Martinez leads Cards to sixth consecutive victory

ST. LOUIS -- Carlos Martinez was stingy before and after a lengthy rain delay, and the St. Louis Cardinals hit a season-high six doubles to sweep the Chicago Cubs with a 4-1 victory Sunday night that extending their winning streak to six games.

Jason Heyward, Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter had run-scoring doubles for St. Louis, which is a major league-best 51-24 with a nine-game cushion in the NL Central. The Cardinals' 29-7 home record also is tops in the majors and is the second-best start in franchise history, trailing only a 31-4 start by the 1885 Browns.

Their home start is the best in the divisional era since 1969, topping the Expos' 28-7 record in 1979.

The Cubs have lost a season-worst five in a row. They were outscored 14-4 in the series, going 2 for 27 with runners in scoring position, and are just 12-32 the last four seasons in St. Louis.

Martinez (9-3) allowed one run and two hits in six innings with six strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander worked two scoreless innings before a rain delay of 1 hour and 43 minutes, stumbled a bit in the third when Dexter Fowler doubled and eventually scored on Anthony Rizzo's sacrifice fly, but allowed only a walk after that.

Martinez and Michael Wacha (10-3) are the first teammates 23 or younger with nine or more wins in the first 75 games since Dwight Gooden and Sid Fernandez had 10 apiece for the Mets in 1986.

Jason Hammel (5-3) struck out seven, but struggled after the rain delay, giving up four runs on six hits in four innings. Hammel worked 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers his last time out.

Trevor Rosenthal earned his 23rd save in 24 chances in a game that was also delayed 46 minutes before the first pitch.

Glovework

Heyward made an outstanding sliding catch in foul territory down the right-field line on Kris Bryant's pop-up in the first.

Trainer's room

Cubs: LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (deltoid) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and RHP Neil Ramirez (shoulder) was activated.

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia is likely to make his next start Thursday against the White Sox, getting two extra days to recover from a groin cramp sustained running the bases. OF Matt Holliday could begin running early this week.

Prime time

The Cardinals are 5-0 on Sunday night.

Up next

Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (2-4, 4.46) faces the Mets Tuesday in New York. He has worked five innings each of his last four starts.

Cardinals: Lance Lynn (5-4, 2.84), who faces the White Sox on Tuesday, worked six scoreless innings his first outing off the disabled list from a forearm strain.