Matt Holliday got a final tuneup before the Home Run Derby by hitting a three run shot as the St. Louis Cardinals ended the first half of the season with a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
The Cardinals were down 2-0 before Holliday’s 16th home run of the season. Blake Hawksworth (3-5) got the win, giving up seven hits and two runs in 5.1 innings. Closer Ryan Franklin pitched a scoreless ninth for his 16th save.
Colby Rasmus, sitting again with a tight hamstring, drove in a run with a pinch hit single in the eighth inning to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead that would hold up. With the win and the Phillies sweeping Cincinnati this weekend, the Cardinals trimmed two games off the Reds’ lead in the Central to one game.
