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Descalso's hit in 8th helps Cards get by Cubs

May 11, 2011 - 5:49 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Daniel Descalso delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the St. Louis Cardinals over the rival Chicago Cubs, 6-4, in the opener a three-game series.

Nick Punto went 2-for-4 while driving in a run and scoring another for the Cardinals, who won for the fourth time in five games.

Chris Carpenter (1-2) picked up his first win of the season despite allowing 13 hits and four runs in his seven-inning start, while Kerry Wood (1-2) took the loss in relief of Carlos Zambrano.

"Every win is a big win, especially against teams in your division," Carpenter said.

Zambrano also gave up four runs in seven frames, though he only have up eight hits. Aramis Ramirez went 3-for-5 with two RBI in defeat, Chicago's third in four games.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth, Descalso hit Wood's high 91- m.p.h offering into right field to bring in Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday to break a 4-4 tie.

After Miguel Batista worked a scoreless eighth, Eduardo Sanchez closed it out in the ninth, surviving a two-out walk to Carlos Pena to post his fourth save of the season.

Both starters struggled in the first inning before getting out of bases-loaded jams with minimal damage.

Holliday singled past a diving Starlin Castro at short to plate Colby Rasmus in the away half, and Ramirez dribbled one up the middle to score Kosuke Fukudome and Darwin Barney to give the Cubs the lead.

The Cardinals went ahead with two runs in the fourth, though they could have had more. Lance Berkman walked with one away and came around on a double by Yadier Molina, who trotted home when Alfonso Soriano slipped trying to catch a line drive from Punto.

"I'm more upset about the defensive [errors]," Cubs manager Mike Quade said.

Punto was credited with a triple and appeared to score on Descalso's flyout to center, but was ruled to have left third base early on the appeal, keeping it a 3-2 game.

Ryan Theriot, who spent the first five-plus years of his career with the Cubs, added a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the Cubs got two of their own in the bottom half on Pena's sac fly and Castro's RBI bloop single to right.

Game Notes

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has been diagnosed with shingles and will be away from the team for the foreseeable future. Bench coach Joe Pettini, third base coach Jose Oquendo and pitching coach Dave Duncan will handle managerial duties until La Russa is able to return...Carpenter has given up at least 10 hits in his last three starts...Cubs catcher Geovany Soto left the game in the first inning with an injured groin...Pujols had four hits, while Barney went 3-for-4.