Murton's homer leads Cubs to 4-2 victory over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS -- Matt Murton hit a three-run homer, and Jason Marquis allowed his former team just one run while pitching into the seventh inning to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 win over the slumping St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Geovany Soto had a career-high four hits for the Cubs, who took three of four games in the series and maintained their one-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central.
The loss was the 10th in 11 games for St. Louis, which has fallen seven games off the pace. It also marked the first time the Cardinals have lost a four-game series since St. Louis lost three of four at home to Milwaukee to begin the 2004 season.
After helping St. Louis win the NL Central last season, Marquis (12-8) signed with the Cubs as a free agent. It's paid dividends for Chicago: Three of Marquis' wins have come against St. Louis. He allowed one run and five hits in this one, walking two and striking out four in 6 1-3 innings.
Ryan Dempster pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 31 opportunities.
Mark Mulder (0-3), making his third start after spending most of the year recovering from surgery to his pitching shoulder, lasted just three innings and gave up four runs and seven hits with three walks. Mulder has allowed 17 runs and 22 hits in 11 innings of work _ a 12.27 ERA _ in his three starts.
Skip Schumaker, who came in as a pinch hitter, drove in both St. Louis runs. Rick Ankiel had two hits and reached base three times for the Cardinals.
Chicago scored all four of its runs in the third off Mulder. Alfonso Soriano began the inning with a double, but was still at third with two out when Mulder walked Aramis Ramirez. Murton then followed with a 366-foot homer off the left field foul pole that made it 3-0.
After Craig Monroe doubled and Soto reached on an infield single, Ronny Cedeno drove in Monroe with a single to center.
Schumaker cut it to 4-1 with a pinch-hit single off Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol in the seventh. He stayed in the game and made it 4-2 with a two-out, RBI single off Bob Howry an inning later.
Notes:@ The Cubs have homered in a season-high 10 games in a row. ... Ankiel's swinging bunt single in the second snapped an 0-for-8 skid. ... The Cubs finished 11-5 against the Cardinals. ... Mulder has not won since beating the Pirates 6-5 in Pittsburgh June 15, 2006. ... The Cubs are 39-36 on the road and 39-36 at Wrigley Field.