The Chicago Cubs lost their series opener to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5, marking their 11th loss in 13 games. Despite a three-run homer by Ian Happ from the first inning, Shota Imanaga struggled again and served up three home runs and blew two early leads. The Cardinals won despite a strong performance from their starting pitcher Andre Pallante. This loss was the fourth consecutive start for the Cubs, with manager Steve Counsell saying the team struggled the first 10 pitches of the game. The team has been struggling with a major-league-worst 82 home runs, largely attributed to Jameson Taillon and Imanag.