CHICAGO — Home-plate umpire Roberto Ortiz had to step over the plate and in front of Cubs leadoff hitter Michael Busch to show him baseball’s four-finger salute, and by then the Wrigley Field faithful started to roil, clamor, and boo as they realized what the Cardinals were doing.

Busch had two homers, a triple, a double, and one last chance in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday to swing for a single and punctuate one of the greatest individual seasons ever against the Cardinals with a cycle.

The Cardinals refused to play along.

They played the game.

With an intentional walk, the Cardinals robbed Busch of an at-bat and the crowd of 38,035 shook the Friendly Confines with their frustration.

A few in the Cubs dugout fumed. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was caught on camera smiling.

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