Carlos Silva won again, striking out a career-high 11 during seven dominant innings and pitching the Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 Saturday. Silva (7-0) allowed just two hits and walked none. Matt Holliday was the only Cardinals’ batter to reach base against Silva with a single in the second and a double in the seventh.Silva became the first Cubs starter to begin a season 7-0 since Ken Holtzman went 9-0 in 1967.Acquired from Seattle in an offseason trade for outfielder Milton Bradley, Silva is the pitcher to start his Cubs career at 7-0 since Jim Weaver won his first seven decisions in 1934. The last full-time starter to open with seven wins for the Cubs was King Cole in 1910.Three relievers finished off the combined four-hitter. The Cardinals were held to one run or less for the eighth time this month and 13th time this season, and they’ve been shut out five times.Silva struck out the side in the third. When got Felipe Lopez looking to end the inning, it was Silva’s seventh strikeout of the game, surpassing his previous high of six.Cardinals starter Adam Ottavino (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits and six walks in major league debut. He took the spot of Kyle Lohse who was placed on the disabled list on Thursday. Mike Fontenot, playing for the injured Aramis Ramirez, hit a pair of triples. He also got hit by Cardinals reliever Blake Hawksworth in the eighth inning.The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Alfonso Soriano walked, stole second and scored on Marlon Byrd’s single. Fontenot hit an RBI triple and scored on Starlin Castro’s single.Silva drew a walk in the sixth that set up a bases-loaded walk to Kosuke Fukudome. In the eighth, Fukudome hit a sacrifice fly.

NOTES—Ottavino was 4-3 with a 4.17 ERA at Triple-A Memphis. Lohse had surgery on his right forearm in Los Angeles on Friday.