Tim Redding allowed four hits in 71/3 shutout innings Sunday to lead the Houston Astros to a 7-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mike Lamb, Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman hit two-run home runs for Houston, who had lost five straight to the Cardinals.
Albert Pujols hit his major league-leading 15th home run for St. Louis, a ninth-inning drive that gave him six home runs in his past eight games.
Redding (3-3), who struck out four and walked three, won his third straight decision and set a career high for innings in a game. After Pujols’ first-inning single, Redding retired 16 of his next 18 batters.
Brad Lidge and Brandon Backe completed a five-hitter, the first win by the home team in nine games between the clubs this season.
Matt Morris (4-5) gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings.
“The first-inning run hurt because it put us behind right away,” Morris said. “The changeup that Jeff Kent hit to drive in the run was the wrong pitch selection.”