Cardinals use long ball to trounce Cubs, prevent sweep

Jul 27, 2007, 3:35 GMT

St. Louis, MO - Chris Duncan belted a grand slam and Albert Pujols added a three-run homer as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Chicago Cubs, 11-1, in the finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium.

Pujols tied a season high with five RBI and Scott Rolen hit a solo homer for the Cardinals, who had lost three of their previous four games.

St. Louis starter Braden Looper (8-8) went seven innings, yielding just one run on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Looper also drove in a run and scored twice.

Derrek Lee homered and Cliff Floyd had two hits for the Cubs, who have lost three of five.

Chicago starter Jason Marquis (7-6) was tagged for six runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout over five innings.

Leading 1-0, the Cardinals pulled away by scoring five runs in the fifth. Aaron Miles led off with a single and Looper walked. After a David Eckstein sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, Jim Edmonds walked, loading the bases. Marquis then beaned Pujols, scoring Miles, and Duncan followed by lofting a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for his 20th homer and his second grand slam of the year.

Chicago scored in the top of the sixth when Lee smacked his ninth homer of the year, a shot to right.

St. Louis added four more runs in the home half of the sixth on Looper's RBI single and Pujols' three-run homer to right-center, his 23rd of the season.

Pujols capped the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth.

Rolen put the Cardinals on the board in the fourth with a homer to left, his sixth of the year.

Game Notes

Pujols last had five RBI on June 10 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...Chicago lost for the first time in five games at St. Louis this season...Duncan's other grand slam came June 16th at Oakland...With a sold-out crowd of 45,308, the Cardinals passed the two million mark in attendance.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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