CHICAGO -- A less experienced batter might have swung away in a similar situation.

Chicago Cubs veteran Anthony Rizzo, though, stood his ground with bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning to coax a walk off of St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Zach Duke that delivered the game-winning run.

Willson Contreras trotted home for a 4-3 victory, just the latest unusual way the Cubs have won.

Chicago recorded its 10th victory in a row.

"We've had a walk-off walk now, a (win on a) wild pitch and a bunt by the pitcher," Rizzo said. "It's one of those things where it's going our way, and we want to keep it going our way."

The result was particularly painful for the Cardinals, who lost left fielder Matt Holliday in the 10th inning due to a fractured right thumb.

The Cubs recorded their fourth walk-off of the season when Rizzo took a 3-1 pitch for the two-out walk against Duke.

Duke (0-1) dropped his first decision with St. Louis since arriving in a late-July trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery (1-1) worked two scoreless innings to collect the win. He escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Matt Carpenter to end the 11th inning.

Montgomery, acquired from the Seattle Mariners in late-July trade, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out four.

The Cubs (72-41) extended their lead in the National League Central to 13 games over the Cardinals (60-55).

"It looked good there for a while, and then one inning caught us," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "But guys came in and did a good job out of the 'pen. I was impressed at how they kept us right in the game and pitched around trouble."

The 10-game streak is the Cubs' longest since a 12-game run from May 19-June 2, 2001.

Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez gave up three runs in the sixth as the Cubs grabbed a temporary 3-2 lead. He yielded seven hits, walked three and struck out four in six innings.

"A couple of things just kind went the wrong way, but he had good stuff and threw the ball well today," Matheny said.

Cubs starter Jon Lester limited St. Louis to two runs on five hits over six innings.

"That's definitely not the game I thought was going to happen with the wind blowing out like it was, but I'm glad we came on top," Lester said. "That's all that matters."

Brandon Moss' 19th homer of the season gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the sixth, matching Matt Holliday for the team lead.

Martinez held Chicago to just two hits until the sixth. Kris Bryant and Rizzo each singled, and Jason Heyward reached on a two-out infield hit to load the bases. Chris Coghlan's full-count base hit to right drove in Bryant and Rizzo to force a 2-2 deadlock.

David Ross gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead with a successful bunt in front of the plate, scoring Heyward as Martinez' pickup and throw to first came too late.

Pinch hitter Matt Szczur popped out into foul territory to end the inning and Lester's outing. Lester struck out six and walked just one.

Pinch hitter Randal Grichhuk, called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier Thursday, forced a 3-3 tie as he greeted Cubs deliver Travis Wood with a two-out solo homer to left in the seventh.

Later in the inning, Coghlan made a game-saving and inning-ending throw from left to shortstop Addison Russell, who relayed to Ross for the tag on Carpenter, who was trying to score after a Stephen Piscotty double.

Holliday left the game in the 10th inning after being hit in the right hand by a Montgomery pitch with two outs. Matheny said the Cardinals placed Holliday on the 15-day disabled list.

The Cardinals opened a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first. Yadier Molina drove home Holliday from third with a bouncer down the first base line after Holliday singled to short center and advanced to third on Moss' base hit.

NOTES: The Cardinals placed 1B Matt Adams (left shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 10 and recalled OF Randal Grichuk from Triple-A Memphis. Grichuk batted .272 with six homers and 18 RBI in 23 games in the minors. ... St. Louis has not been swept by Chicago since Sept. 13-15, 2010. The Cardinals swept the Cubs in a three-game June series this season. ... St. Louis sends RHP Adam Wainwright (9-6, 4.34 ERA) against Chicago RHP Jake Arrieta (13-5, 2.59 ERA) on Friday. ... The Cubs placed RHP Pedro Strop on the 15-day disabled list Thursday after he sustained a left meniscus tear late in Chicago's 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Strop (2-2, 21 holds, 2.89 ERA) is expected to be out four to six weeks. ... Chicago recalled RHP Justin Grimm (1-0, 4.58 ERA in 46 relief appearances with the Cubs) from Triple-A Iowa.