Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in three runs, and Albert Pujols added two solo homers to lead the Cards to an 8-2 win over the Padres on Monday night.  

Ludwick still leads Pujols, 12-11 in the team lead for home runs, but Albert has the edge over Ludwick in batting average.  Pujols is hitting .364 and   Ludwick 3 for 4 on the night is hitting .350.  

Ludwick started the scoring in the first, hitting a two run shot off Padres starter Wilfredo Ledezma giving the Cards a quick 2-0 lead.  The Cards added runs in the 3 rd , 4 th , 6 th , and 8 th with the last run coming on Pujols’ second home run of the game.  St. Louis also added two runs in the fifth when Pujols hit his first homer of the game to lead off the inning, then Todd Wellemeyer helped his own cause by hitting a two out single to score Ryan Ludwick.

Wellemeyer picked up his 5 th win going six innings allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out two.  Randy Flores, Ron Villone, and Russ Springer each pitched scoreless innings.

The Cardinals remain two games behind the Cubs and those two teams start to separate themselves from the rest of the NL central.