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July 5, 2026 · Response Win · Avoided Sweep

Cubs Answer Back: Four-Run Sixth Saves Series Finale vs Cardinals

After two ugly losses to St. Louis, the Cubs needed a response more than they needed style points. Chicago found it in the sixth inning, rallying for four runs and holding on for a 6-4 win that avoided a Cardinals sweep at Wrigley Field.
Final
CHC 6 · STL 4
Cubs avoid the sweep
Turning Point
4-run 6th
Errors and execution
Hoerner
2 RBI
Game-tying single, sac fly
Save
Webb
2.0 IP, 0 ER
The Core StoryThe Cubs were staring at the wrong kind of weekend: a blowout loss, a shutout loss, and then a sixth-inning Cardinals homer that flipped Sunday's finale. Instead of folding, Chicago answered with four runs in the bottom half, converting mistakes into momentum and leaving Wrigley with a needed 6-4 win.
1. The Cubs responded immediatelyJordan Walker's three-run homer put St. Louis ahead 3-2 in the sixth, but Chicago answered in the bottom half before the game could slip away.
2. Hoerner changed the inningNico Hoerner tied the game with an aggressive RBI single on the first pitch from Matt Svanson, then later scored during a chaotic sequence.
3. Defense closed the doorJacob Webb handled the final six outs, and Dansby Swanson's late defensive play helped secure the win.

Response Meter

After being outscored 20-1 in the first two games of the series, the Cubs finally answered.
6-4Needed response, delivered in the sixth.

Runs By Inning

Chicago's first and sixth innings were enough to survive St. Louis' late pressure.
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⏱ Visual Timeline Of Key Plays

Bottom 1st
Alex Bregman doubles home Pete Crow-Armstrong, then Nico Hoerner adds a sacrifice fly to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Top 2nd
Javier Assad escapes a bases-loaded threat, keeping St. Louis off the board and protecting the early edge.
Top 6th
Jordan Walker hits a three-run homer, flipping the score and putting the Cardinals ahead 3-2.
Bottom 6th
Hoerner answers immediately with an RBI single to tie the game, and the Cubs build a four-run rally with pressure and two Cardinals throwing errors.
Top 8th
Walker adds a sacrifice fly, cutting the Cubs lead to 6-4.
Top 9th
Jacob Webb completes a two-inning save, and Dansby Swanson's late leather helps seal the response win.

🎯 Pitching Breakdown

Javier Assad did not get the decision, but his outing mattered. He gave the Cubs traffic-free enough innings to build a lead and escaped a second-inning jam. The bullpen bent when Walker homered, but Webb gave Chicago a clean finish.

PitcherIPHERBBKAssessment
Javier Assad4.22022Kept Chicago in control and escaped an early bases-loaded threat
Ryan Rolison0.22201Allowed traffic before the sixth-inning homer sequence
Tyler Ferguson0.21100Gave up Walker's three-run homer
Drew Pomeranz1.01101Picked up the win despite the eighth-inning run charged later
Jacob Webb2.01011Earned the save and stabilized the final two innings

🎙 Postgame Reaction

“Every time of year is big. But it’s a time of year where teams are kind of deciding what direction they want to go. You want to seize every opportunity within that. I like where our group’s at right now.”

— Nico Hoerner

“That’s a big spot. They went to the bullpen. I’m glad Nico was aggressive right there. It’s a get-the-run-in situation, and I think that’s what Nico was thinking. He got a pitch out over the plate and I think it’s a swing Nico took a lot this series.”

— Craig Counsell

🐻 Offensive Snapshot

This was not a slugfest. It was a situational win. The Cubs had seven hits, but the difference was timing: Bregman's early double, Hoerner's two RBI, and a sixth inning that turned Cardinals mistakes into runs.

PlayerLine / MomentImpact
Pete Crow-Armstrong2-for-4, run, 2 stealsSet the table and created pressure
Alex BregmanRBI doubleOpened the scoring in the first
Nico Hoerner2 RBISac fly and game-tying single
Pedro RamirezSac flyTwo runs scored on the play after Walker's throwing error
Dansby SwansonFielder's choice RBIHelped create the go-ahead sequence

Friendly Confines Takeaway

After Friday's blowout and Saturday's shutout, the Cubs needed a response. It did not have to be pretty. It had to be enough. The sixth inning was enough.

The Cubs did not erase the Cardinals series, but they changed the feeling leaving Wrigley. That matters.

Friday was humiliation.
Saturday was silence.
Sunday was response.

Good teams answer. The Cubs finally did.

May the bats remember how to answer.
May the gloves finish what the arms begin.
May Hoerner's swing carry into the next series.
And may every setback at Wrigley become the setup for another response.

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Sources used for game facts and quotes: ESPN/AP game recap and box score, FOX Sports box score, and MLB.com postgame coverage for Cubs 6, Cardinals 4 on July 5, 2026.