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Cardinals power past Marlins

Aug 5, 2011 - 4:21 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Matt Holliday hit a three-run home run and Skip Schumaker had a two-run double to help the St. Louis Cardinals take a 7-4 win over the Florida Marlins in the first of four straight games between the two clubs.

Albert Pujols went 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored in the Cardinals' fourth win in seven games. They enter this weekend three games behind Milwaukee for first in the NL Central.

"We have still got three more games left here. It's just one win. We just need to continue to do that tomorrow," Pujols said.

Fernando Salas retired the last four batters of the game to earn his 20th save of the year.

Kyle McClellan (9-6) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief of ineffective starter Kyle Lohse, who allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in just three innings.

Logan Morrison knocked in two runs for Florida as the Marlins had their three- game win streak snapped.

Clay Hensley (1-4) was wild through 2 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on three hits, three walks and two hit batters for the loss.

"I didn't feel bad out there and that's the thing. I didn't feel like I was doing much different than I've done all my other starts. I just didn't have any idea where my ball was going tonight. It's hands down the worst I've pitched in my entire career," Hensley said about his performance.

Trailing 7-3, Florida loaded the bases in the eighth on a single by Mike Cameron, a walk to John Buck and a single by pinch-hitter Bryan Petersen off of reliever Octavio Dotel.

Jason Motte then replaced Dotel on the bump and got Emilio Bonifacio on a pop up to shallow left field and fanned Wes Helms on three pitches before being replaced himself.

Marc Rzepczynski came on next and allowed an RBI base hit to Greg Dobbs on the second pitch he threw. Rzepczynski was then yanked for Salas, who got Gaby Sanchez to fly out to center field for the third out.

Salas faced the minimum in the ninth to finish off the game.

St. Louis jumped out to an early lead on Holliday's three-run homer over the left-field wall in the first. Jon Jay and Albert Pujols worked one-out walks prior to Holliday's laser to left.

Florida answered in the bottom of the frame, starting with Bonifacio's and Omar Infante's back-to-back doubles to start the frame. Sanchez was given a free pass two batters later, and Morrison followed with a two-run double into left-center. A Mike Stanton base hit put runners on the corners and, after a run-saving, diving catch by Rafael Furcal on a Cameron liner to short, Buck worked a walk to load the bases. But Hensley flied out to center, ending the inning and keeping it a 3-3 game.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the third on singles by Pujols and Lance Berkman around Holliday being hit by a pitch. David Freese came up next and was hit in the head by Hensley on the ninth pitch of his at- bat, ending Hensley's night.

Freese was taken out of the game after being looked at by the trainers and was replaced by Daniel Descalso. He was later diagnosed with a mild concussion and will be re-evaluated Friday.

Burke Badenhop replaced Hensley and got Schumaker to hit a grounder to the right side of the infield. Infante made a dive for the ball, but it deflected off his throwing hand and went into the outfield, allowing Holliday and Berkman to cross the plate on the double. Gerald Laird was intentionally walked to load the bases again, but a Lohse strikeout and a soft grounder by Furcal kept it a 6-3 game.

Pujols' solo shot in the fourth inning increased the Cards' lead.

Game Notes

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina began serving his five-game suspension for his inappropriate actions toward umpire Rob Drake Thursday...Infante left the game at the end of the fifth inning with a fractured middle finger in his right hand...Both teams combined to use 12 pitchers and throw 356 pitches.