The Latest Breaking News from Willson Contreras

It didn’t take long before things got testy between the two National League Central rivals.

What a wacky start to this Cardinals-Cubs game!

CHICAGO — The Cardinals continued their red-hot start coming out of the All-Star break behind a strong outing from left-hander Steven Matz, and closed the gap between them and their rivals the Chicago Cubs in the process.

ST. LOUIS — A few hours after they were held to six hits in an extra-inning loss, the Cardinals offense responded with a season-high 17 hits including a pair of doubles, a triple and a pair of home runs in a series-evening win against the Washington Nationals.

MIAMI — Jack Flaherty delivered the start the Cardinals want more often.

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals returned from their European excursion with a daunting homestand waiting for them in St. Louis with the defending World Series champion Houston Astros the first foe knocking at their door.

The Cardinals have 13 games left before the regular season pauses for MLB's All-Star break.

WASHINGTON — Rested and refreshed after a day off on Monday, Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson launched a pair of home runs into the night sky, and left-hander Jordan Montgomery kept the Washington Nationals hitters from inflicting any significant damage as the Cardinals matched their longest win streak of the season…

ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt was not a fan of the premise.

CINCINNATI — At the stadium his teammate Adam Wainwright called “The Devil’s Lair” because of the horrors it's inflicted on his ERA in Cincinnati, Steven Matz continued a downward trend that began with a tumble right there at Great American Ball Park.

Following a depressing start, St. Louis now looks like the best team in the NL Central.