Cubs swat three homers and shut out Cards

Ian Happ hit a homer and drove in three runs as the visiting Chicago Cubs rolled past the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0 Wednesday night.
Reese McGuire hit a two-run homer and Kyle Tucker hit a solo shot for the Cubs, who won for the second time in their last seven games.
Michael Busch (3-for-5, two runs, RBI) and Dansby Swanson (2-for-5, two runs) also had productive games for Chicago.
After allowing 54 runs in their previous six games, the Cubs shut down the Cardinals.
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd (7-3) blanked St. Louis on three hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked none.
Ryan Brasier, Michael Fulmer and Porter Hodge worked a scoreless inning each to complete the shutout.
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde (3-7) allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Happ hit a home run on the first pitch of the game to give the Cubs an instant lead.
Chicago increased its advantage to 4-0 in the second inning. Swanson led off with a double and scored on Busch’s single. After Fedde retired the next two batters, McGuire hit his two-run homer.
Tucker’s third-inning homer pushed the Cubs’ advantage to 5-0.
The Cubs expanded their lead to 7-0 in the fourth inning. Busch walked, stole second base and moved to third on a flyout to start the rally.
After Matt Shaw walked and stole second base, Happ hit a two-run single. Chicago loaded the bases, but reliever John King got Pete Crow-Armstrong to hit an inning-ending groundout.
Swanson struck out leading off the fifth, but he reached on a wild pitch to start another rally. Busch reached on an infield hit, Nico Hoerner hit a single and Shaw grounded into a run-scoring force play to make it 8-0.
Newly acquired utility player Garrett Hampson pitched the ninth inning for the Cardinals and retired the Cubs on three pitches.