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Levine: Cubs' Walk-Off Magic Continues -- This Time With A Walk

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the first time since 2001, the Cubs have won 10 games in a row.

It was another wild win Thursday at Wrigley Field, where Anthony Rizzo drew a walk-off walk to give the Cubs a 4-3 win against the rival Cardinals in the 11th inning. On a 3-1 count, Rizzo took an inside fastball that could've gone either way. It went for ball four, forcing in catcher Willson Contreras for the victory.

That gave the Cubs (72-41) a commanding 13-game lead over the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central, their biggest of the season.

"We have a walk-off walk, wild pitch and squeeze bunt by a pitcher," Rizzo said in tracing back victories during the winning streak. "It is one of those things where things are going our way. We just want to keep it going our way."

The Cubs went 3-of-17 with runners in scoring position, so the walk-off walk was timely.

"This is just the sign of a good team," said left-hander Jon Lester, who received a no-decision after giving up two runs in six innings. "That was not the game I thought it would be with the wind blowing out the way it was. We came out on top. That is all that matters."

The bullpen gave up one run in the next five innings after Lester's exit. With Pedro Strop on the disabled list and Hector Rondon nursing a sore right arm, manager Joe Maddon used his entire bullpen except for Carl Edwards, who was unavailable.

After being in the witness protection portion of the bullpen for 11 days, left-hander Mike Montgomery tossed two scoreless innings and threw 42 pitches. He got the win and a debt of gratitude from his manager.

"In that game tonight, Montgomery is here for a reason," Maddon said. "He needed to pitch right there. Look at the growth he will encounter by getting the win. Tough situations -- that is going to better both him and us going down the road."

The Cubs' 9-0 start to August is their best start to this month since 1908.

For Rizzo it was his fifth career walk-off when he was at the plate.

"We battle," Rizzo said. " That is what we do every day. That is kind of the identity of who we are. We know things are going our way, but it's only August 11th. Everyone in here is grinding. Things are going our way. We want them to continue to go our way."

The Cubs are 5-5 against the Cardinals this season. St. Louis lost more than just a game Thursday, as  slugger Matt Holliday fractured his right thumb after getting hit by Montgomery in the 10th inning.

"That is tough," Rizzo said after hearing the news about Holliday. "You never want to see that. We wish him luck. You never want to see a guy go down like that."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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