Sun May 4 23:28:21 2008

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Pujols helps Cards get past Cubs

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St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Albert Pujols' lone hit of the night was a two-run double that broke up a tie game in the fourth, and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of a three-game set between the bitter division rivals.

Todd Wellemeyer (3-1) got the win against the club that drafted him, holding the Cubs to three hits and two runs in five innings, with four strikeouts and four walks. Four St. Louis relievers combined to hold the hot Cubs lineup to two hits and one run over the final four frames, as the Cardinals maintained their hold on first place in the NL Central.

Adam Kennedy went 2-for-2, drove in two runs and scored for the Cardinals, who have won four of five.

Jason Marquis (1-2) gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, fanning four but walking five to take the loss. Reed Johnson had an RBI double for the Cubs, who managed only five hits as they fell for the seventh time in 10 games.

After grounding into a double play in the second inning, Pujols got another chance with two runners on in the fourth, this time with two outs, and he came through. The first baseman laced a two-run double to left to put the Cards on top, 4-2.

Kennedy added an insurance run in the sixth with his clutch RBI single with two outs. He floated a single to left with Ryan Ludwick on third, pushing the St. Louis edge to 5-2.

The Cubs threatened in the seventh. St. Louis reliever Kyle McClellan beaned pinch-hitter Ronny Cedeno to start the frame, and Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot both singled, loading the bases with no outs. McClellan bore down and got Derrek Lee to fly out to shallow right.

Kosuke Fukudome was able to get Cedeno home with a sacrifice fly to center, but Ryan Franklin came on for the Cards and got Mark DeRosa to fly out to center to end the threat with the St. Louis lead still at two runs.

Jason Isringhausen set down Soriano, Theriot, and Lee in order in the ninth to pick up his 10th save.

The Cubs jumped on top with two runs in the second. Geovany Soto got them started with a leadoff double to right, and Mike Fontenot worked a walk. Johnson ripped a double down the line into left, scoring Soto from second. After Marquis was retired on a foul pop-up, Soriano plated another run with a sacrifice fly to center, and Chicago took a 2-0 edge.

The Cards got the runs right back in the home half, though, on four straight singles to right, one each by Wellemeyer and Cesar Izturis, and then one RBI base hit each by Skip Schumaker and Kennedy. Pujols came to the plate with two runners on and one out and grounded into a double play, and the game remained tied at 2-2.

Game Notes

Marquis, who pitched in St. Louis from 2004-06, was 4-1 against the Cardinals with a 3.27 earned run average in seven games (five starts) prior to Sunday. He has now let up 10 runs and seventeen hits over 10 innings in his last two starts overall, both losses...The Cards outhit the Cubs, 9-5.