Matthew Boyd did not ease into his All-Star moment. Hours after being picked for the first All-Star Game of his career, the Chicago left-hander walked onto the mound and helped turn a rivalry game into a Cubs runaway.
Boyd struck out nine across five scoreless innings as Chicago beat St. Louis 11-0, holding the Cardinals to three hits during his outing and lowering his ERA to 2.52.
The pressure is now on everyone chasing the Cubs in the standings. Chicago scored in each of the first five innings and broke the game open with a five-run third, giving Boyd more than enough room to attack the zone.
Kyle Tucker delivered the early swing that changed the night, grounding a two-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning to push the Cubs ahead 3-0. From there, Chicago kept piling on while St. Louis failed to cash in when runners reached.
Nico Hoerner went 3 for 4, scored three times and finished one homer short of the cycle. Seiya Suzuki added his 25th home run, while Pete Crow-Armstrong joined Suzuki with a two-hit night.
For the Cardinals, the game turned quickly. Erick Fedde lasted only 1 1/3 innings and left with the bases loaded after allowing three earned runs.
The numbers told the story of the night’s gap: Chicago went 5 for 18 with runners in scoring position, while St. Louis went 0 for 7. In a game that began with Boyd celebrating a career milestone, the Cubs made sure the scoreboard looked just as loud.
