A solid pitching performance from Jeff Suppan and an almost requisite home run from Albert Pujols was enough to mount the Cardinals past the Nationals 2-0.
Just a day after the Cardinals went eight innings without a hit, Pujols made sure any chances of a no-hitter were put to rest with a first inning home run off Pedro Astacio. That would be all the runs the Redbirds would need although they did add another score in the seventh.
Suppan earned his 11th win of the year tossing 7.2 innings, allowing no runs on five hits and striking out five. Adam Wainright finished the eighth inning with a strikeout, escaping a bases loaded jam. Jason Isringhausen walked two batters in the ninth but was able to escape for his 33rd save of the year.
Pedro Astacio wasn’t bad on the mound for the Nationals but suffered from a lack of run support to get the loss. He held the Cardinals to two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings.