CHICAGO (AP) - Tyler Lyons hung in even as he struggled with his control. He could have used a little more support, though.
Jake Arrieta pitched into the seventh inning and also got a career-high two hits, Anthony Rizzo launched his 16th homer, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
"I gave us a chance and obviously, there were things I would have liked to have happened a little differently, but at the end of the day, you've got to do what you've got to do," Lyons said.
Lyons lasted 5 2-3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He also walked five, but the Cardinals stayed in it until the bullpen got pounded in the eighth.
Rizzo's two-run drive against Randy Choate highlighted a four-run rally after St. Louis pulled within one.
"Normally, four (runs) - with how we've been pitching - is plenty," manager Mike Matheny said. "But in that situation, we had to try and use some guys that we don't normally use when we're behind."
Arrieta (9-5) continues to sail along for Chicago, with a 3-0 record and 1.17 ERA in his past four starts. And he came through in a big way on the mound and at the plate as the Cubs won for the sixth time in eight games.
The right-hander gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and improved to 3-0 in his past four starts. Arrieta contributed a pair of singles and scored a run after starting the season 1 for 33.
Chris Denorfia had two hits and drove in three runs as Chicago beat St. Louis for the third time in 11 games. He gave the Cubs 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the third off Tyler Lyons (2-1).
Chicago added a run in the sixth when Arrieta led off with a single and scored on Marcus Hatley's bases-loaded walk to Jorge Soler.
The Cardinals cut it to 3-2 while chasing Arrieta in the seventh. Peter Bourjos hit an RBI double with two outs and scored on a single by Xavier Scruggs.
Tony Cruz then chased Arrieta with a single in front of a diving Denorfia in left before James Russell struck out pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter to end the rally.
But once the Cardinals got back in the game, it didn't take long for the Cubs to break it open.
"We were probably going to ride (Lyons) pretty heavy anyway and he did get out of some trouble," Matheny said.
Dexter Fowler drove an RBI double off the center-field wall before Rizzo connected against Randy Choate. Denorfia added an RBI single against Miguel Socolovich that made it 7-2.
St. Louis' Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer off Neil Ramirez in the ninth.
"I do feel like we can play with anybody," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I really do. We have to prove it. We can talk about it. Talk is cheap."
BROKEN STREAKS
Cubs starters went 23 2-3 innings without allowing an earned run before St. Louis scored in the seventh. ... Reynolds broke an 0-for-14 slide with his homer.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: 2B Kolten Wong was woozy after hitting his head when he sprawled out to catch a pop fly by Miguel Montero in shallow right in the fifth inning. He was eventually replaced in the seventh.
Cubs: Maddon said he got a good report on RHP Rafael Soriano, who struck out three in an inning of relief Monday for Double-A Tennessee - his first appearance for the organization. Soriano, who has 207 career saves, signed last month and had to wait for his immigration paperwork to go through before coming to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
UP NEXT
LHP Tim Cooney (0-0, 5.40 ERA) makes his third start for the Cardinals in the nightcap while Dallas Beeler makes his first appearance of the season for the Cubs after being called up from Triple-A Iowa as the 26th man.