Cards stay hot, trim tumbling Cubs’ NL Central lead

Masyn Winn hit a two-run homer and a two-run double to power the St. Louis Cardinals past the visiting Chicago Cubs 8-7 Tuesday night.
Lars Nootbaar belted a two-run homer and Nolan Gorman added a solo shot for St. Louis, which won for the seventh time in eight games while closing within 2 1/2 games of the National League Central-leading Chicago.
Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Reliever Steven Matz (4-2) earned the victory and Ryan Helsley closed out the ninth for his 15th save.
Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer, Nico Hoerner hit a two-run blast and Kyle Tucker drove in two for the Cubs, who lost for the fifth time in their last six games.
Chicago has allowed 54 runs in that span.
Cubs starter Jameson Taillon (7-5) allowed eight runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out three.
The Cardinals moved ahead 2-0 in the second inning. Willson Contreras hit a leadoff single and Nootbaar followed with his homer to right-center.
Chicago surged ahead 5-2 in the third. Hoerner and Matt Shaw hit singles starting the inning. After Ian Happ drew a one-out walk to load the bases, Tucker hit a two-run single and Suzuki launched his homer to left-center.
The Cardinals cut their deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the inning when Brendan Donovan hit a single and Winn smacked his homer to left-center.
St. Louis took an 8-5 lead in the fourth. Gorman started the rally with a homer to center, the 21st Taillon has allowed this season.
Pedro Pages hit a double, Victor Scott II walked and Winn hit a tiebreaking two-run double, then Winn scored from second on Alec Burleson’s sacrifice fly. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong caught the ball at the wall but apparently thought it was the third out.
Chicago cut its deficit to 8-7 in the sixth on Dansby Swanson’s single and Hoerner’s home run to left.
The Cubs got runners to second and third with two outs in the ninth, but Helsley got Swanson to hit a game-ending chopper to third baseman Nolan Arenado.