The St. Louis Cardinals silenced the Chicago Cubs' bats with dominant pitching and timely hitting, cruising to a decisive 5-0 shutout Friday night at Busch Stadium. Michael McGreevy set the tone early, tossing six scoreless innings while scattering six hits and striking out three, never allowing the Cubs to threaten. The Cardinals' offense, meanwhile, broke through in the third when Jordan Walker—who finished 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs—drove in the game's first run. Alec Burleson kept the pressure on with a 3-for-4 night, and Pedro Pages added a pair of hits as St. Louis pieced together 13 knocks against a frustrated Cubs staff.

Chicago's struggles were epitomized by Matthew Boyd, who labored through five innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits while striking out nine but failing to keep the Cardinals off the board. The Cubs managed just seven hits total, with Ian Happ's two singles the only multi-hit effort in a night where their lineup never found rhythm. The loss drops Chicago further behind in the division race, while the Cardinals—buoyed by their third straight win—continue to climb in a tight wild-card chase.