Final
Cards hope to keep pace in NL Central vs. Astros
Jul 26, 2011 - 2:38 PMVideo
The Cardinals entered Monday's opener in a three-way tie atop the division and emerged from it in a two-way deadlock after Yadier Molina went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and knocked in two runs to engineer a 10-5 victory.
Colby Rasmus added a two-run homer and drove in three while Nick Punto went 2- for-3 with a triple, an RBI and run scored for the Cardinals, who have won four of five.
Kyle McClellan (7-6) benefited from the run support to win for the first time since May 19 against Houston. He had gone 0-5 in eight games since his last win and was able to grab the victory thanks to a one-run outing in which he gave up six hits with no walks and five strikeouts over seven innings.
St. Louis remains knotted with Pittsburgh, which defeated the Braves on Monday. Milwaukee was idle and fell a half-game off the pace.
Carlos Lee hit a grand slam while Humberto Quintero drove in the other run for the Astros, who have dropped four straight.
J.A. Happ (4-12) was coming off his first win in over two months with a defeat of Washington on July 19, but failed to win consecutive starts after giving up six runs on seven hits with three walks over 4 2/3 innings.
Houston rookie second baseman Jose Altuve went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the game to raise his batting average to .412. He has a hit in each of his first five games since being called up by the Astros last week and Monday's performance was his first multi-hit game.
The Cardinals send veteran righty Jake Westbrook to the mound for game two in search of win No. 2 against the Astros in two months.
The 33-year-old, who'd never beaten Houston prior to this season, tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs while earning a 7-4 decision at Minute Maid Park on June 7.
He's gone on to win two of three decisions in seven starts since, including an eight-inning effort in New York on July 21, when he allowed two runs on four hits in a 6-2 defeat of the Mets at Citi Field.
Westbrook, a first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in 1996, is 2-2 in nine home starts this season with a 6.94 earned run average.
For the Astros, Florida-born righty Brett Myers aims for a first win since June 17.
The 30-year-old is 0-4 across six starts since defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers with a complete-game effort, allowing two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts in a 7-3 defeat of the Dodgers.
He's pitched six innings five times and allowed three runs or less four times since, but is nonetheless winless as the Astros have gone 2-4.
Lifetime against the Cardinals, Myers is 6-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 99 innings across 18 appearances.
St. Louis has won seven of its nine matchups with the Astros this season.
- HOUSTON: 1
ST. LOUIS: 3
Final
Jul 26 10:50 PM - David Freese two-out, solo Home Run (5) to right. Colby Rasmus due up.
Astros 1, Cardinals 3 Bot 6, 2 OutsJul 26 9:57 PM - Brett Wallace was hit-by-pitch. Runners on first and second with two outs and Chris Johnson due up.
Astros 1, Cardinals 2 Top 3, 2 OutsJul 26 8:59 PM - HOUSTON: 0
ST. LOUIS: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Jul 26 8:16 PM
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