ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jack Flaherty and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, Matt Carpenter homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 on Sunday night.

Flaherty allowed just two hits while striking out seven in five innings, but he walked three and hit two batters and was pulled after throwing 97 pitches. He escaped a jam in the third inning when he struck out Kris Bryant with the bases loaded to keep the game scoreless.

John Brebbia (1-1) worked around two hits in a scoreless sixth inning to earn his first major league win. Austin Gomber, Jordan Hicks and Bud Norris each pitched a hitless inning to finish the shutout. It ended the Cardinals’ season-high four-game losing streak and prevented the Cubs from getting their first series sweep in St. Louis since Sept. 13-15, 2010.

Harrison Bader, Tommy Pham, and Marcell Ozuna strung together singles to open the sixth inning. Pham’s single extended his hitting streak to a National League-best 11 games to chase Jose Quintana (6-5) from the game.

Bader scored the game’s first run when Yadier Molina grounded into a double play and Jedd Gyorko’s RBI single drove in Pham to make it 2-0.

Quintana was charged with the two runs and four hits in five-plus innings in his 200th career major league game.

Carpenter hit his 10th home run of the season and second of this series in the seventh inning off Brian Duensing to push the lead to 3-0.

Yadier Molina had an RBI double in the eighth, moved to third on Yairo Munoz’s infield single and scored on shortstop Addison Russell’s throwing eror on the play.

Cubs shortstop Javier Baez left the game with a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch from Flaherty in the top of the third inning. Baez, who leads the team with 14 home runs, was replaced by Russell.

BABY CUBS

The Cubs announced the signing of draft picks OF Brennen Davis (62nd overall) and RHP Paul Richan (78th overall) prior to Sunday’s game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) will throw a simulated game on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals: RHP Greg Holland will travel with the team to Philadelphia after tossing a scoreless inning Saturday night on a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Springfield.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 4.12) opposes Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.61) as Chicago opens a a three-game series against Los Angeles on Monday. Chatwood has issued a major league-leading 58 walks.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (7-2, 2.43) starts the opener of a three-game series in Philadelphia as St. Louis starts a seven-game trip. He will be opposed by Phillies RHP Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.25).

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kris Bryant ended a 24-game homerless drought, the longest of his career, and Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber also went deep as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 13-5 on Friday night.

Bryant drilled a 448-foot, two-run shot to left field off an ineffective Michael Wacha in the third inning for his first home run since May 14. The 2016 NL MVP capped a six-run fifth with an RBI single and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. His four RBI were a season high.

Jon Lester ran his scoreless streak to 17 innings before giving up a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the fourth as the Cubs won for the first time in four tries at Busch Stadium this season. Lester (8-2) allowed two runs in six innings to earn his fourth straight win.

Lester helped himself at the plate, too, driving in a run on a bunt in the fourth and reaching on catcher Yadier Molina’s throwing error that led to a second run as the Cubs extended their lead to 5-0.

Anthony Rizzo had three hits, was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Schwarber launched a three-run homer that traveled a projected 465 feet to straightaway center in the fifth, the third-longest homer by an opposing player in Busch Stadium III history.

Happ led off the third with a home run to right field. His first homer since May 22 snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak for the Cubs.

Wacha (8-2) allowed a career-high nine runs, eight earned, in a season-low four-plus innings. The three home runs he gave up tied a career high.

Matt Carpenter homered in the sixth and drove in two runs, but the Cardinals lost their third consecutive game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis) threw a 35-pitch bullpen. He is scheduled to throw another one when the team returns home next week.

Cardinals: 1B Luke Voit was recalled from Double-A Springfield and RHP Matt Bowman (right hand finger blisters) was activated from the 10-day disabled list. 1B Jose Martinez was placed on the paternity list and RHP Daniel Poncedeleon was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.48 ERA) starts Saturday night against RHP Carlos Martinez (3-2, 2.96). Hendricks has dropped three straight decisions for the first time in his career. Martinez has walked 12 over 7 2/3 innings in two starts since returning from a lat strain.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eric Lauer carried a shutout into the sixth inning, Manuel Margot had three hits and the San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Wednesday night to win their fifth straight series.

Freddy Galvis drove in two first-inning runs for San Diego, which has won five of seven. The Padres hadn’t won five consecutive series since 2010.

Marcell Ozuna homered for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four.

Lauer (3-4) gave up two runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He’s 3-0 when getting two or more runs of support.

Brad Hand recorded his 21st save in 23 opportunities. He got Jedd Gyorko to ground into a double play after hitting Yadier Molina to start the ninth.

St. Louis starter Luke Weaver (3-6) gave up four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He has just one win over his last 11 starts.

Margot, who singled in the second and fourth, stretched the lead to 3-0 with a run-scoring triple in the sixth. Raffy Lopez followed with a broken-bat single off reliever Austin Gomber for a 4-0 lead.

Margot has hit safely in his last six games, going 9 for 20. He had two hits in a 4-2 win Tuesday.

San Diego reliever Jose Castillo struck out all four batters he faced after following Lauer.

SHARP DEFENSE

The Cardinals have not allowed an error in their last six games. It is their longest errorless stretch since Aug. 3-8 last season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: C Austin Hedges began a rehab assignment with Class A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday. He went 1 for 2. Hedges was placed on the DL on May 1 with right elbow tendonitis. He has missed 38 games.

Cardinals: INF Jose Martinez will be out on paternity leave for the upcoming weekend series against the Chicago Cubs.

UP NEXT:

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (5-3, 3.43) will open a four-game series at Atlanta against RHP Anibal Sanchez (2-0, 2.37) on Thursday. The Padres are in 10-3 when Tyson starts and have won the last six.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (8-1, 2.47) face LHP Jon Lester (7-2, 2.22) in the first of a three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Wacha has won his last eight decisions against the Cubs.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eric Hosmer homered, San Diego’s bullpen took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Tuesday night for their 10th win in 14 games.

Padres reliever Matt Strahm started the bullpen game and retired nine batters on 36 pitches, including four strikeouts. It was the team’s third bullpen start this season while left-hander Joey Lucchesi recovers from a right hip strain.

Adam Cimber (3-2) retired the next six with two strikeouts before Harrison Bader broke up the perfect game with an infield single in the sixth. Bader was promptly erased in a double play.

Brad pitched the ninth for his 20th save.

Hosmer drove the first pitch of the fourth inning to center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. It was his second home run in three games.

A.J. Ellis tacked on two more with a two-out hit in the fourth. The Cardinals challenged the safe call on the second run, but replay showed the Freddy Galvis beat catcher Yadier Molina’s tag at hoem plate.

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (7-2) struck out five in six innings and walked none. He has walked one or less in all seven of his home starts this season, but St. Louis still lost for the second time in three games.

Marcell Ozuna’s RBI single snapped the Padres’ shutout bid in the seventh. Ozuna has driven in five runs in his last four games.

TRAINING ROOM

Padres: OF Franchy Cordero (right forearm strain) took batting practice and hopes to begin a rehab in a couple of days.

Cardinals: RHP Matt Bowman (right hand blisters) gave up a run in two innings Monday at Triple-A Memphis and could be activated by the end of the week.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Luke Weaver (3-5, 4.35 ERA) will get the start in the series finale against the Padres and LHP Eric Lauer (2-4, 6.64 ERA) on Wednesday at 7:15 CDT. Weaver has not allowed a run in 12 innings (two career starts) against San Diego. Lauer gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings against St. Louis on May 11.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Legs, glove and bat — center fielder Billy Hamilton used them all to almost single-handedly stop the Cincinnati Reds’ historic losing streak to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hamilton made a bunch of key defensive plays and the Reds ended their 13-game skid against St. Louis, beating the Cardinals 6-3 Sunday.

Hamilton threw out two runners, then made outstanding catches against the wall in the eighth and ninth innings. He also tripled and scored twice.

“It’s all about me catching the balls if I get a chance to,” Hamilton said. “Like I tell the pitchers, if it’s anywhere inside the park, if I can get to it, I’m going to make an effort to get to it.”

The Cardinals’ overall winning streak against Cincinnati was their longest since the 1930-1931 seasons. The Reds had lost 11 straight home games to St. Louis.

“Honestly, the losing streak to the Cardinals was the last thing on my mind,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said. “It was all about today.”

Scooter Gennett drove in two runs and the Reds capitalized on the Cardinals’ season-high 11 walks.

“Any win is always good for us,” Hamilton said. “We’ve been struggling up and down this year. For us to get this win, it gets some confidence back in us. I feel it’s a big win.”

The Cardinals piled up 10 hits in five-plus innings against Anthony DeSclafani (1-1), who was making his second start since Sept. 28, 2016.

Hamilton threw out Jose Martinez trying to stretch a single into a double to end the first inning. Martinez originally was ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a replay review.

Hamilton also threw out pitcher Carlos Martinez trying to score from first on Matt Carpenter’s single to end the fourth. Hamilton tried for a diving catch, knocked the ball away, but recovered to throw home.

Amir Garrett allowed an unearned run in the sixth and Michael Lorenzen pitched a perfect seventh before Jared Hughes pitched the eighth and ninth for his fourth save.

“Billy made some insane plays,” Hughes said. “I gave him the game ball and a big hug. It was unbelievable. I’m so happy he’s on my team.”.

The Reds scored five runs on just four hits in 3 2/3 innings against Martinez (3-3), who was making his second start since coming off the disabled list with a strained back muscle. He issued a season-high seven walks, one short of tying his career high, while hitting a batter and uncorking a wild pitch on ball four that allowed Hamilton to go from first to third. Martinez has 12 walks in 7 2/3 innings over his last two starts.

“I couldn’t find the strike zone with my breaking ball or my cutter,” Martinez said. “I was missing a lot. It was a little bit frustrating. I was really close. I never lost my focus. I was trying to compete.”

SECOND LIFE

Jose Martinez’s third-inning RBI single originally was ruled the first out of an inning-ending double play after left fielder Jesse Winker made what looked like a spectacular leaping catch at the wall and Tommy Pham was doubled off second base. Replays showed the ball caromed off the wall first, leaving Martinez with his sixth RBI of the series.

BALL MAGNETS

Carlos Martinez went into the game with a league-leading nine hit batsmen and reached double figures by grazing Eugenio Suarez in the third.

BUSY MAN

The Cardinals got a gift run when RF Scott Schebler’s throw on a short flyout skipped off C Tucker Barnhart’s glove and the 6-foot-5 Garrett, a former college basketball player at St. John’s who was backing up the play, couldn’t make a leaping stab. The ball went into the Cardinals’ dugout and out of play, but Garrett jumped down the dugout steps in pursuit. Garrett picked up an assist and putout during a rundown on the next play.

OUTSIDE THE (STRIKE) BOX

Cardinals pitchers combined to walk 11 batters, including Joey Votto four times for the sixth time in his career. The 11 walks were Cincinnati’s season high.

BACKWARDS LINE

St. Louis outhit Cincinnati 11-5 in the loss — Cincinnati’s seventh consecutive game in which the loser outhit the winner.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina took a foul tip from Suarez off his right inner thigh in the first inning. Molina paused briefly but stayed in the game.

Reds: Votto, the star first baseman who leads the Reds with 63 starts in 66 games, will be Cincinnati’s designated hitter in the two-game series at Kansas City on Tuesday and Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (2-2), Monday’s starter against San Diego, allowed a career-high eight hits and six runs in his last start on June 6 against Miami.

Reds: RHP Sal Romano (3-7) makes his first career appearance against the Royals on Tuesday at Kansas City.

— Associated Press —