The Chicago Cubs are playing like a team that could make some noise in the postseason, but manager Craig Counsell knows there still is work to be done.

The Cubs will look to build on their momentum when they continue a four-game series against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Chicago pounded out 14 hits in a 7-3 win on Monday.

Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner each homered and had four hits for Chicago, which has won 26 of its last 38 games and holds a 5 1/2-game lead as the first wild card in the National League.

The Cubs have 25 runs over their past three games, going 2-1.

“Look, I think we have shown that we can play at a high level,” Counsell said. “The best thing about a major league season is you can’t fake your record, man, over 162 games. It’s too many games. And so, I feel like the teams that get to October, they’ve earned it. And we’ve got a long way to go.”

St. Louis has lost eight of its last 10 games and is a 1 1/2 games behind the final NL wild-card spot. The Cardinals also are back at .500 for the first time since April 13, when they were 8-8.

Like the Cubs, St. Louis is expected to be active ahead of the trade deadline next Monday. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said he has been connecting with his players to keep them focused amid any possible distractions.

“I just try to make sure we’re available to the guys that want to have a conversation to make sure that they’re in the right headspace,” Marmol said. “That’s basically it.”

The expected pitching matchup for Tuesday’s game will feature a pair of right-handers as the Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy (4-8, 3.07 ERA) faces Chicago’s Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85).

McGreevy, 26, allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings in a 10-6 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. He settled in after giving up a two-run homer to Tyler Locklear in the fourth inning.

“I think if I execute that pitch and I throw it a little farther down in the zone, it’s not a homer,” McGreevy said. “He might take it, he might hit a double down the line, but it’s not a two-run shot. But that’s just something you can learn from.”

Ian Happ is 4-for-8 against McGreevy, who is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in three career starts vs. the Cubs.

Chicago will counter with Rea, who allowed four runs over five innings in a 5-1 home loss to the Detroit Tigers last Wednesday.

Rea, 36, has given up 17 home runs in 105 2/3 innings this season, including a three-run blast by Hao-Yu Lee in the loss to Detroit.

“I just threw a get-me-over fastball, and he put a good swing on it,” Rea said. “With two outs there, you’ve got to be thinking a little bit better. Even though it’s 3-0 there, you’ve still got to make a better pitch.”

Lars Nootbaar is 4-for-13 (.308) against Rea, who is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five career starts vs. St. Louis.

–Field Level Media

Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career grand slam narrowly made it over the wall, but those few inches continued the winning ways of the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox will look to defeat the Athletics for the second straight night when the teams square off on Tuesday at West Sacramento, Calif.

Rafaela’s homer, which went off the glove of leaping Athletics left fielder Colby Thomas in the sixth inning, accounted for all of his team’s runs in Boston’s 4-2 victory in Monday’s opener of a four-game set.

After hitting the ball, Rafaela slammed his bat to the ground in disgust.

“I thought it was an out,” he said afterward. “I didn’t hit it the way I wanted to, but I hit it enough to go out.”

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay took note of Rafaela’s discontent.

“I’d never seen someone toss the bat to the ground (in that frustrated manner) and be rewarded in that way,” Kotsay said of the grand slam.

The blow was all Boston needed to post its 18th victory in the past 20 games. Equally impressive is that it was the 10th straight road win for the Red Sox.

“I think we have fun playing in front of the crowds that don’t want us to win,” Rafaela said.

Meanwhile, the Athletics have lost 24 of their past 30 games.

Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim each hit a solo homer to account for their scoring on Monday. Heim now will be the Athletics’ primary catcher with All-Star starter Shea Langeliers set to undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The injury ranks as a huge blow for the Athletics, who lost two-time All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker (left knee) for the season in early June.

“This is another one of our leaders and another middle-of-the-order bat that is done for the season,” Kotsay said. “This is a season that continues to challenge us in different ways. We’ve been challenged before, especially from a depth perspective in the position player group.”

Veteran right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. (right hip impingement) also will undergo surgery on Tuesday.

Infielder Curtis Mead made his Boston debut on Monday but had to exit after 4 1/2 innings with a left wrist contusion. He was hit by a pitch from A’s right-hander Jack Perkins in the fourth.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said X-rays were negative on Mead’s wrist.

“He’s sore, and we’re going to take it day-by-day and see how he feels,” Tracy said. “Right now, it looks like we dodged a bullet, maybe.”

Said Mead: “I wanted to come here and help the team. So it was frustrating.”

Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early late Saturday night. Mead hit a career-best 17 homers in 87 games for the Nationals.

“I’ve tried to be super consistent with what I do every day in the cage to prepare, so that when I step in the box, I’m feeling good about myself and can just put all my focus on the ball,” Mead said.

Boston’s Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) will match up against Gage Jump (3-6, 4.42) of the A’s in a battle of rookie left-handers on Tuesday.

Bennett, 25, has won five straight starts and has a 1.40 ERA over his past six turns. He has walked just nine batters in 59 1/3 innings over 10 starts.

Bennett defeated the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday when he gave up three runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-3 victory.

Jump has lost five straight starts — with a 9.65 ERA during the stretch — and is winless over his last six turns. He was roughed by the Arizona Diamondbacks last Wednesday when he gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 15-5 defeat.

–Field Level Media