Cardinals 5, Cubs 1
ST. LOUIS -- John Lackey gave the worn-down St. Louis Cardinals bullpen the rest they needed.
Throwing a season-high 7 2/3 innings and posting the 18th double-figure strikeout game of his career Thursday, Lackey led St. Louis to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs at sold-out Busch Stadium.
In improving to 2-1, Lackey gave up five hits and one run while issuing a walk. He left after his 109th pitch froze third baseman Kris Bryant for a called third strike, Bryant's third punchout of the day.
Lackey also delivered surprising help at the plate, foiling Chicago's two-out intentional walk to center fielder Peter Bourjos in the bottom of the fourth inning with a first-pitch double down the right field line that scored right fielder Jason Heyward. Bourjos also scored on the play, thanks to an error by right fielder Jorge Soler.
Heyward went 3-for-4 with three runs, knocking in the game's first run with an RBI single in the second against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta (3-3). Two batters later, Bourjos tripled Heyward home and the Cardinals (21-7) had the only runs they needed.
Arrieta entered the game with a 3-0 career record and an 0.74 ERA in six previous starts against St. Louis. But he was touched for nine hits and five runs in 5 1/3 innings, walking one and fanning seven.
The Cardinals finished their scoring in the sixth when Heyward sprinted home on a two-out wild pitch by reliever Justin Grimm.
Chicago avoided a shutout in the seventh as shortstop Starlin Castro stroked a single up the middle to score Soler. But the Cubs (14-13), who tallied 19 runs and 32 hits in the series' first three games, collected only six hits in losing for the fifth time in six games.
St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 10th save, retiring the last three hitters after inheriting a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth.
NOTES: St. Louis announced Thursday that LHP Tyler Lyons would start Sunday in Pittsburgh. Lyons, starting in the spot vacated by RHP Adam Wainwright (Achilles), lasted 4 1/3 innings Tuesday in a no-decision. ... Chicago finishes a stretch of 19 straight games against National League Central opponents this weekend with a three-game series in Milwaukee. ... The Cardinals got six straight wins from relief pitchers at the end of their eight-game winning streak that was snapped Wednesday night. That represents the first time in franchise history that has occurred.