Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Cardinals 1 – July 12, 2024 – Bleacher Nation

The Cubs keep on rolling, with their fifth straight win. In theory, that was the toughest match-up of this Cardinals series, too, with Sonny Gray generally pitching very well, and Kyle Hendricks having struggled.

I don’t know how he does it, but Hendricks is ALWAYS READY to take down the Cardinals. The year could be 2057, and the Cubs BETTER call a 68-year-old Kyle Hendricks to make a key start against the Cardinals at some point. With seven shutout innings, and never even really being stressed for a single moment of it, Hendricks is The Ankin Law “Making It Personal” Player of the Game.

Offensively, props to Nico Hoerner for twice coming through with a runner on third and fewer than two outs, and David Bote for the two-run double that felt like the exclamation point. Bote was in for Myles Mastrobuoni, who also had a good night. Look at those guys. Also, a hit for everyone in the lineup except Michael Busch, who has earned a tough night.

One bad moment to note from the game, with Luke Little having to leave mid-at bat with some kind of injury. No speculation for now, but he certainly did not look comfortable. Given that he’d worked his way into the circle of trust and was scoreless in his last nine appearances, it sucked to see him walk off. Hopefully it isn’t serious.

Things got thorny in the 9th, with Hunter Bigge not really looking like the guy we saw the first time out. That happening on the same night as the Little thing, with a double-header coming tomorrow, sure was not ideal. The latter forced the Cubs to use Mark Leiter Jr., the former forced the Cubs to use Hector Neris. You don’t expect to have to use four relievers when your starter gives you seven innings and leaves with a three-run lead, which becomes a five-run lead.

Anyway. For now, I’ll just celebrate the win and the dominant Hendricks night.

Full box score.