Carpenter, Holliday homer as Cardinals beat Cubs 4-3

St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday, second from right, celebrate in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel, also scoring Aledmys Diaz, right, during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 21, 2016, in Chicago.
St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday, second from right, celebrate in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel, also scoring Aledmys Diaz, right, during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 21, 2016, in Chicago.

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.

GAME VIDEO

Cardinals vs. Cubs highlights