ST. LOUIS -- John Lackey gave the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen a much needed break. He made his own breaks, too.

Lackey drove in a run for the third time in his big league career and struck out 10 over 7 2/3 innings, helping the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 on Thursday for their ninth win in 10 games.

"I'd like to finish them all," Lackey said. "There might be a little bit more importance on it because of the last few days, I guess."

St. Louis relievers worked 35 innings the previous seven days. Three pitchers failed to make it through the fifth during that stretch.

"All the way around, just exactly what our staff needed," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Today was one of his best."

Jason Heyward singled three times with an RBI, and Peter Bourjos hit a run-scoring triple for the NL Central leaders, who took three of four from the second-place Cubs and improved their record to a major league-best 21-7.

Lackey had been 6 for 67 at the plate in 13 major league seasons before a two-out, opposite-field RBI double to right in the fourth. He wasn't exactly bragging about getting the best of Jake Arrieta.

"That guy's got great stuff," Lackey said. "I was late and got lucky and went down the line."

Bourjos, who had been on first base, scored for a 4-0 lead on an error by Jorge Soler who, with his back to the plate, missed the ball as he tried to glove it between his legs near the foul line.

The double was the third extra-base hit for the 36-year-old Lackey, who has played most of his career in the American League.

Lackey (2-1) allowed one run and five hits, reaching double digits in strikeouts for the 18th time. After the Cubs put two on in the ninth, Trevor Rosenthal got three straight outs -- two on strikeouts -- for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Arrieta (3-3) gave up five runs -- four earned -- and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. Starlin Castro drove in a run for the Cubs, who have lost five of their last six games.

They won their lone game of the series by a run and lost by one, three and four runs.

St. Louis built on a 2-0 lead in the second when Heyward hit an RBI single and scored on Bourjos' triple.

Kris Bryant fanned three times and Matt Szczur twice for the Cubs, who struck out 12 times and raised their total to 263, passing Houston for the major-league lead.

"I have zero concerns," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The hitters will start figuring some of this stuff out as they get more ABs. I could not be happier with them as a group."

St. Louis' Matt Carpenter 1 for 12 in the series with a three-run homer on Tuesday, was given a day off, as was Matt Holliday, who was 6 for 12 in the series.

Up next

Cubs: Jason Hammel (2-1, 3.73) starts today at Milwaukee. He is 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in seven starts against the Brewers.

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (4-0, 1.93) starts today at Pittsburgh. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Pirates on Sunday in the Cardinals' 14-inning victory.

Trainer's room

Cubs: Justin Grimm made his season debut, a day after being activated from the DL following a forearm injury. Dexter Fowler, in a 2 for 23 slump, grounded as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

Cardinals: Lefty Marco Gonzales (shoulder) will make a rehab start Saturday for Class AAA Iowa.