SEATTLE (AP) — In a ballpark known to keep hitters at bay, the St. Louis Cardinals flexed their power at Safeco Field on Sunday.

Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham each homered twice as the Cardinals went deep six times in an 11-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“Nice to see the power show up” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “This was a story about the offense, and we were hoping we would see it, happy we did.”

Jedd Gyorko and Matt Holliday also homered for St. Louis, which tied a season-high with six long balls. Carpenter, Holliday, and Aledmys Diaz each had three hits as the Cardinals finished with 17 — including 13 for extra bases.

Gyorko and Pham led off the seventh with back-to-back home runs against reliever Nick Vincent (1-7) to break a 6-6 tie. Holliday extended St. Louis’ lead to 9-6 with a solo shot in the eighth against Edwin Diaz. Pham and Carpenter each hit their second home runs, both solo shots, in the ninth.

“They come in bunches it seems like,” Pham said after hitting his first two of the season. “I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Kevin Siegrist (5-2) allowed one run on two hits in 1 1/3 inning to get the win.

Franklin Gutierrez tied the game at 6-6 with a three-run homer against Siegrist in the bottom of the sixth. A two-out single by Ketel Marte knocked St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia out of the game, and Gutierrez drilled a 1-1 fastball from Siegrist into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field.

“It was definitely trending in their direction,” Matheny said. “Just a shame that we couldn’t hold on to that for Jaime. Got to a spot where they made the most of their opportunity and it definitely did shift the momentum.”

Four straight extra-base hits helped the Cardinals erase Seattle’s 3-1 in the fifth. Consecutive one-out doubles by Diaz, Holliday and Stephen Piscotty tied the score. Brandon Moss then put the Cardinals ahead with an RBI triple against Seattle starter James Paxton. An error by Kyle Seager capped the scoring and put the St. Louis ahead 5-3.

Carpenter extended St. Louis’ lead to 6-3 with a solo home run in the sixth against reliever Donn Roach, his third extra-base hit of the afternoon.

“St. Louis swung the bats very well today,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We didn’t throw it so good, home runs and the extra-base hits certainly mounted against us. Played pretty well in the series. Obviously, today just got away from us.”

Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer, his 19th, to lead off the third and put the Mariners ahead 3-1. Cruz finished 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Diaz had a ground-rule RBI double to put St. Louis up 1-0 in the first.

Cruz tied it with a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning. Shawn O’Malley gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead with a ground-rule double in the second.

Garcia labored through 5 2/3 innings, allowing single runs in each of the first three innings, and getting tagged for two more on Gutierrez’s ninth home run of the season.

“Jaime did what he had to to stay in the game, keep us in it,” Matheny said. “I thought he got better as he went. Bullpen came in and helped out.

Paxton was lifted after the fifth, ending a streak of four straight starts in which he lasted six or more innings.

“I felt like I was battling all day. Didn’t have my ace stuff,” Paxton said. “The command wasn’t really there but we were fighting. … Holliday hit that changeup down in the zone and then a couple jam jobs, but it was tough. That stuff happens and you just have to fight through it.”

SHIELDING THE SUN

Pham used his equipment to help him secure a fly ball in center field during the seventh inning. On Chris Iannetta’s fly ball with two outs in the seventh, Pham took off his hat, using it to shield off the sun before collecting the third out of the inning. “That’s old school,” Matheny said. “That’s pre-sunglasses days.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker (right foot tendinitis) threw a bullpen session and could start Thursday when the Mariners host Baltimore. “Both he and (Wade) Miley were out there throwing today,” Servais said. “Expecting everything to be good going forward.”

Cardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta was given a day off Sunday, his first since being activated from the 15-day DL on June 7. “Figured we would wait until he needed it, and it looks like he needed it,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (6-4) makes his team-leading 16th start of the season Monday as the Cardinals begin a four-game series against the Royals.

Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (6-6) makes his first career start against the Pirates on Tuesday after a day off Monday.

— Associated Press —

SEATTLE (AP) — Adam Lind hit a game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal, and the Seattle Mariners rallied for a 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Friday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

The Mariners opened the ninth with a double by Kyle Seager and a walk to Dae-Ho Lee. Lind reached down and drove a 1-1 pitch out to right field for his fourth career walk-off home run. It was the third home run allowed this season by Rosenthal (2-3) and his third blown save.

St. Louis had scored three times in the eighth inning without the help of a base hit. Seattle reliever Joaquin Benoit issued three walks and a hit batter and Kyle Seager’s error on Matt Holliday’s hard ground ball allowed two runs to score.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Even when the Mets win lately, it hurts.

Noah Syndergaard left his start after six innings with a sore elbow and Yoenis Cespedes came out because of an aching wrist, yet New York held off the Kansas City Royals 4-3 Wednesday for a two-game sweep in their World Series rematch.

Both star players were sent to the doctor as the banged-up Mets packed for a seven-game road trip. Lucas Duda, David Wright, Juan Lagares and reliever Jim Henderson already are out with injuries, and Bartolo Colon lasted four pitches in New York’s 2-1 victory Tuesday night before he was hit in the thumb by a line drive.

Fellow pitcher Zack Wheeler recently had a setback in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“We’ve got to keep grinding. We’ve got to go with what we’ve got,” second baseman Neil Walker said. “This is no different than what we’ve kind of been going through.”

Matt Reynolds snapped a sixth-inning tie with his first major league home run for the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the second straight day and scored with an acrobatic slide to help Syndergaard (8-2) win his sixth consecutive decision.

Cespedes had two hits and a walk, including a double off the center-field wall, but was removed in the sixth because of discomfort in his left wrist.

“If you remember last fall he had a similar problem with that left hand. He takes some swings and it comes off the bat,” manager Terry Collins said. “So I don’t know what the issue is. I’m certainly concerned about it. Anytime, when you’re a hitter and you’re a big hitter and your hands and your wrists have problems, it’s a concern.”

Cespedes was diagnosed with a mild strain in his left wrist. He received a cortisone shot and is day to day, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz told The Associated Press later Wednesday night.

The news about Syndergaard, an emerging ace in his second big league season and the hardest-throwing starter in the majors, was also a concern. The 23-year-old pitcher had his right elbow examined earlier this year after feeling some tightness, but hasn’t missed a turn in the rotation.

“His elbow flared up on him. That’s why I took him out of the game,” said a terse Collins, nudged by Horwitz to disclose that information at the conclusion of his postgame news conference.

An MRI showed no structural damage and he receive anti-inflammatory medication and was cleared to resume normal activities, Horwitz later said.

Syndergaard pitched on six days’ rest, pushed back a day after throwing 115 pitches — one short of his most in the majors — over a career-high 8 1/3 innings during his previous outing.

Wheeler was diagnosed with sensory nerve irritation in his right elbow. Tests showed no structural damage and he also received a cortisone shot and was cleared resume baseball activities as tolerated

Cheslor Cuthbert homered for the Royals, who had won eight of nine when they arrived at Citi Field — where they clinched their 2015 championship with a late rally in Game 5.

But after a string of comebacks floored the Mets last fall, this time New York’s bullpen held Kansas City at bay in two more tight games between the teams. Including a two-game split at Kauffman Stadium to begin the season, the Mets took three of four meetings between the defending league champions this year.

Reynolds, playing the outfield for the first time in his professional career, hit an opposite-field drive to right off Joakim Soria (3-3) with two outs in the sixth.

“He put it in the air, and the wind took care of the rest,” Soria said.

That put New York ahead 4-3 and made a winner of Syndergaard, who won 2-0 at Kansas City in April. Of course, he also earned New York’s only World Series victory last October and irritated the Royals by firing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head.

The big right-hander squandered a pair of one-run leads this time, giving up three runs and a season-high eight hits. He struck out four and walked none.

Jerry Blevins and Addison Reed set up Jeurys Familia for his major league-leading 24th save.

Curtis Granderson walked with two outs in the fifth and Cabrera hit a two-run shot off a 97 mph, 1-2 fastball from frustrated starter Danny Duffy.

“I made one bad pitch that really kind of screwed up the whole performance,” Duffy said.

Whit Merrifield and Paulo Orlando each had an RBI single for the Royals.

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND

New York sat slumping LF Michael Conforto against the left-hander, so Reynolds started in left field and made all his plays. The rookie infielder said the last time he played the outfield was one summer ballgame in the Cape Cod League during college.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: All-Star LF Alex Gordon (broken right wrist) played his fourth rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He was 4 for 11 with a home run and a double in his first three games and could rejoin the Royals this weekend.

Mets: The 43-year-old Colon remains scheduled to make his next start Sunday in Atlanta. … Needing a fresh arm in their taxed bullpen, the Mets recalled RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned INF Ty Kelly to their top farm club.

UP NEXT

Royals: After a day off Thursday, their second in four days, the Royals play another opponent they dispatched during the 2015 postseason. RHP Edinson Volquez (7-6, 4.12 ERA) faces AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.32) when Houston visits Kansas City on Friday night for a three-game series.

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (4-9, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set. RHP Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23) pitches for the last-place Braves, who beat Harvey and swept three games at Citi Field last weekend.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — When the St. Louis Cardinals arrived at Wrigley Field for a three-game series, manager Mike Matheny shook off questions about their 12 1/2-game deficit to the surging Cubs by insisting he avoids looking at the standings.

“It’s just not allowing me to fall into the trap, the trap of either being content or being overwhelmed,” Matheny said.

Three games later, Cardinals showed the NL Central may not be sewn up just yet.

Michael Wacha pitched into the seventh inning for his first win in nearly two months and the Cardinals waited out Jake Arrieta before roughing up Chicago’s bullpen in a 7-2 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Aledmys Diaz hit a two-run home run, and Matt Carpenter had a two-run double in a five-run sixth after Arrieta (11-2) departed. The Cardinals won their eighth straight road game — their longest streak since 1982 — and completed their first three-game sweep at Wrigley Field since 1988.

“This is a big series for us,” Carpenter said.

Arrieta was charged with two runs — one earned — and four hits in five innings as he struggled with control (four walks) and pitch count (106).

“Go back to work tomorrow and combat the things that teams have done against me recently,” Arrieta said.

Wacha (3-7) allowed two hits until rookie Willson Contreras’ one-out, two-run homer in the seventh ended his day.

Contreras replaced Miguel Montero an inning earlier after the catcher twisted his right knee. He said after the game he was fine.

The Cubs had three hits and committed several mental and defensive miscues. Their three-game skid matches the longest of the season.

“Give them credit. They pitched well, they really played well and they beat us fair and square,” manager Joe Maddon said.

Chicago entered the series the darlings of baseball. But the Cardinals, who won 100 games last season before falling to the Cubs in the playoffs, showed their mettle.

Wacha set down the first nine batters before giving up two walks in the fourth and then Anthony Rizzo’s opposite-field single against the shift with two out.

But the Cubs didn’t score thanks to Chris Coghlan getting doubled off first base on a fly to left, and Wacha was able to snap a seven-game skid.

“It’s been a while for sure,” Wacha said.

The Cardinals made Arrieta work with long at-bats before taking advantage of Chicago’s shoddy defense.

“We grinded 1 through 9, even Wacha had a pretty long at-bat (seven pitches) against him,” Carpenter said. “We worked his pitch count and had runners on base. The error, that ended up being the difference in the game.”

A single and two walks loaded the bases in the fifth with one out when Stephen Picotty hit a grounder to third. But second baseman Ben Zobrist’s relay throw to first was a one-hopper, Rizzo couldn’t dig it out for the double play, and two runs scored.

“That was a big moment there,” Rizzo said. “I just missed it.”

Justin Grimm replaced Arrieta and was charged with four runs while getting one out in a nightmare sixth for Chicago before Contreras hit his second big league homer.

Rizzo later left the game as a precaution with a tight back.

“If it wasn’t 7-0, I think I would have stayed in the game,” Rizzo said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Seth Maness (elbow) allowed a walk and got two outs in his first appearance since being activated off the disabled list Sunday.

Cubs: With CF Dexter Fowler (hamstring) on the disabled list, Maddon has settled in on Coghlan batting leadoff against right-handers and Zobrist vs. lefties.

MOLINA & THE CUBS

Cardinals C Yadier Molina could be starting with an all-Cubs infield at the All-Star Game. The latest NL voting released Wednesday had Molina with a slight lead over San Francisco’s Buster Posey. The Cubs’ Rizzo, Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell continued to lead at their infield positions.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: After an off day, RHP Carlos Martinez (7-5, 3.17 ERA) looks to stay unbeaten in June in the opener of a three-game series at Seattle.

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-3, 2.06 ERA) aims to win his sixth straight start Thursday night as Chicago opens a season-high 11-game trip in Miami. Struggling LHP Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.22) will start for the Marlins.

— Associated Press —

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 —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rougned Odor homered and Cole Hamels pitched 7 2/3 innings as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 on Friday night.

Hamels (7-1) allowed three hits while striking out six and walking three. He lowered his road ERA to 1.64 this season and turned in his fourth consecutive quality start.

Hamels scattered five baserunners and allowed only one to reach second.

Odor homered on the first pitch he saw in the fifth, hitting it 433 feet to straightaway center. It was Odor’s third homer in as many games and the 19th for the Rangers in their last eight games.

Sam Dyson picked up his 12th save.

The Rangers have won four straight, improving to an AL-best 43-25. Texas improved to 4-0 all-time at Busch Stadium in the regular season and is a win away from winning a franchise-record eighth consecutive series.

Michael Wacha (2-7) lost a career-high seventh straight decision, despite allowing one run over 7 2/3 innings. He is the first Cardinals starter to lose seven straight decisions since Kip Wells in 2007.

It was the second straight quality start for Wacha, who gave up two runs in seven innings on Friday at Pittsburgh.

Matt Carpenter was the lone Cardinal to have success against Hamels, reaching all four times on two hits and two walks.

After reaching a season-high seven games over .500 on Sunday, the Cardinals have lost three straight and fell to 15-19 at home.

WELCOME BACK

The Cardinals recalled 2B Kolten Wong and optioned OF Jeremy Hazelbaker to Triple-A Memphis. Wong hit .429 with four homers and 11 RBI in seven games at Memphis and he also played center field in three of those games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Tom Wilhelmsen cleared waivers and declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, becoming a free agent. … RHP Nick Martinez will start Saturday instead of Yu Darvish (shoulder).

Cardinals: RHP Seth Maness (elbow) threw a scoreless inning at Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, his second in as many days.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Martinez (1-1, 3.38 ERA), who was called up from Round Rock on June 14, will be making his first start this season in the second of a three-game series Saturday. He earned his first career relief win at Oakland on Wednesday.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (7-5, 3.46 ERA) is coming off a career-high 8 1/3 innings and 122 pitches while allowing one run at Pittsburgh last Saturday. He will be making his first career appearance against Texas.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Houston Astros have found life since moving George Springer to the leadoff spot, and Wednesday night was a perfect example.

Springer had the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, threw out a runner at the plate from right field and almost nailed a second with his arm in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals for a two-game sweep.

“George always does things,” Houston starter Collin McHugh said. “It was a very typical George day.”

Tony Sipp (1-2) got the last out of the seventh, Carlos Correa’s two-run single off Trevor Rosenthal made it a three-run lead in the ninth and Will Harris finished for his fifth save in as many chances.

The Astros are 15-7 since shifting Springer ahead of Jose Altuve, who batted third in both games against St. Louis and had two hits on Wednesday. Springer had been in a 4-for-37 slump before connecting to straightaway center off Kevin Siegrist (4-2) with two outs for his 15th homer.

“I’ve been hitting the ball hard, just haven’t gotten anything out of it,” Springer said. “You just have to keep grinding and do anything that you can, and that’s on the bases or the outfield or try to draw a walk, whatever it is.”

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright worked seven innings of four-hit ball and Greg Garcia, batting for the pitcher in the bottom half, hit an RBI single off McHugh to open the scoring.

“I’d rather be up 10-0 but when you get locked in those 0-0 games sometimes it does drive you to pitch a little more focused,” Wainwright said. “You don’t want to be the first one to give up a run.”

Yadier Molina started the two-out rally with a single, one of his three hits, and barely beat Springer’s relay home from right.

Wainwright is 13-1 in his career with a 1.48 ERA against the Astros, the lowest in major league history against an opponent among starters with at least 10 starts. He struck out six, walked three and faced only one batter with a runner in scoring position when he fanned McHugh to end the fifth.

McHugh allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

The Astros wrapped up their first trip to St. Louis since the hacking scandal of the team’s data base last year.

BIG MISS

The Cardinals had three hits and an intentional walk in the fifth but came up empty. The key play: Jhonny Peralta dropped a blooper just inside the line in medium right for a hit but Stephen Piscotty, who doubled to open the inning, was an easy out at the plate on the relay by Springer from right field.

Springer elected not to attempt a diving catch and take his chances on the bounce, reasoning that Piscotty would have had to wait, and earned his seventh assist.

GREAT GRABS

Cardinals 1B Matt Adams made an outstanding sliding catch of Altuve’s foul pop near the St. Louis dugout to end the top of the sixth. LF Matt Holliday slid to snare Correa’s sinking liner to end the first.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Luke Gregorson is on the family medical reserve list and is expected back within a week.

Cardinals: Demoted 2B Kolten Wong has been playing CF for Triple-A Memphis, helping his chances for a recall at some point. … C Brayan Pena returned to Memphis for a rehab start after spending time at home in Orlando, Florida, attending to a personal issue.

UP NEXT

Astros: The rotation has been juggled a bit and Lance McCullers (3-2, 4.54) will work the opener of a three-game series against the Reds on Friday, followed by Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.54) and Mike Fiers (4-3, 4.76).

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (2-6, 4.91) has lost a career-worst six consecutive decisions since April 28 entering the opener of a weekend series against the Rangers on Friday. The last St. Louis pitcher to lose seven straight was Kip Wells in 2007.

— Associated Press —