0: Brad Keller pitched hitless ball into the sixth inning and extended his shutout streak, leading the Kansas City Royals over the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 in the first game of a doubleheader

Keller (3-0) has won all of this starts this season after coming back from a positive test for COVID-19 and hasn’t permitted a run in 17 2/3 innings.

Boston 6, Philadelphia 3: The Boston Red Sox ended their nine-game losing streak, with Rafael Devers homering and driving in three runs to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3.

Devers finished with three hits. Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs to help Boston avoid its first 10-game losing streak since 2014.

Toronto 5, Baltimore 2: Randal Grichuk extended his recent power surge with two home runs, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the fading Baltimore Orioles with a 5-2 victory.

Grichuk hit a solo shot in the second inning and put Toronto ahead for good with a two-run drive in the sixth. He has homered in four straight starts, and all six of his long balls this season have come over the last six games.