Watch: Kyle Schwarber Hits 1st Homer Of Year After Cubs' Rally Starts In Weird Way

(CBS) It was a blast a long time coming.

Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber gave his team a 5-4 lead against the Cardinals with a three-run homer in the seventh inning Thursday afternoon, his first round-tripper since the 2015 postseason, as he missed almost the entirety of 2016 with a knee injury.

Schwarber's blast came after the Cubs' four-run seventh inning got started in odd fashion. Matt Szczur struck out on an 0-2 pitch from Brett Cecil that bounced, but Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina couldn't find the ball to throw him out at first -- because it was literally stuck to his chest protector, of all places. After Jon Jay walked, Schwarber homered.