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The St. Louis Cardinals clawed past the Chicago Cubs 3-2 to take two of three in the set, fueled by Sonny Gray’s seven-inning gem and a late clutch knock from Nolan Gorman to push Jordan Walker across. Gorman kept his night from spiraling after an earlier miscue at third, delivering a two-out RBI single that handed the Cardinals the lead in the eighth. The Cubs answered with growth from their bullpen and a feud of power from Matt Shaw and Pedro Pages in the middle innings, but could not push across the decisive run after a sharp showing from Shota Imanaga.

Gray allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), tallying seven punchouts and one walk while facing a lineup that included Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson for Chicago. Imanaga racked up nine strikeouts over 6.2 innings, surrendering just four hits but allowing three runs, including a Pedro Pages homer that briefly tied the game. Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero steadied the late frames, preserving the lead after a tense eighth as Ian Happ flailed at the plate to end a Cubs rally and the night moved toward a final, tight finish.

With the win, St. Louis moved to 60-59, closing the gap to 3.5 games behind the Mets for the NL wild-card and passing the Giants in the chase. Chicago fell to 67-50 but remained six games clear of Cincinnati in the NL Central and firmly in the wild-card mix. The Cardinals host Colorado next before welcoming the Yankees, while Chicago heads to Toronto for a quick two-city swing and a weekend visit from the Pirates at Wrigley Field. For fantasy players, the late-run RBI from Gorman and Walker’s ongoing speed/production profile remain key angles, while the Cubs’ young arms continue to show ceiling with occasional volatility.