The St. Louis Cardinals secured a doubleheader sweep against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, winning both games in exciting fashion. In the first game, the Cardinals dominated with an 11-3 victory, while in the second game, they rallied in the eighth inning to win 5-4.

In the opener, the Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Alec Burleson's three-run homer highlighted a remarkable nine-run first inning. Lance Lynn pitched a solid six innings to help secure the win for St. Louis.

"We wanted to finish strong before the break and get some wins," said Masyn Winn, who hit a leadoff home run in the first game. "To sweep a rival like the Cubs in a doubleheader is pretty fun."

The second game proved to be a more closely contested affair. The Cardinals found themselves trailing 4-3 heading into the eighth inning. However, the team came alive as Willson Contreras drew a walk, followed by a ground-rule double from Paul Goldschmidt. Nolan Arenado then stepped up to the plate and delivered a crucial two-run single, propelling the Cardinals to victory.

"It felt great to come through for the boys and help us secure the win," said Arenado. "These team wins are the ones we'll look back on in the later months and see how they build us as a team."

The Cardinals' bullpen played a significant role in the victory, with John King, Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, and Ryan Helsley combining for four scoreless innings of relief.

For the Cubs, the night was marked by missed opportunities. Despite a four-run rally in the second inning, they couldn't capitalize on several scoring chances, including leaving the bases loaded in the third inning.

The Cubs' Michael Busch and Miguel Amaya provided offensive firepower, with Amaya hitting a home run and Busch tallying three hits in the second game.

On the pitching front, Kyle Gibson started the nightcap for the Cardinals but struggled, allowing four runs on 10 hits in four innings. Javier Assad, activated from the injured list, started for the Cubs and lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected in the sixth inning after arguing with the home plate umpire about the strike zone.

The doubleheader sweep gives the Cardinals momentum heading into the All-Star break, while the Cubs will aim to bounce back in the second half of the season.

In other news, the Cubs recalled Daniel Palencia from Triple-A Iowa and placed Luke Little on the injured list due to a left shoulder strain. The Cardinals welcomed back Kyle Leahy as the 27th man for the doubleheader.

The two teams will face off once again on Sunday, with Jameson Tailon taking the mound for the Cubs and Miles Mikolas pitching for the Cardinals.