Cubs 4, Cardinals 2: Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ransom hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning as visiting Chicago jumped on Adam Wainwright early and held on to even the series at a game apiece.

Jeff Samardzija (4-7) snapped a three-start winless streak by limiting St. Louis to two runs on seven hits over 8 1/3 innings. He allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the ninth before Kevin Gregg came on for his 10th save in as many chances.

The game ended on David Freese's third double-play groundout of the night, as he rolled to Darwin Barney at second base and was called out on interference when pinch runner Shane Robinson went in hard and wide of the bag to try to prevent shortstop Starlin Castro from making the turn.

The Cubs did all their damage with two outs in the first, as Nate Schierholtz and Alfonso Soriano smacked consecutive doubles before Sweeney and Ransom turned on pitches for back-to-back homers. Wainwright (10-4) shut out the Cubs the rest of the way but had his five-start winning streak snapped and failed to record a quality start for only the second time all season.

Carlos Beltran lined a solo shot to right with two outs in the sixth to break up the shutout, but that was all the Cardinals got against Samardzija until Yadier Molina's RBI single off Gregg plated a run that was charged to the starter. Molina went 3-for-3 to raise his batting average to .367, the best in the majors.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Wainwright had allowed two home runs in his first 14 starts of the season before giving up two in the first inning Tuesday. … Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo got the day off, leaving Castro as the only Chicago player who has started every game. … Schierholtz extended his career-best hitting streak to 10 games with his double in the first.