Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick combined for five hits, three walks, and six RBI as the duo took over the game after the Cubs’ Derrek Lee tied the game with a three run homer off Chris Carpenter. The Cardinals push their lead to 4.5 over Chicago.
Albert Pujols hit his 32nd home run of the year in the fifth inning off Cubs’ starter Rich Harden and Chris Carpenter went six innings to pick up his seventh win by allowing seven hits and two walks.
The big inning came in the sixth for St. Louis when they scored four runs off two hits. Colby Rasmus and Pujols drew walks from reliever Aaron Heilman with Brendan Ryan on first with one out. Ludwick singled to drive in two and the Cardinals pushed across two more runs on Yadier Molina’s fielder’s choice pop fly that was dropped by Alfonso Soriano. Then Heilman threw a wild pitch.