Cubs starter Jason Hammel pitched well enough for the win, and even helped his own cause on Sunday against the Cardinals. He singled in two runs in the fourth inning, but failed to factor into the decision in a 5-4 defeat.
Hammel allowed a run-scoring triple to Randal Grichuk and run-scoring doubles to Mark Ellis and Matt Adams, respectively. He was charged with three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings of work. He tossed 101 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Over his last three starts covering 20 innings, Hammel has yielded only four earned runs. He owns a 2.43 ERA and a 32:9 K:BB ratio over 40 2/3 innings. He will make his next start Friday in Atlanta. He is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in three starts away from home.