Cubs pump it up vs. Cards as streak goes to 11

The Cubs are a season-high 32 games over .500 for the first time since finishing last year at 97-65, and they have a 14-game lead in the National League Central. This is Chicago's largest lead this late in the season since a 14 1/2-game cushion on Sept. 15, 1929. That year, the Cubs were the NL champs, but they lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series, 4-1.

Wainwright was lifted after two innings, matching the shortest outing of his career. The Cardinals have lost nine of their past 13 games.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Hail, Szczur: Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave a few regulars the day off after Thursday's extra-inning night game, and Szczur made his third start in center field. He made the most of it. Szczur doubled to lead off the Chicago first and scored on the first of two RBI doubles by Kris Bryant. Szczur then led off the sixth with his fourth homer and added a two-run blast in the seventh. He hit one homer in 47 games last season with the Cubs.

Szczur's second homer

STL@CHC: Szczur hits his second homer of the game

Matt Szczur hits his second home run of the game, a two-run jack to left field, extending the Cubs' lead in the 7th inning

Early exit: Five days after allowing six runs before he recorded his sixth out, Wainwright surrendered seven in his two frames against Chicago. But unlike that last start in which he rebounded to finish six innings, Wainwright would not be given that chance on Friday. The only other time in his career that he had been pulled after two innings was on Aug. 28, 2013, after allowing nine runs to the Reds. The seven earned runs allowed matched a season high for Wainwright.

Soler power: Friday was Soler's second start in the outfield since he was activated from the disabled list, and he delivered an RBI single in the second and a solo homer in the sixth. The Cubs are counting on the outfielder to find the same groove he did in the postseason last October, when he batted .474 in seven games.

Soler's solo homer

STL@CHC: Soler hammers a homer to left-center field

Jorge Soler hits the Cubs' second home run of the inning, a solo jack to left-center field, increasing the Cubs' lead in the 6th

Home run issues: In an effort to save his bullpen, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny stuck with reliever Jerome Williams, despite how ugly things got when Williams covered the final three innings of the game. Williams became the fourth reliever in franchise history to surrender four home runs in a game. It's an infamous piece of history that he now shares with Brett Tomko (June 14, 2003), Todd Burns (Aug. 24, 1993) and Johnny Stuart (June 22, 1925). Williams entered the day not having allowed a run in four appearances with St. Louis since being called up on July 25.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Stephen Piscotty's homer off Arrieta in the fifth was the first served up by the right-hander at Wrigley Field since Ryan Howard connected for the Phillies on July 25, 2015.

The Cubs' five home runs matches their season high. They've reached that mark three other times, most recently on June 27 at Cincinnati.

WHAT'S NEXT
Cardinals: Luke Weaver, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization's No. 2 prospect, will be making his Major League debut as the Cardinals try to halt the Cubs' winning streak on Saturday. Weaver, who steps in for an injured Michael Wacha, posted a 1.30 ERA in 13 Minor League starts this season.

Cubs: There's no place like Wrigley Field for Kyle Hendricks, who will start Saturday. He's 8-1 with a 1.19 ERA at home, the best home ERA in the Majors. He has the second-best ERA in the big leagues at 2.17, and since June 19, he's 7-1 with a 1.06 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.

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This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Cubs pump it up vs. Cards as streak goes to 11