Long eliminated from the playoffs, the Chicago Cubs filled the spoiler role as best they could with an 11th inning, come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
After falling into a 4-2 hole, Darwin Barney came up big for the Cubs in the ninth inning with a two-run home run to left field against Fernando Salas that tied the game up and sent it to extra innings. Phenomenal pitching from Carlos Marmol in the 10th and Alberto Cabrera in the 11th left the Cardinals without a hit in the extra frames and set up the opportunity for the Cubs offense to win the game.
David DeJesus obliged with a game-winning single that brought home pinch-runner Brett Jackson to give the Cubs the 5-4 victory.
While the win means little for the Cubs in the long run, it's a bad loss for the Cardinals who are in the midst of the Wild Card race and have to hold off a host of teams, including the Brewers and Dodgers, who are each now within three games of taking the Cardinals' spot.
The Cubs and Cardinals will play the second game of their three-game series on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET, when Adam Wainwright and Travis Wood are scheduled to be the starting pitchers.
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