Johnson, Giants beat Cardinals 6-3

[July 01, 2009]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Randy Johnson won his third straight decision and 303rd of his career despite surrendering two home runs to Albert Pujols in the San Francisco Giants' 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals couldn't overcome Chris Carpenter's first shaky outing of the season, which left them trailing 6-1 after five innings. St. Louis has lost three straight since acquiring Mark DeRosa, who is a quiet 0 for 9 thus far, and has dropped six of seven overall.

The 45-year-old Johnson (8-5) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings and evened his record at 7-7 against the Cardinals, leaving him with a losing mark against only three teams -- the Mets (6-7), the Yankees (6-8) and the Rays (3-5). All the hits he allowed were for extra bases with Ryan Ludwick adding a double and triple.

Pujols leads the major leagues with 30 homers and 77 RBIs after his third multihomer game in the last 10 games, his seventh this season and the 30th of his career. His 35 RBIs in June is a career best for any month and his 14 homers in the month matched his career best in April 2006.

Pujols' three-month total is the Cardinals' best since Mark McGwire had 37 homers and 87 RBIs at the end of June 1998 during his then-record setting 70-homer season.

Carpenter (5-3) lasted five innings and allowed six runs and 11 hits -- one off his career high. He hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of his first 10 starts before getting knocked around by the Giants, resulting in a 64-point ERA hike to 2.42.

The Giants didn't hit Carpenter hard in the first, but managed four singles for a 2-0 lead including RBIs by Bengie Molina and Edgar Renteria. They hit him harder in a four-run, five-hit fifth, opening with three straight hits by Aaron Rowand, Randy Winn and Pablo Sandoval and capped by Travis Ishikawa's RBI double for a 6-1 lead.

Pujols' first homer came in the fourth, a drive estimated at 445 feet to left on an 0-2 count. He homered again in the sixth after pinch-hitter Chris Duncan walked with one out and the Cardinals chased Johnson two hitters later but missed a chance for more on Tyler Greene's double play ball against Jeremy Affeldt.

The Cardinals stranded two more in the eighth when pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker grounded out against Brian Wilson for the third out. Wilson finished for his 21st save in 25 chances. Five of Wilson's saves have required more than an inning.

NOTES: The Cardinals' 10-0 loss Monday to the Giants and 11-0 to the Mets on June 24 were the franchise's first double-digit shutout losses in less than a week according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Cardinals rookie OF Colby Rasmus, diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and out of the lineup the previous two games, was 2 for 3 after pinch-hitting in the fifth. ... Affeldt allowed a hit in two innings and has worked a career-best 18 consecutive scoreless innings over 19 appearances.

Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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