Arrieta remained unbeaten on the season despite allowing as many as four runs for the first time in nearly a year and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 on Wednesday.

''I picked a good day to be (bad),'' Arrieta said.

''I was aggressive but they had a good game plan coming in [url=http://www.officialnationalsshop.com/authentic-34-bryce-harper-jersey.html]... it was a good thing our offense was able to be extremely productive today.''

Arrieta (9-0) joined the White Sox's Chris Sale as the only nine-game winners in the majors.

Arrieta allowed four runs in a regular-season [url=http://www.officialnationalsshop.com/authentic-47-gio-gonzalez-jersey.html]... for the first time since June 16, 2015.

''We grind whoever it is,'' Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. ''We acknowledge the fact that he's a good pitcher and has had a good start, but I think for us to give him too much credit and go up defeated it a bad route.''

Arrieta became the first Cub to win his firstnine decisions since Kenny[url=http://www.officialdiamondbacksstore.com/Mark_Trumbo_Jersey]Mark Trumbo Jersey Holtzman in 1967 and it is the best start to a season for the franchise since Jim McCormick went 16-0 in 1886.

The Cubs have won Arrieta's past 23 starts, a franchise record.

''There was not any [url=http://www.officialdiamondbacksstore.com/Jean_Segura_Jersey]http://www.offi... flow to his pitching today,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ''You look at the gun everything's normal. The guy competes.''

Kris Bryant hit a three-run homer and Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist each drove in two runs for the Cubs.

Bryant drove a 3-2 pitch from Seung Hwan Oh about 411 feet in the sixth inning, giving the Cubs a 9-4 lead. Bryant has homered in three of his past six games.

The Cubs sent 11 men to the plate in a six-run second, five of the runs scored with two outs. Heyward's two-run double and Zobrist's two-run single capped the scoring as Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez threw 38 pitches.

Hector Rondon earned his eighth save.