ST. LOUIS — Chris Carpenter threw seven strong innings and Jon Jay and Lance Berkman homered to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
Carpenter picked up his first victory since May 10. He allowed one run and five hits to end a string of seven successive starts without a win. Carpenter struck out seven and walked one.
St. Louis won for the first time since three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols fractured his left forearm on Sunday. The Cardinals managed just two runs and 11 hits during the first two games without Pujols, who is out 4 to 6 weeks.
Philadelphia starter Roy Oswalt left after two innings due to tightness in his lower back. He gave up four runs and five hits in his shortest start since a two-inning outing in a 9-7 loss to Atlanta on September 10, 2009.
