Matt Garza pitched seven sharp innings, Aramis Ramirez homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 Saturday.

Garza (6-9) scattered five hits, struck out eight and won at Wrigley Field for the first time since June 27.

Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol finished off the shutout. Marmol earned his 29th save in 37 chances.

Ramirez’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run burst in the fourth off Edwin Jackson (2-2). Jackson allowed five hits in seven innings after leaving his last start with a right hamstring cramp.

Garza had been solid at home lately with a 1.75 ERA in his previous five starts. But the Cubs had scored a total of just seven runs in those games, leaving him with an 0-2 record.

Early on, it looked as if it might be more of the same for Garza after Jackson held the Cubs hitless and faced the minimum through three innings. Things changed in the fourth as the Cubs hit for the cycle.

Starlin Castro led off with a single and Ramirez connected one out later for his 24th home run. Carlos Pena then tripled and Marlon Byrd doubled.

Ramirez’s homer was Chicago’s 29th in August, most in the majors.

The Cubs helped themselves by turning two double plays. Before the game, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said his team’s propensity for hitting into DPs as “brutal.” St. Louis has hit into 136 double plays this season, by far the most in the majors.

It was Jackson’s turn to be a hard-luck loser despite pitching effectively for the fourth time in five starts since he was traded to St. Louis. Jackson was making his first appearance in Chicago since being dealt by the crosstown White Sox on July 27.

Garza started slowly, allowing a leadoff double to John Jay in the first and later walking two batters to load the bases. He recovered to get David Freese on an inning-ending double play, the first of 10 straight batters he retired.

The attendance was announced at 42,374, up 31 from Friday’s gathering, which was the Cubs’ largest crowd since opening day in 1978.

NOTES: Cubs manager Mike Quade said he hasn’t spoken to pitcher Carlos Zambrano since he left the team’s clubhouse in during a game Atlanta on Aug. 12, but expects to at some point. Zambrano was subsequently placed on the disqualified list. The Cubs have won five of seven games since Zambrano left the team. … St. Louis OF Matt Holliday and SS Rafael Furcal were out of the lineup for what La Russa called a “mental and physical part day off.” Holliday entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. … Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan left the team and returned to St. Louis to attend to a personal matter. He is expected to rejoin the club when it returns home on Monday. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist will fill in for Duncan. … Ramirez’s homer was his 12th first-pitch shot this season, most in the majors. … St. Louis’ Lance Berkman, who entered August with 28 home runs, has gone homerless in 17 games so far this month. … Chicago’s Rodrigo Lopez will face St. Louis’ Jake Westbrook in Sunday’s series finale. Lopez is 4-6 with a 6.44 ERA in eight career games against St. Louis. Westbrook has a 9.72 ERA in two starts against the Cubs this season.

CHICAGO, Aug. 6 (UPI) — Starlin Castro drove in four runs and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano homered in Chicago’s seventh straight win Saturday, an 11-4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.

Castro drove in a run with a force-out during the Cubs’ go-ahead, three-run fourth inning and added a two-run double as Chicago scored five times in the fifth to put the game away.

Carlos Pena went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Alfonso Soriano added an RBI double among his two hits for the Cubs, who clinched their three-game series against Cincinnati.

Zambrano (9-6) belted his 23rd career homer — a solo shot in the third — and limited the Reds to three runs on six hits over six innings, overcoming four walks while striking out six.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto (7-5) was touched for five runs on seven hits, lasting only 3 2/3 innings.

Yonder Alsonso socked a solo homer and added an RBI single for Cincinnati.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips left the game with a sprained right ankle suffered during a fourth-inning collision with center fielder Drew Stubbs while tracking a pop-up.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago on June 30, 2011. UPI /Mark Cowan 

CHICAGO, July 16 (UPI) — The Chicago Cubs activated ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano and will start him Saturday against the Florida Marlins.

Zambrano (6-4) was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 1 because of soreness in his lower back.

Zambrano has started 18 games this season with a 4.34 ERA.

To make room for Zambrano, reliever Chris Carpenter was optioned to Class-AAA Iowa.

By Shawn Muller–

CHICAGO (CBS) Carlos Zambrano has been quite the “character” during his time with the Chicago Cubs.

From his outbursts at himself, the umpires, the media, his teammates and seemingly anything or anyone else that gets in his way, Carlos is never one to hide how he really feels.

Most of the time, Zambrano’s outbursts get old — and flat out tiring — for the Cubs organization and its fans, but his tirade Sunday, in my opinion however, was one that was long past due…

And I mean that in a good way.

Big Z went off on Carlos Marmol and the rest of his Cubs teammates while talking to the media after the Cubs dropped another heart breaker to the archrival St. Louis Cardinals (capping off the teams’ second straight series of being swept) down in the “Gateway to the West” on Sunday.

I say “Bravo!” Carlos Zambrano!

Now, I am not condoning people who rip their co-workers for a lack of production. But, in the case of Mr. Zambrano on Sunday, nothing he said was wrong.

Zambrano said, “We are playing like a Triple-A team. This is embarrassing. Embarrassing for the team and the owners. Embarrassing for the fans. Embarrassing, that’s the word for this team.”

When he was talking about Marmol, he was just stating the obvious. Ryan Theriot played for the Cubs. Marmol should know his tendencies at the plate. Koyie Hill wanted fastball. Marmol shook him off in favor of the slider. Theriot tied the game. Albert Pujols eventually ended it.

It’s as simple as that.

The Cubs are playing like a Triple-A team, Carlos Marmol should know better, and…oh yeah…they are embarrassing.

Chicago is 11 games under .500. They have lost eight out of their last 10 games and six straight overall. Oops. I almost forgot. Chicago is only a game and a half ahead of the Houston Astros (who recently swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field) for the worst record in the National League.

What did anyone expect him to say? The same old and tired crap that, “we just need to settle down” or “we’re close” or any other lame excuse you hear coming out of the mouths of players on crappy teams? I sure don’t.

Chicago can’t hit. Chicago can’t pitch. Chicago can’t hold onto a lead.

Not much more to it than that.

When your team seemingly isn’t capable of doing any of those three things, the results usually will be embarrassing. And for the Chicago Cubs so far…this is the truth.

I am sure every player is frustrated with the way things have been going for the ball club lately, but maybe Carlos’ little outburst can turn into a positive down the stretch.

For any team to be successful, the players must hold each other accountable for their mistakes. This isn’t Little League where you don’t want to say anything negative because you don’t want to hurt little Tommy’s feelings.

These are professional athletes who deserve a little kick in the pants once in a while…especially when those athletes are playing as bad as the Chicago Cubs.

Do you agree with Shawn? Post your comments below.

Shawn Muller

Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser” every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24. Read more of his blogs here.

ST. LOUIS – Albert Pujols is sizzling. Just ask the Chicago Cubs.

For the second successive afternoon, they felt the fire from his burning bat.

Pujols unloaded a game-winning home run in the 10th to send the Cardinals past the Cubs 3-2 before 40,701 fans at Busch Stadium. The 36-25 Cards thus swept a three-game series from the sagging Cubs, now 23-34 and 11 games behind the Redbirds.

“It was greatness in person,” said St. Louis manager Tony La Russa, marveling about Pujols’ second-game winning home run in two days. The Cards’ slugged clouted a 12th-inning one to beat them 5-4 on Saturday.

La Russa added, “I’ve seen that every day for 10 years and two months.”

Pujols, now with 13 home runs, was glad to see a favorable pitch from Chicago reliever Rodrigo Lopez (0-1). Cards’ reliever Fernando Salas (3-0) logged the win.

“I got a good pitch to hit and I was looking to hit the ball hard,” Pujols said of his 426-foot shot into the left center field bleachers. It was also his first hit off Lopez, who the Cubs recently acquired from Atlanta.

Pujols said, “I think I’m 1-for-13 against him in my career.”

La Russa added, “Albert was just trying to get a lousy single off him (Lopez) and he hits the ball out of the park. I wasn’t surprised they pitched to him because Albert was leading off the inning. They had to go after him.”

And it backfired again for the Cubs, who have lost six in a row and couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead in the ninth. Pujols hit four home runs against them in the series and blasted five on the seven-game homestand.

He has raised his batting average to .278 and he has 38 RBIs to go with his growing home run total. Pujols tied for third in the National League for homers.

“I’m trying to work hard, make adjustments and do what I need to do,” Pujols said.

The Cubs aren’t sure where they are headed. Take it from starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who experienced a no-decision. Ryan Theriot’s RBI double with two outs in the ninth tied it and set the stage for Pujols’ heroics.

“We’re playing like a Triple-A team,” Zambrano fumed. “The problem wasn’t Pujols. The problem was the previous at-bat. We should know that Theriot isn’t a good fastball hitter and we throw him a slider.”

Zambrano said pointedly, “We should know better than that. This is embarrassing. It’s embarrassing for the team, for the owners and for the fans. We stink. That’s all I have to say.”

Cubs’ manager Mike Quade wanted to turn the page. The Cubs continue their road swing tonight in Cincinnati.

“We were just a pitch away from winning it,” he said of the ninth inning. “The only thing you can do is to say the hell with it, go to Cincinnati and find a way to beat them.”

Aramis Ramirez’s two-run double off St. Louis starter gave Zambrano a lead in the fourth. The Cardinals then strung together three singles, including an RBI one by Allen Craig in the sixth, to make it 2-1.

Sean Marshall replaced Zambrano in the eighth and kept the Cards quiet. Yadier Molina opened the ninth with a single, then Chicago closer Carlos Marmol struck out the next two hitters.

Marmol had a two-strike count on Theriot, but he never got the third one. Theriot doubled into the left field corner to score pinch-runner Tony Cruz and tie the game. Theriot thus extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

“I wanted to get on base, extend the game and give Albert a chance to win it,” Theriot said. “And that’s what he did.”

Pujols said, “Ryan had a great at-bat against Marmol and that was a huge hit to tie the game. But that’s something he has been doing for us all year.”

Chris Carpenter worked nine innings, allowing seven hits and two runs. Carpenter, 1-5, is finding it elusive to secure his second win. But that doesn’t faze him.

“There’s no frustration,” he said. “I can do what I do and that’s it. This was a great win and whether we win 2-1 or 7-6, it doesn’t matter to me.”

CARDINALS vs. CHICAGO CUBS

At Busch Stadium

Scouting report: The Cubs had Thursday off to
recover from being swept at home by the last-place Houston Astros.
Chicago has lost five of its past six games. … The Cubs’ middle
infield of second baseman Darwin Barney and shortstop Starlin
Castro have been their most consistent players. Barney led the Cubs
with 32 hits in May after being the league’s Rookie of the Month in
April. Castro was second on the club with 31 hits in May, and his
.313 average overall leads the Cubs’ everyday players. … Signed
to a one-year deal this past winter, Carlos Pena has seven homers
and a .214 average. He and Alfonso Soriano both have 49 strikeouts
this season, and each Ks more than once every four at-bats. … On
Tuesday, closer Carlos Marmol allowed six runs in the ninth to
botch a save. He has 10 saves in 13 opportunities this year with 32
strikeouts and only 18 hits allowed.

Projected pitching matchups

Today, 7:15 p.m.: LHP Jaime Garcia (5-1, 3.28
ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Dempster (4-4, 6.00 ERA)

Saturday, 3:10 p.m.: RHP Kyle Lohse (7-2, 2.13
ERA) vs. RHP Randy Wells (1-1, 5.40 ERA)

Sunday, 1:15 p.m.: RHP Chris Carpenter (1-5,
4.52 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Zambrano (5-2, 4.23 ERA)