4/15 Cardinals 10, Cubs 3

Matt Carpenter had four hits and five RBIs and Yadier Molina added a three-run homer to lift the Pujols-less Cardinals to victory over the Cubs. Paul Maholm (0-2) was looking for his first win since last July 10. Instead, the lefty now is winless in his last nine starts.

“It’d be nice to break that streak,” Dale Sveum said. “I think sometimes it does weigh on you. It’s almost like a hitting slump — when am I going to get that next hit? You do things or maybe you’re pressing.”

But Maholm denied losing sleep over it.

“I couldn’t tell you when the last time I won,” he said. “My goal is to go out there and go seven innings and win the game no matter how the outing before went, whether it was good or bad. That’s what I’ll get straight next week when I take it. I’m going to go deep in the game and we’re going to win.”

He failed for the second time to go long enough to be considered for a “W,” getting pulled after four innings. In both of his Cubs starts, he’s given up six runs and six hits.

“It was kind of the same thing as the first start — you give them base runners and they took advantage of it,” Maholm said. “It’s frustrating but I’m going to bust it this week and make sure I get through it and I get back to where I was.”

– Carrie Muskat