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Cardinals top Astros

Jul 27, 2011 - 4:49 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer and David Freese added a solo blast to carry the Cardinals past the lowly Astros, 3-1.

Jake Westbrook (9-4) started the second meeting of the four-game set and lasted six frames, allowing one run on seven hits to earn the win.

Jason Motte, Lance Lynn and Fernando Salas each tossed a scoreless inning of relief, with the latter working around a two-out walk in the ninth to post his 19th save of the season.

St. Louis, which has won five of six to stay atop the NL Central, held Houston to a 1-for-11 effort with runners in scoring position.

"We weren't real patient," Astros outfielder Michael Bourn said. "We had a few opportunities to bust it open a little bit, but we couldn't seem to do it."

Brett Myers (3-11) dropped his fifth straight decision despite tossing an eight-inning complete game, as he was charged with three runs on 11 hits.

Jose Altuve ran the Astros out of a run in the first inning when he was caught in a rundown between third and home and was tagged out.

Pujols came up in the bottom half and launched his 23rd home run of the year with Jon Jay on first base. The play was reviewed and upheld after revealing the ball narrowly cleared the center field wall.

Bourn doubled leading off the third and scored Houston's only run on Carlos Lee's two-out single.

While the Astros struggled coming up with a big hit, Freese took Myers the other way for his fifth longball of the season in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals' bullpen allowed one hit and one walk over the final three frames to send Houston to its fifth straight loss.

"It's going to be a race all the way until the end. There are four teams that really, really want this," Freese said of the tight division standings.

Game Notes

Myers has two complete games this year and 12 for his career...St. Louis' two home runs and Bourn's double were the only extra-base hits the entire game.