Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals

Alex Bregman pumped a fist in the air after sliding into second base in the 10th inning on Thursday afternoon, following his sixth double in the Cubs’ four-day stay at Busch Stadium. The hit sparked a late rally that helped the North Siders claim a series win over their rivals. Bregman’s go-ahead double in the 10th inning helped Chicago head home on the heels of a 4-2 win over the Cardinals, who have probably seen enough of the veteran third baseman. With a pair of two-base hits on Thursday, Bregman finished the series with a 10-for-18 showing (.556 average) that included seven extra-base hits and seven runs scored. “He had a good series,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s something to build on, for sure. It’s confidence-building and it’s good for us winning baseball games, as you saw this week. He had a great offensive series.” Here were three takeaways from Thursday’s victory, which wrapped up a 5-2 trip against the Pirates and Cardinals: **1\. Assad’s solid effort** Throughout this season, righty Javier Assad has served as an effective safety net for the Cubs’ pitching staff. Whether needed in the rotation or covering multiple innings in relief, Assad has helped Chicago through its long list of injuries.