Cardinals' bid for sweep fails

~ Cubs rebel against perfect Westbrook, beat St. Louis 6-3 to avoid three-game sweep

ST. LOUIS -- Jake Westbrook was perfect for 16 straight outs, and then he fell apart. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa blamed the umpire.

Starlin Castro and Marlon Byrd had key hits as the Chicago Cubs broke up Westbrook's perfect game with a four-run sixth inning and beat the new-look Cardinals 6-3 on Sunday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

"I felt strong and was making pitches. I just wasn't able to make any after that," Westbrook said. "It hurt us, hurt us big-time."

Apparently, La Russa was peeved about a 2-2 pitch to Carlos Pena that was called a ball en route to a bases-loaded walk that put the Cubs up 2-0. Westbrook thought it was a strike.

Newly acquired Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal runs to first as he grounds into a force play in a pinch-hitting appearance against the Cubs during the seventh inning Sunday in St. Louis. (Tom Gannam ~ Associated Press)

"It was one of those situations where if you don't shut your mouth you get in trouble," La Russa said. "But we didn't deserve the runs we gave up, including some of his.

"And I'm not going any farther with that one, so no use to try to dig for it."

Lance Berkman's three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth made it interesting for the Cardinals, who completed a disappointing 4-3 homestand against the two worst teams in the NL Central. They trail the first-place Brewers by 2 1/2 games heading into a three-game series in Milwaukee on Monday.

"Two out of three from the Cubs is nothing to sneeze at," Berkman said. "I think if you want to poo-poo the homestand, one of those games against the Astros we should have won, and it would have been three out of four."

Alfonso Soriano homered for the second straight game and Ryan Dempster (8-8) pitched six-plus innings for the Cubs, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

Soriano homered off Kyle McClellan, moved to the bullpen after the Cardinals acquired Edwin Jackson last week.

Newly acquired Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal got a standing ovation before grounding into a forceout as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, a move that prompted the Cubs to lift Dempster. Ryan Theriot, who lost his starting job because of the trade, had been 6 for 7 in the series before Sean Marshall induced an inning-ending double play with runners on first and third.

Westbrook (9-5) needed only 44 pitches to get through five innings, then labored through 33 pitches in the sixth and left trailing by four. After he retired his first 16 batters, five straight Cubs reached safely with two outs, and Westbrook was done after Chicago batted around.

Castro's RBI double over center fielder Jon Jay's head put the Cubs ahead. Pena drew a bases-loaded walk before Byrd finished the rally with a two-run single. Soriano, who hit a three-run homer in the first on Saturday, added a two-run drive for his 17th.

The Cardinals climbed back into it in the sixth on Berkman's league-leading 28th homer to straightaway center.

Carlos Marmol worked the ninth for his 20th save in 27 chances.