David Freese watches his first inning triple. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
All Kyle Lohse needed was a little early run support to get his first win of the season. The Cardinals scored four times in their first at bat to take a 6-2 decision over the Washington Nationals on Monday night at Busch Stadium.
Lohse went six innings giving up two runs, one earned with Washington’s only runs coming in the fifth inning. That cut the Cards’ lead in half after a big first inning which all started after the first two batters were retired by Nats’ starter Craig Stammen.
After a Matt Holliday walk, Albert Pujols singled and Colby Rasmus scored Holliday on a base hit. David Freese then tripled to right scoring two. After a visit to the mound from the pitching coach, Stammen gave up a single to Yadier Molina capping the four-run first.
Molina would later pick up an RBI on a ground out and Skip Schumaker would single in a run apart of a two-run eighth inning to seal the victory.
Molina and Freese had two RBIs each and Pujols went 3 for 3 raising his average to .324. The Cardinals remain 1/2 game out of first.