Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist hit home runs and Jake Arrieta threw seven strong innings as the Chicago Cubs took the weekend series from the Milwaukee Brewers with a 7-4 victory Sunday.
Chicago scored four runs in the top of the first off Brewers starter Zach Davies (0-2) on a two-run double by Addison Russell and a two-run triple from Jason Heyward.
Arrieta (2-0) allowed just three hits with 10 strikeouts over seven innings, the only blemish on his line a three-run home run hit by Ryan Braun in the third.
The right-hander retired 13 of the 14 batters following Braun's home run, including a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts.
Schwarber connected for a solo homer off Davies in the second, while Zobrist increased Chicago's lead to 6-3 with a blast off reliever Carlos Torres as part of a two-run seventh.
Kris Bryant entered Saturday's game 1 for 16 on the season but finished the series 6 for his last 10 to raise his batting average to .280. He went 3 for 4 with a walk Sunday.
Milwaukee did not get a hit after Braun's home run in the third inning until Domingo Santana homered off Hector Rondon with two outs in the ninth. Cubs closer Wade Davis came on to get the final out.
Jon Lester (0-0) will start Chicago's home opener Monday against the Dodgers. He limited St. Louis to one run over five innings on opening day. Lester is 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA in five career regular-season starts against the Dodgers.
>>Reds Blank Cardinals
Scott Feldman allowed four hits and struck out six in six innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat St. Louis 8-0 Sunday to take two of three from the Cardinals.
Adam Duvall had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Reds, who have won just five of their last 40 series at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis went 2-4 on its opening homestand and heads on a six-game trip to Washington and the New York Yankees.
Carlos Martinez (0-1) gave up six runs, five earned, and six hits in five-plus innings. He hit two batters, walked one and threw a wild pitch.
Duvall homered in the second, the first run off Martinez this season after 8 1/3 scoreless innings.
Zack Cozart tripled in a run in the fifth, and the Reds chased Martinez in the sixth as the Cardinals made three errors, including two on one play by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.
Martinez hit Jose Peraza with a pitch, threw a wild pitch and walked Joey Votto. Duvall singled for a 3-0 lead and Peralta allowed Eugenio Suarez's grounder to bounce off his glove, then threw the ball into right field for a double error as Votto scored.
Scott Schebler hit an RBI double off Brett Cecil, and a second run scored when right fielder Randal Grichuk fumbled the ball for an error as he tried to throw.
Votto homered leading off the ninth.
>>Twins Power Past White Sox
Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco homered to back Ervin Santana's six scoreless innings as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday.
Santana (2-0) held the White Sox to two singles and lowered his ERA to 0.69. Minnesota, which finished with the worst record in the majors last season, has the top mark in the American League at 5-1 after taking two of three from Chicago.
Jose Quintana (0-2) regrouped from a rough opening day start to allow two runs and strike out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Quintana, who has been the subject of trade speculation for the rebuilding White Sox, gave up six runs and three homers against Detroit in his season debut. Last year, he was an All-Star and set career bests for ERA (3.20) and strikeouts (181).
James Shields (1-0, 1.69) starts Tuesday at Cleveland against RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 3.18).
