Historic bar outside of Wrigley Field trolls St. Louis Cardinals after London blowout
One of MLB’s greatest rivalries took place on the international stage Saturday as the Chicago Cubs took on the St. Louis Cardinals in London. The Cardinals have had a rough go this season, entering the game 9.5 games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds and last in the National League Central division.
Things didn’t get better Saturday as the Cubs’ offense erupted for nine runs en route to a 9-1 victory over the Cardinals across the pond. It meant St. Louis dropped to 31-45 on the season, continuing to struggle as July rapidly approaches.
After the game, Murphy’s Bleachers — a historic bar across the street from Wrigley Field on Sheffield Ave. — had some fun at St. Louis’ expense with its sign.
“It’s official. The Cards suck on any continent,” the sign read.
The London Series game between the Cubs and Cardinals is three years in the making. It was originally set for June 2020, but was canceled as the COVID-19 pandemic halted almost everything in the world at the time.
At long last, baseball fans in England got to watch the two teams square off. They saw an offensive display from the Cubs, too.
Ian Happ hit two home runs and Dansby Swanson had another to help propel Chicago to the 9-1 victory. Adam Wainwright had a rough day on the mound for St. Louis, allowing seven runs on 11 hits in just 3.0 innings of work. The Cardinals’ lone run came in the sixth when Paul Goldschmidt scored Tommy Edman on a single to right field.
The Cubs and Cardinals will play one more time in London on Sunday to close out the international series. Marcus Stroman will get the start on the mound for Chicago, bringing an impressive 9-4 record and a 2.28 ERA into the matchup. St. Louis hasn’t announced a starting pitcher as of publication.
The goal of the London Series is to grow baseball worldwide. MLB played a game in London in 2019, and the pandemic delayed its return. More international games could be in the cards soon, though, according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. On Friday, Manfred announced a Paris game is in the “planning stages” and could happen in 2025 if all goes as planned.
“We are in the process of working on Paris in 2025,” Manfred said at a news conference, via The Athletic’s Katie Woo. “We’re not at the point where we’re going to make a commitment or a more formal announcement, but it is in the planning stages.”