Cardinals rout Cubs to become 1st team to 50 wins

More injuries, more wins. The St. Louis Cardinals keep finding a way.

The injury-challenged Cardinals made yet another statement Saturday with their fifth straight win, an 8-1 drubbing of the Chicago Cubs, to elevate them to a season-high 26 games above .500.

St. Louis is the first team since the 2005 Chicago White Sox to reach 50 wins in 74 games.

The Cardinals were backed by a strong performance from outfielder Jason Heyward, who continued his hot month by reaching base four times with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Heyward's hitting .321 with four homers in June to raise his OPS by more than 60 points over the last 24 games.

Right-hander Michael Wacha pitched six solid one-run innings to lower his ERA to 2.77 and improve to 10-3 on the season.

The Cardinals' surge, which includes eight straight home wins and 12 victories in their last 15, has come despite injuries to key players such as Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, and Matt Holliday.

The first-place Cardinals even received more bad news Saturday after left-hander Jaime Garcia suffered a groin cramp running the bases in his last outing. He's unlikely to make his next start Tuesday, but could return to the rotation as early as Wednesday.