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Cardinals blank Cubs, complete sweep

Jul 22, 2012 - 11:57 PM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Jon Jay and Tony Cruz hit consecutive two-run doubles in the first inning, backing six scoreless frames from Lance Lynn, and the Cardinals downed the Cubs, 7-0, on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran added back-to-back solo homers in the fifth inning for St. Louis, which had lost five of six entering the series.

Lynn (12-4) gave up four hits with three walks and five strikeouts and improved to 3-0 against the Cubs this season.

Travis Wood (4-5) went six innings in the setback, allowing seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Bryan LaHair went 2-for-4 and Starlin Castro added a double.

The Cubs, who had won six of seven prior to this series, were shut out for the second straight game and managed just one run in the set.

They placed a runner on second base in each of the first three innings on Sunday and, for the series, went a combined 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, scored 23 runs during the sweep. On Saturday, they exploded for a 12-run inning which featured a major league record-tying seven doubles.

Sunday's four-run first inning featured three doubles, including a line drive to center by Holliday which moved Allen Craig to third. Later in the frame, Wood intentionally walked David Freese to load the bases with two down and "Jay comes up with the big hit and Tony Cruz does the same thing," explained Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.

"We get the two outs and we needed the big hit. That's been the difference," Matheny continued.

Tyler Greene added a sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring Daniel Descalso, before Holliday and Beltran began the fifth with homers No. 16 and 21 of the season, respectively.

"(It was) their series, I guess," Wood said of the Cardinals. "They put the ball in play, they got the hits when they needed, scored the runs, and today they did more of the same."

Game Notes

The Cardinals have won 13 of their last 17 home games against the Cubs dating back to June 3, 2011...Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was posthumously enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. He is the 47th Cubs player, manager, or executive to be inducted...On Sunday, the Cubs recalled left-handed pitcher Jeff Beliveau from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday and optioned pitcher Rafael Dolis to the same club.