Jose Martinez hit his first grand slam during a nine-run fourth inning , and St. Louis overcame Adam Wainwright's rough return from the disabled list, beating the Cincinnati Reds 13-4 on Sunday.
The Cardinals took two of three in the series, moving them to 55-56. They've been stuck near the break-even point for since the start of July, unable to get on a streak in large part because of poor clutch hitting.
Problem solved for one day. St. Louis matched its season highs with 16 hits and eight extra-base hits. Every starter except Wainwright had a hit, and seven players drove in a run.
St. Louis sent 13 batters to the plate for nine runs in the fourth, matching its biggest inning of the season. Martinez connected off Homer Bailey (3-6), who gave up a career-high 10 runs in only 3 1/3 innings. Bailey has been hit hard in his return from surgery to remove bone spurs from his pitching elbow last February.
The Cardinals went 9 for 19 with runners in scoring position, their best clutch hitting of the season.
The big offensive showing overcame a rugged first inning by Wainwright, who had spent the last 12 days on the DL with a stiff back. Joey Votto hit a three-run homer , and Wainwright threw 39 pitches before retiring a batter. Wainwright left after three innings and 88 pitches.
Brett Cecil (2-4) allowed three hits in three innings for the win, dropping the Reds to 6-17 since the All-Star break.
Carlos Martinez (7-9) faces Jason Vargas (13-5) in the opener of a two-game series in Kansas City. The Royals then visit St. Louis for a pair of games. St. Louis is 3-8 in interleague play this season.
>>Nationals Rally Past Cubs
Matt Wieters hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Carl Edwards Jr. in Washington's five-run eighth inning, helping the Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 9-4 on Sunday.
Bryce Harper started the go-ahead rally with a one-out infield single against Mike Montgomery. Ryan Zimmerman doubled against Edwards (3-3) and Daniel Murphy was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Edwards' next pitch hit Anthony Rendon, tying it at 4, and Wieters followed with a drive over the wall in center for his third career grand slam.
Edwards (3-3) has allowed at least one run in each of his last three appearances.
Wieters tied a career high with five RBIs and Rendon also had a run-scoring double for NL East-leading Washington, which improved to 36-22 on the road. Brian Goodwin homered, drove in two runs and robbed Jon Jay of a hit with a terrific diving catch on a sinking liner to center in the seventh.
The Nationals (65-44) faced the Cubs without their three best starting pitchers. Max Scherzer was pushed back after he left his previous start with neck spasms. Gio Gonzalez is on the paternity list, and Stephen Strasburg is on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow injury.
Willson Contreras hit two more home runs for Chicago (58-52), which stayed a half-game ahead of second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Cubs closed out a 2-4 homestand against NL contenders Arizona and Washington
Contreras led off the fourth with a drive to the back of the bleachers in left for his 20th homer. He connected again in the sixth, and Kyle Schwarber followed with another homer off rookie Erick Fedde for a 4-1 lead.
But that was it for Chicago, which couldn't get anything going against Washington's bullpen after Fedde lasted 5 1/3 innings in his second major league start. Brandon Kintzler (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning for his first win since he was acquired in a trade with Minnesota.
Jake Arrieta (10-8, 3.88 ERA) faces Giants LHP Matt Moore on Monday night. Arrieta is 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA over his last six starts, showing flashes of the form that helped him win the NL Cy Young Award in 2015. Moore (3-11, 5.80 ERA) is trying for his first win since June 20.
>>Red Sox Double Up White Sox
Chris Young hit two homers, including a tiebreaking three-run shot after the batter in front was walked intentionally, to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
Inserted into right field by Farrell with All Star Mookie Betts getting the day off, Young added an RBI double and had a solo homer off starter Mike Pelfrey to help the AL East-leading Red Sox complete a four-game sweep of the White Sox.
Chicago lost its sixth consecutive game, and 23rd in its last 27. The White Sox were swept in a four-game series in Fenway Park for the first time since July of 1988.
Doug Fister (2-5) allowed three runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out a season-high seven for his second straight win. Craig Kimbrel, the third reliever, pitched the ninth for his 27th save.
Pelfrey (3-10) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He's 0-5 with a 7.78 ERA in his last eight starts.
The White Sox opened the second with four straight hits to take a 3-2 edge. Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson had consecutive RBI singles before Alen Hanson's sacrifice fly.
Derek Holland (5-11, 5.29 ERA) is set to start when they open a three-game home series against AL West-leading Houston on Tuesday. He's 1-8 with a 7.96 ERA in his last 12 starts.
>>Cubs Place Russell on DL
The Chicago Cubs have placed shortstop Addison Russell on the 10-day disabled list because of a strained right foot.
An All-Star last season, Russell is batting .241 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs. The Cubs announced the move before Friday's game against the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.
Chicago also called up left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny from Triple-A Iowa. Zastryzny made one appearance for the Cubs in May and pitched in eight games for them last season.
Russell thinks he will be able to return when he is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list next Sunday.
''It's something where I feel like I could try and play through, but really all it takes is just one kind of play to make it worse than what it already is,'' he said. ''So taking the precautions and doing the treatment now.''
