Cardinals battle back to beat Cubs, split London Series behind Willson Contreras' big day

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The St. Louis Cardinals overcame a poor first inning, and manager Oliver Marmol thinks they can still overcome a shaky start to the season.

They took a step in that direction by beating the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Sunday, chasing ace Marcus Stroman in the fourth inning to earn a split of their weekend series at London Stadium.

"We do believe we have a chance at this," Marmol said. "But in reality, if we’re talking about sustainable, we’re going to have to pitch better and we're going to have to continue to do what we do offensively."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

St. Louis Cardinals Willson Contreras follows through as he singles during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, June 25, 2023, in London.  (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The Cubs missed a chance to get back to .500 after Stroman (9-5) left the game with a blister on his right index finger, and the Cardinals ended a two-game skid after an error-filled first inning handed the Cubs a 4-0 lead.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead RBI single that knocked Stroman out of the game, and Willson Contreras went 4 for 4 with two runs scored.

"Contreras had a really good day and we feel like he’s starting to get into a really good spot and he’s going to be a big contributor to us being able to go on a run," Marmol said. "But giving up four in the first and some of the miscues — those things are the things that can’t happen."

The Cubs (37-39) won 9-1 on Saturday but had their winning streak halted at four games. They haven't been at .500 since May 12, though they've still won 11 of their past 14 games.

Jordan Hicks, who sat out Saturday because of