CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday homered to back Adam Wainwright, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals won their second straight game after going 0-5 on their first winless homestand of at least two series since 1983.

Carpenter and Holliday connected against Jason Hammel (7-3) in a three-run third inning that made it 4-1. Wainwright (6-4) pitched into the seventh and improved to 10-1 in 21 games — 16 starts — at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals put themselves in position to sweep their first trip to Chicago since last year’s NL Division Series, though it won’t be easy with the major league-leading Cubs sending reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to the mound.

Chris Coghlan scored two runs for the Cubs, whose longest losing streak is three games. Chicago hit into three double plays.

Wainwright allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Chicago’s Addison Russell doubled off the wall in left leading off the seventh. Jonathan Broxton came in with two outs and walked Coghlan, putting runners on first and third, but first baseman Brandon Moss made a diving stop on Jason Heyward’s grounder to end the threat.

Kevin Siegrist worked the eighth, and Trevor Rosenthal handled the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances. Shaky in Monday’s win, he gave up a one-out single to Russell and walked Javier Baez with two outs before pinch-hitter Matt Szczur grounded into a force play to end the game.

Hammel went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.

STRETCH TO START

The Cubs optioned right-hander Adam Warren to Triple-A Iowa to prepare him for a major league start. The Cubs plan to have him start two minor-league games and make one for them before the All-Star break. Warren might make another start after that.

Chicago will have played 24 consecutive days before the break. Stretching Warren will give the starters an extra day of rest.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Brayan Pena (left knee surgery) was hitting .179 through 11 minor league games. His rehab stint will expire next week.

Cubs: The Cubs placed LHP Clayton Richard on the 15-day DL because of a blister on his left middle finger.

UP NEXT

The Cubs send Arrieta (11-1, 1.74 ERA) to the mound while the Cardinals go with RHP Michael Wacha (2-7, 4.56) in the finale of the three-game series. Arrieta got the win at St. Louis on May 25 despite allowing a season-high four runs over five innings. Wacha is 0-7 in his last 10 starts.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Trevor Rosenthal was in deep trouble when Yadier Molina came up with a huge play — for the closer and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Molina cut down rookie Albert Almora Jr. trying to take third on a ball in the dirt in the ninth, and Rosenthal held on for the save as St. Louis stopped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

Almora doubled with one out and Rosenthal hit pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan with his next pitch. With Ben Zobrist at the plate, Almora tried to advance when a ball bounced away from Molina, but the eight-time Gold Glove winner made a perfect throw to third baseman Jhonny Peralta for the out.

“He’s the best catcher in baseball,” said Jaime Garcia, who pitched into the seventh inning in his first win in four June starts.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said it looked as if the ball hit the foot of home plate umpire Pat Hoberg before Molina got to it.

“Their catcher, Molina, made a good play and they made a good tag,” Maddon said.

Zobrist followed with a single to right, putting runners on the corners, but Rosenthal got Jason Heyward to pop out for his 13th save in 15 chances. Rosenthal allowed five runs and seven hits in two-plus innings over his previous four appearances.

“He was flirting with danger again,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Got to get him right, and right there it’s not as much getting him right as much as it felt like he was our best shot.”

Brandon Moss and Peralta homered against John Lackey as the Cardinals got back on track following their first winless homestand of at least two series since 1983. It was their first trip to Wrigley Field since they were eliminated by the Cubs in the NL Division Series last year.

“We lost some one-run games there at home quite a few times on the homestand,” Moss said. “It’s good to move past them and win a game like that against a really good team.”

Lackey settled down after a slow start, but Garcia (5-6) and two relievers held the major league-leading Cubs in check. Lackey (7-3) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings in his first loss in three appearances this year against his former team.

“Early on I definitely wasn’t locating quite as well as I could,” Lackey said. “We made some adjustments in between innings that paid off in the end.”

Both benches were warned by Hoberg after Moss and Chicago star Kris Bryant were each hit by a pitch in the fifth. But the longtime rivals played the rest of the game without incident.

Chicago was coming off a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh and had won 18 of 24 overall. Its NL Central lead over second-place St. Louis was trimmed to 11 1/2 games, still the biggest advantage in baseball.

Moss went deep in the second and Peralta added a leadoff drive in the third. Aledmys Diaz also had a two-out RBI single for the Cardinals.

Lackey allowed a total of three runs in his previous four starts combined.

The Cubs got two back in the third when Bryant hit an RBI double and scored on Willson Contreras’ two-out single in his first major league start. The touted catcher was promoted from Triple-A Iowa on Friday and hit a two-run homer on the first pitch of his first at-bat in Sunday night’s 10-5 victory over the Pirates.

With Contreras on first, Garcia got Javier Baez to fly out to right to end the inning. The left-hander allowed six hits in 6 2/3 innings in just his second win in his past seven starts.

MISSING FOWLER

The Cubs placed center fielder Dexter Fowler on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain and recalled right-hander Carl Edward Jr. from Triple-A Iowa.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Brayan Pena, who is coming back from left knee surgery, remains on a rehab stint in the minors, and Matheny offered no update on a possible return date when asked about the switch hitter before the game. … Reliever Mitch Harris said in a post on his Instagram account that he had right elbow surgery last week. Matheny said he doubted Harris would be ready for the start of next season. “I haven’t put a timetable, but it’s usually around a year,” he said.

Cubs: OF Jorge Soler (left hamstring strain) and INF Tommy La Stella (right hamstring strain) are running again. General manager Jed Hoyer said La Stella is closer to a rehab assignment than Soler.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (5-4, 4.78 ERA) and Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (7-2, 2.26 ERA) face off on Tuesday night. Wainwright is 9-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 20 career games at Wrigley. Hammel pitched seven solid innings in a no-decision at Washington on Wednesday in his previous start.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sitting on the bench, Jurickson Profar knew he might be called on to hit for the Texas Rangers.

In the big moment, Profar came through when he hit a two-run, bases-loaded pinch-hit single in the eighth, lifting the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

It was Profar’s first pinch-hit at-bat this season.

“The whole game, I was ready for that,” Profar said. “I was just sitting there but everybody on the bench has got to be ready to hit. I was just looking for my pitch. It was a pitch in the zone so I could drive it.”

With two outs in the eighth, Rougned Odor doubled off reliever Matt Bowman (1-2). He gave an intentional walk to Mitch Moreland. Elvis Andrus grounded to short and Moreland was called out at second. After a challenge, the call was overturned.

“That was a good job by Mitch beating out the ground ball and giving me a chance,” Profar said.

Profar hit for reliever Tony Barnette. Batting left-handed, Profar lined a 2-2 pitch into left to drive in the winning runs.

The overturned call did not upset Bowman.

“I knew it was close. As a pitcher, you always want to assume he’s safe,” Bowman said. “I made sure I was focused. I liked the pitch selection to (Profar). He hit it and you tip your cap.”

Texas manager Jeff Bannister said the spot for right for Profar.

“It felt like it was a situation where he was the best guy we could put up there and to be able to control the at-bat,” Bannister said. “He hunted a good pitch to hit. I think with all factors, playing regularly, we like how he swings the bat from the left side, bases loaded, he’s going to control that at-bat and he was the guy for us in that spot.”

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said he was staying with Bowman.

“Bowman was throwing good. His ball was really moving well. With Profar in the pinch-hitting spot, I liked Bowman there to get a ground ball,” Matheny said. “He was making good pitches. He just got beat.”

Texas swept the three-game series and has won six in a row and eight of its last nine games. The Rangers are 14-4 this month and they improved to an MLB best 16-4 in one-run games this season.

St. Louis has lost five in a row — all at home. It was the first winless homestand of at least two series for St. Louis since 1983.

Barnette (4-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings in scoreless relief for the win. Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.

St. Louis scored two runs in the sixth to chase starter Martin Perez and take a 4-3 lead. Matt Holliday hit a one-out homer that hit the top the fence in the right-field corner and caromed over. Barnette later entered with the bases loaded. He struck out pinch-hitter Matt Adams but walked Eric Fryer to force in a run.

Normar Mazara led off the sixth with a solo homer for the Rangers for a short-lived lead.

Moreland’s two-out homer in the fourth off St. Louis starter Mike Leake tied the game at 2-2. His 456-foot home run tied him with Jay Bruce and Paul Goldschmidt for longest homer at Busch by an opposing player.

St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in the third on a one-out, bases loaded sacrifice fly by Holliday.

Texas scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Mazara to drive in Ian Desmond. Desmond reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second and then went to third on an error by rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who mishandled the throw from home. It was the 14th error this season for Diaz.

The Cardinals tied it in the second on a leadoff home run by Stephen Piscotty.

LOOKING FOR A HIT

Texas starter Perez struck out in the fifth. He has eight strikeouts in nine at-bats in the major leagues.

DAY OFF

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina got the day off. Fryer made his seventh start of the season at catcher. Molina is eight hits shy of 1,500 for his career.

HONORING FATHER’S DAY

The birds on the bat were blue for the Cardinals, who also sported light blue numbers on their uniforms and blue caps in honor of Father’s Day. The uniforms of all MLB teams incorporated light blue into each team’s logo, much like the special pink caps and jersey trim used for Mother’s Day games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: St. Louis activated right-handed pitcher Seth Maness from the 15-day disabled list (right elbow inflammation) and optioned left-handed pitcher Dean Kiekhefer to Triple-A Memphis before Sunday’s game. Maness went on the disabled list May 13 after going 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in 13 games. Kiekhefer, a rookie, was 0-0 with a 5.73 ERA in 11 games with St. Louis.

Rangers: Catcher Robinson Chirinos, who was hit on the right hand by Trevor Rosenthal in the ninth inning Saturday and came out of the game in a double switch, was in the starting lineup, hitting eighth.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis heads to Chicago for a series of the top two teams in the Central Division. Jaimie Garcia (4-6, 3.93 ERA) will face Chicago’s John Lackey (7-2, 2.66). Garcia’s last win over the Cubs came June 3, 2011, when he threw eight innings in a 6-1 victory.

Rangers: Texas goes home to face Baltimore in a makeup game for the game postponed April 17. Derek Holland (5-5, 5.14) will square off against Kevin Gausman (0-4, 4.14). In his last six starts against Baltimore since 2011, Holland is 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Texas Rangers had to rally late, and their reward was a place in the franchise record books.

Ian Desmond had a sacrifice fly to cap a ninth-inning rally and the Rangers overcame a late three-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Saturday and win a team-record ninth consecutive series.

The Rangers beat the Cardinals 1-0 on Friday to begin the three-game set and have won seven of eight and 13 of 16. Their 44-25 mark is the best in team history after 69 games.

“It’s special in that it’s a conversation piece for everybody,” Banister said. “But, I don’t think they’re going to give away any badges that say `these are the most series wins in the history of the franchise.’ We’re just going to continue to play the game of baseball the way we have been.”

The Rangers scored two runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings on Saturday and are an AL-best 15-4 in one-run games.

“That just shows that we never quit,” said Desmond, who also had a double in the eighth inning. “We pride ourselves on never giving up.”

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo also figured prominently in both big innings. He singled and scored the first run in the eighth and drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the contest in the ninth.

“Everybody did a great job in every situation,” Choo said.

Texas overcame a 3-2 deficit by scoring off closer Trevor Rosenthal (2-2) and Kevin Siegrist in the ninth.

Rougned Odor and Jurickson Profar singled to start the rally. Rosenthal hit Robinson Chirinos to load the bases, and Choo coaxed a walk off Siegrist to tie it. Desmond, who threw a runner out at the plate in the fifth, then brought in Profar with a fly ball to left.

“It’s about character, a bunch of guys pulling for each other,” Desmond said. “It works for all of us.”

Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk. He struck out four and has a 1.23 ERA over his past four starts.

Jake Diekman got his second save in as many chances. Shawn Tolleson (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win. Closer Sam Dyson was given the day off after working four of the last six games.

Texas starter Nick Martinez gave up six hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings. He is replacing Yu Darvish in the starting rotation while Darvish is on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder discomfort.

“I guess I kept us in there long enough for us to get the win,” Nick Martinez said. “It was a tremendous come-from-behind win.”

Kolten Wong’s run-scoring single in the fifth pushed St. Louis’ lead to 2-0. Stephen Piscotty followed with a bases-loaded single for a 3-0 lead.

The Cardinals entered the contest 33-0 when leading after the eighth.

“It stings right now, that’s for sure,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “Over the course of the season, you go back and remember games that you felt you should put away. And this was one.”

Rosenthal was removed after allowing all three runners to reach base. Matheny did not hesitate to pull his closer with a 3-2 lead.

“I was confident out there today, I thought I had good stuff,” Rosenthal said. “But, I’ll be back ready tomorrow and ready to go.”

St. Louis infielder Matt Carpenter reached base three times and extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double in the seventh.

TRAINERS’ ROOM

Rangers: RHP Tom Wilhelmsen declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, making him a free agent.

Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Pham suffered an oblique injury on opening day, then hit .250 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 37 games during combined stints in Memphis and Double-A Springfield. Pham struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. … OF Randal Grichuk was sent to Memphis to make room for Pham. Grichuk was hitting .206 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 62 games.

UP NEXT

LHP Martin Perez (6-4. 3.38) will start for the Rangers against RHP Mike Leake (5-4, 4.08) in the final game of the series Sunday. Perez has won each of his last five starts and is 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA over his last 10 starts. Leake is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA in his last seven starts.

— Associated Press —