Cardinals cough up two-run lead as Cubs post 6-2 victory at Wrigley

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs topped the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 on Sunday night for their fourth win in five games.

Mike Tauchman and Miguel Amaya both homered in the sixth and finished with two hits and two runs scored to help the Cubs overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Chicago took three of four from its NL Central rival at Wrigley Field.

St. Louis rookie Masyn Winn lofted a two-run homer in the third for the only scoring off Steele. The shortstop’s ninth home run was his third in six games and second of the series.

Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger had RBIs as Chicago pulled ahead with two runs in the fifth. Dansby Swanson drove in a run and the Cubs plated another on a balk by Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas.

Steele (3-5) rebounded from a rough outing at Cincinnati last Tuesday, retiring 12 straight Cardinals hitters during one stretch. The left-hander struck out six and walked two in 6 2/3 innings before being relieved by Porter Hodge after throwing 99 pitches on a humid evening.

Julian Merryweather tossed a 1-2-3 ninth, retiring the side on six pitches to finish a combined four-hitter.

Mikolas (8-9) yielded four runs on eight hits and two walks in four-plus innings.

Tauchman started in left field as the replacement for Ian Happ, a late scratch with ...