ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Samardzija hopes his traditional June swoon is a thing of the past. Samardzija picked up first career win as a starter in his most unlucky month, tossing 8 1-3 strong innings to help the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Samardzija (4-7) came into the contest winless in eight June starts -- he was 2-8 with a 7.14 ERA, with both victories coming in relief. "I really want to knock this June bugaboo," he said. "Ive been working really hard and I like where I am today." Samardzija gave up two runs on seven hits and left with a 4-1 lead. He struck out six and walked one for his first win since May 27. Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ransom hit back-to-back homers in a four-run first as Chicago broke a five-game losing streak in St. Louis. The Cubs started fast against Adam Wainwright (10-4) and won for the fourth time in six games. Carlos Beltran hit his team-high 17th homer for the Cardinals, who lost for the third time in five games but still lead the majors with a 45-26 record. Cubs manager Dale Sveum was especially impressed with his starter. "He was as good as hes been all year against the best offence in baseball," he said. "If you can do that to them, youve had one heck of a game." Said Sweeney: "Watching from centre field, he was unbelievable." "He was keeping hitters off balance and still throwing 96 to 97 (mph) in the ninth inning," he said. Kevin Gregg picked up his 10th save in as many opportunities. He got David Freese to ground into a strange game-ending double play. Pinch-runner Shane Robinson was called out for interference while trying to break up the play at second. Robinson was ruled to have gone out of the way to hinder the relay throw from shortstop Starlin Castro. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny agreed with the call by umpire crew chief Fieldin Culbreth. "He got it right," Matheny said. "Its just frustrating to see the game end like that." The Cardinals cut the lead to 4-2 on an RBI single by Yadier Molina with one out in the ninth. Matt Holliday and Allen Craig singled with one out to chase Samardzija. Gregg, after giving up the hit to Molina, induced Freese to hit a hot shot right at second baseman Darwin Barney, who started the double play. Freese hit into three double plays and also struck out. The Cubs first-inning runs all came after two outs. Nate Schierholtz and Alfonso Soriano hit consecutive singles before Sweeney unloaded with his second homer of the season to make it 3-0. Ransom followed with his eighth homer. "We just got on them early," Sweeney said. "Thankful enough that we did. If you dont get to a guy like that, hell bear down and then you cant score any runs." The Cubs tied a season high with four runs in the first -- they also did it in the first inning of a 10-7 loss to San Francisco on April 14. Wainwright, who was trying to become the majors first 11-game winner, gave up back-to-back homers for the third time in his career. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. Wainwright had won his previous five starts, but has not beaten the Cubs since Sept. 24, 2010. He had given up a total of four first-inning runs over his first 14 starts this season. "It was unforgivable," Wainwright said. "I put my team in a really tough spot." Samardzija never let a runner past second base in the first five innings and was helped out by three double plays. "What else can you ask for?" Samardzija said. "Great defence. And the icing on the cake were those four runs in the first." Beltran homered off the right-field foul pole with two outs in the sixth. Molina went 3 for 3 and leads the NL with a .367 average. NOTES: Schierholtz has hit safely in a career-best 10 straight games. ... St. Louis OF Jon Jay has gone 215 successive games without making an error in centre. He is second in team history behind Curt Flood (226). Jay last made an error on Aug. 24, 2011. His streak is the longest current run in the NL. .... Chicago signed LHP Rob Zastryzny, their second-round draft choice. ... St. Louis rookie right-hander Shelby Miller (8-4, 2.08) left after five innings of Mondays 5-2 win due to cramps caused by dehydration. He will not miss a start. ... Chicago pitchers have a league-leading 22 RBI this season.... The Cardinals signed LHP Rob Kaminsky, their second first-round selection. The 28th overall pick, Kaminsky is from St. Josephs Regional High in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.Nike Vapormax Plus Bleached Aqua . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Nike Vapormax Plus Black . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. http://www.vapormaxplus.com/ .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Nike Vapor Max Plus . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Nike Vapor Max Plus Triple Black . LUCIE, Fla.LILLEHAMMER, Norway -- Kamil Stoch claimed his 16th win in the World Cup at Lillehammer on Sunday with compatriot Maciej Kot only 0.6 points behind to give Poland its first double victory.Stoch had jumps of 134 and 130.5 meters to finish with 289.9 points for his first World Cup win since January 2015.Its been a while since my last win, Stoch said. I thought I would be fourth and fifth again.Sundays event took place amid difficult conditions, including a strong tail wind.Kot, who achieved 136 meters on his second jump, had his best result so far in a World Cup event.Markus Eisenbichler finished third for his first podium finish, which the Germann said was still a bit hard to believe.dddddddddddd He was 3.7 points behind Stoch.The conditions were tricky for the last group of competitors in the first round, including Slovenias Domen Prevc and Daniel Andre Tande of Norway.Tande, who is second in the overall World Cup, was 23rd after the first round but moved to fourth overall with a second-round best jump of 141 meters.The 17-year-old Prevcs sixth place was enough to keep him in the overall lead in the World Cup with 360 points, followed by Tande on 308 points. ' ' '