ST. LOUIS — Alec Burleson hit a three-run homer to cap a nine-run first inning, Lance Lynn pitched six solid innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Chicago Cubs 11-3 on Saturday in the opener of a split doubleheader.

St. Louis sent 12 men to the plate in the first, its biggest inning in more than a year, to provide more than enough support for Lynn (5-4). He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six.

Seiya Suzuki and Patrick Wisdom each homered for the Cubs, who had won five straight. Hayden Wesneski allowed 11 runs — four earned — on 10 hits in four innings.

Masyn Winn, Burleson, and Willson Contreras hit consecutive singles to begin the first. Wesneski then made a pair of throwing errors on weak grounders hit by Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan. Cubs manager Craig Counsell challenged first base umpire Jonathan Parra’s safe call on Donovan’s grounder but the call stood.

Wesneski hit Michael Siani with the bases loaded to drive in another run. Winn followed with a two-run single before Burleson hit his 16th home run of the season to give St. Louis a 9-1 lead.

The nine runs scored were the most for the Cardinals in a single inning since scoring 10 runs in the eighth against Counsell’s Milwaukee Brewers on May 15, 2023.

Cubs infielder David Bote tossed a scoreless eighth inning in his first career pitching appearance.