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Greene powers Cards over Astros

May 7, 2012 - 4:11 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Tyler Greene recorded his first career multi- home run game and drove in four runs, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-1 win over the Houston Astros in the finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Allen Craig also homered and finished with three RBI for St. Louis, which snapped its three-game losing streak.

"Tyler had a great day, driving that ball off the wall in right-center, and then showing the power to right," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "It was just a great day for him."

Adam Wainwright (2-3) continued his dominance of the Astros, tossing seven strong innings on Sunday. The right-hander scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out seven to improve to 10-1 in his career against Houston.

J.A. Happ (2-2) allowed six runs on six hits and four walks in five frames for the Astros, who had their winning streak snapped at five games.

Houston was looking to sweep consecutive series for the first time since August 29-September 3, 2008.

The Cardinals got on the board in the first when Craig followed a two-out walk by Matt Holliday with a blast to left field. Greene doubled home a run in the second and Craig copied him in the third for a 4-0 St. Louis lead.

In the fourth, leadoff batter Jon Jay reached on an infield single and scored on Greene's shot to right field.

Houston scored its lone run on a Wainwright wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth.

Rafael Furcal extended St. Louis' lead to 7-1 with an RBI single in the sixth. Two innings later, Greene went deep for a second time to account for the final margin.

"He was working both sides of the plate," Astros infielder Jose Altuve said. "I just tried to stay back and hit the ball up the middle, but he was tough."

Game Notes

The Cardinals have scored in the opening inning in each of their last six games...Greene entered play with six career home runs...Houston center fielder Jordan Schafer had his 25-game streak of reaching base safely snapped with Sunday's 0-for-4 effort. He tied Denis Menke (1969) for the longest streak in Astros' history to open a season.