PHOENIX (AP) - After he watched five balls sail off the bats of St. Louis hitters for home runs, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson had a simple description.

``They whopped `em,' he said.

The Diamondbacks rallied from a seven-run deficit to cut it to one but eventually fell to the Cardinals 9-6 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.

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Lance Lynn gave up three hits through five scoreless innings to become the majors' first six-game winner and the Cardinals held on for a 9-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Rafael Furcal hit the 30th leadoff home run of his career for St. Louis, the first of five homers for the Cardinals on the night. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday hit consecutive homers to open the third off Joe Saunders (2-2). Allen Craig and David Freese homered to start the seventh after Arizona had scored six times in the sixth.

Lynn (6-0), the first St. Louis pitcher to start the season with six wins since Bob Tewksbury in 1994, left with a 7-0 lead. Cody Ransom hit a two-run homer in the Diamondbacks' rally.

Jason Motte gave up a pair of singles in the ninth but no runs for his fifth save in six tries.

Lynn struck out seven and walked four. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound 24-year-old has allowed six earned runs in six starts. It was his shortest outing of the season, and he acknowledged he had problems with his command.

``Tonight was a struggle,' Lynn said. ``You know you're not going to have your best stuff every time out. Tonight I was able to battle through it.'

Saunders, who entered the game with a 1.24 ERA, allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits in 3 1-3 innings.

``I just didn't have it,' he said, ``plain and simple. Some nights you have it, some nights you don't. Tonight I didn't have it.'

The Diamondbacks, back from a 5-5 road trip, have lost three in a row and five of six. They have dropped eight of their last 10 at home.

``We haven't played the way we're capable of recently,' Gibson said. ``If we're going to beat this team we're going to have to play a lot better.'

Justin Upton went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts before being lifted in a double switch for Arizona. Gibson said it was simply a numbers game and he ``had no choice.' Upton batted in the No. 2 spot for the first time since September of 2010.

Furcal put St. Louis ahead to stay with a leadoff shot an estimated 441 feet onto the porch in left-center, just above the 413-foot sign. After two outs, Allen Craig singled, then scored on Freese's double into the left field corner. The Cardinals made it 3-0 when Yadier Molina singled to right field. Upton's throw to the plate was high and Freese slid under catcher Miguel Montero's tag.

Beltran's eighth home run, leading off the third, followed by Holliday's sixth homer of the season, put the Cardinals up 5-0.

They made it 7-0, with help of an unearned run, in the fourth. Tyler Green singled, then Montero threw the ball away on Lynn's sacrifice bunt try. Furcal followed with an RBI single, then Holliday walked to load the bases. Reliever Brad Ziegler walked home the seventh run on four pitches.

Arizona broke through against reliever J.C. Romero, who faced five batters without an out in the sixth inning. Montero led off with a single, then Ransom hit his fourth home run of the season, a 452-foot shot into the left field seats. Lyle Overbay walked and Aaron Hill singled, then both scored on Ryan Roberts' double. A.J. Pollack reached on an infield single, then Gerardo Parra's bunt brought Roberts home to make it 7-5 with no outs.

Fernando Salas relieved Romero and retired the next two batters, but Montero's RBI singled up the middle cut the lead to 7-6.

Reliever Bryan Shaw gave up home runs to Craig and Freese to start the seventh as St. Louis stretched it to a three-run game.

NOTES: St. Louis batters have hit consecutive home runs four times this season. ... The Cardinals' Lance Berkman, on the DL with a left calf strain, says he expects to be activated on Friday. ... The Diamondbacks were without first base coach Eric Young because of the death of his father. Bullpen coach Glen Sherlock filled in at first base. ... The Cardinals have scored in the first inning in each of their last seven games. ... The Diamondbacks send ace Ian Kennedy (3-1, 3.23) to the mound Tuesday night against the Cardinals' Jake Westbrook (3-2, 2.12). ... Arizona's franchise record for coming from behind to win is six runs, accomplished six times. ... The final seconds of the Phoenix Coyotes' series-clinching NHL playoff victory over Nashville were shown on the Chase Field big screen.