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Berkman slugs Cardinals past Astros

Jun 10, 2011 - 5:09 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Lance Berkman went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI as St. Louis powered past Houston, 9-2, in the rubber match of its three-game series.

Lance Lynn (1-1) gave up just one run on six hits and fanned three over five full frames to earn his first Major League victory for the Cardinals, who have won five of their last six games.

Lynn went 5-3 with a 4.06 earned run average in 10 starts for Triple-A Memphis this season before getting called up last week.

Albert Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.

"We're playing well, getting good pitching. Hopefully we keep it going," Berkman said.

Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 and Brett Wallace went 1-for-4 with an RBI for the Astros, who have lost five of their last six.

J.A. Happ (3-8) was charged with the loss after being tagged for six runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings pitched.

"Whatever my terrible record is or whatever my terrible ERA is it doesn't make sense. It's not the pitcher I am. I'm going to have to figure it out," Happ said.

St. Louis broke the game open in the sixth inning, plating five to jump ahead 6-1. Jon Jay led off with a single, moved to second after Pujols was walked and scored on a Berkman single. Pujols, who moved to third on Berkman's single, scored after Mark Hamilton grounded into a fielder's choice. Hamilton moved to second on a Tony Cruz base hit, then to third after Colby Rasmus was walked and scored when Tyler Greene walked with the bases loaded. Daniel Descalso then roped a pinch-hit double to right-center, which scored Cruz and Rasmus.

Skip Schumaker added an RBI single in the seventh, and Houston wasted an opportunity to get back in the game in the bottom half. Clint Barmes reached base after being hit with a pitch and moved to second after J.R. Towles singled. Pinch-hitter Matt Downs walked to load the bases.

After Trever Miller struck out Michael Bourn, Jeff Keppinger laced a hard-hit ball to first, but Pujols knocked it down to record the out. Barmes scored on the play, and the runners advanced to second and third. Pence then struck out to end the inning.

The Cards added two more on a pair of solo blasts. Ryan Theriot drove one into the left field stands in the eighth and Berkman sent one over the right field fence in the ninth.

St. Louis jumped ahead early with a run in the top of the first inning. Theriot reached on a leadoff double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jon Jay and then scored on a Pujols groundout to shortstop.

Houston answered back in the bottom-half of the inning with a run of its own. Pence singled with two outs, then advanced to second on a wild pitch before he was knocked in by Wallace on a base hit to left field.

Game Notes

Theriot reached base safely for the 24th straight game...Berkman hit his 156th career home run at Minute Maid Park and is hitting .480 in six games in Houston this year...The Astros fell to 12-19 at home this season, and have yet to win a series at home...Pence extended his hitting streak to a Major League-best 20 games. He had a 15-game streak earlier this season...The Cardinals' Tony La Russa will manage his 5,000th regular season game Friday night at Milwaukee and will join Connie Mack (7,755) as the only managers/coaches in American professional sports history to have reached that milestone.