Fukudome's big birthday helps Cubs end skid

[April 27, 2009]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Kosuke Fukudome hit a three-run homer and drove in five on his 32nd birthday, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 10-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Fukudome went 3-for-4 to hike his average to .371 after hitting .257 last season. He hit his fourth homer in the eighth to finish the scoring.

Rich Harden (2-1) struck out nine in six innings for Chicago, which ended a four-game skid. He allowed four hits, including two solo homers.

St. Louis lost its nine-game home winning streak. The Cardinals have won 10 of their 13 home games this season and are 13-6 overall, good for first in the NL Central.

Chicago collected 14 hits after scoring just five runs in its previous four games. Aaron Miles went 3-for-5 and scored twice.

Derrek Lee hit an RBI double in Chicago's three-run first but left the game before the Cubs took the field in the bottom half because of neck spasms. Micah Hoffpauir replaced him at first base.

Hoffpauir led off the seventh with a home run to give the Cubs a 7-2 lead.

Todd Wellemeyer (1-2) was tagged for six runs, five earned, and eight hits in five innings. He walked Hoffpauir with the bases loaded in the second to make it 4-0.

Yadier Molina and Rick Ankiel hit solo drives for St. Louis. Molina extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his second homer of the season.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols reached base four times before hitting into a game-ending double play. He walked three times and was hit on the hip by Harden in the fifth.

Notes: St. Louis SS Khalil Greene committed his fifth error in 18 games in the fourth inning. It also was Cardinals' 20th in 19 games. ... St. Louis ended its six-game homestand with a 5-1 record.

[Associated Press]

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