ST. LOUIS -- When Carlos Villanueva pitched for Toronto in 2011 and 2012, his manager, John Farrell, referred to him as a stabilizer.

Villanueva played that role to perfection Thursday for his new team.

Relieving starter Tim Cooney after the left-hander struggled in his major-league debut, Villanueva retired all 10 hitters he faced as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 in Busch Stadium.

"That was the best compliment I ever got," Villanueva said of Farrell's comment. "That's exactly what we were looking for today and I was able to provide it."

The 24-year-old Cooney, pitching against the team he rooted for as a child in Collegeville, Pa., continually got behind hitters and lasted only 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with a walk and three strikeouts.

Entering the game with runners at first and third, Villanueva gave up a sacrifice fly to third baseman Cody Asche that knotted the score at 3. But that was it for the Philadelphia offense as it didn't manage another baserunner until left fielder Darin Ruf drew a one-out walk in the eighth.

By then, Villanueva (2-1) was comfortably ensconced in the dugout after throwing only 37 pitches, 25 for strikes, and calming down a game that was on the brink of becoming an all-out slugfest.

"It could have been bad if we don't get him to do what he did," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of Villanueva. "He got us out of some trouble and then he got some quick outs. He looked good."

So did the Cardinals' offense, which feasted on Phillies pitching for a third straight day, putting up four multi-run innings and rapping out 12 hits. In winning the last three games of a four-game series, St. Louis (15-6) scored 25 runs and had 36 hits.

Third baseman Matt Carpenter went 2-for-3, scoring three runs and setting a franchise record with his 13th double of the month. Left fielder Matt Holliday banged out two RBI doubles and first baseman Matt Adams broke a tie in the third, clouting a 435-foot homer with Carpenter aboard as part of a three-hit day.

Adams even added his first hit of the year off a left-handed pitcher, greeting reliever Jake Diekman with an RBI single in the fifth to up the Cardinals' lead to 7-3.

"You guys can get off his back now for not having a hit off a left-hander," Matheny joked.

While St. Louis ends April with the National League's best record and a 2 1/2-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the Central Division, the Phillies (8-15) are in last place in the East and own the NL's second-worst mark.

Ruf said all the Phillies can do is forget about the season's first month, starting Friday night in Miami.

"Not just focus on a new month, but focus on a new game, go day by day," he said. "Just try to get things going tomorrow."

Philadelphia starter David Buchanan (0-5) saw his ERA soar to 8.76 after permitting eight hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and a strikeout.

Ruf homered in the third and finished with two hits for the Phillies, and center fielder Odubel Herrera added an RBI single.

Meanwhile, Villanueva might have put himself in the mix for a start Tuesday night against the Cubs as the Cardinals look for someone to fill the spot left by injured Adam Wainwright, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles on Saturday night in Milwaukee.

"I'm a swingman," Villanueva said when asked if he'd welcome a starting role. "I've been doing this for 10 years now. Whatever they want me to do, I'll do it."

NOTES: Philadelphia's offense is near or at the bottom of baseball rankings in several categories, but it does lead in one department: sacrifice bunts. The Phillies have 12. ... St. Louis optioned C Cody Stanley to Triple-A Memphis to make room for Thursday's starter, LHP Tim Cooney. Stanley went 1-for-3 in three pinch-h