Matt Morris allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings of work to fall to 20-8 as the St. Louis Cardinals lost the opener of their three-game series in Houston on Monday 9-3. The Astros knocked Morris out of the game with a seven-run fifth inning. With the loss, the Cardinals see their lead in the National League wildcard race shrink to two games as the San Francisco Giants beat Los Angeles 2-1. The Cardinals now trail Houston by 5 1/2 games in the National League Central.
