Carpenter, Cardinals beat Dodgers 6-1

[July 28, 2009]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Chris Carpenter wrapped up an undefeated month, Brendan Ryan matched a career high with four hits and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 on Monday night.

Matt Holliday lined an RBI double off the base of the center-field wall in his first home at-bat and Mark DeRosa homered for the fifth time in 13 games with St. Louis. The third newcomer to the lineup, Julio Lugo, had an RBI infield hit in the second to help the Cardinals shake off a 2-5 trip that knocked them out of the NL Central lead.

The Cardinals are 15-3 at home the last six seasons against the Dodgers, including 9-2 at 4-year-old Busch Stadium. The NL West-leading Dodgers are a major league best 62-37, but have lost three of four.

Carpenter (9-3) worked around nine hits in seven-plus innings, allowing only Rafael Furcal's third-inning sacrifice fly. Manny Ramirez hit two of the Dodgers' four double-play balls against the right-hander, doubling his season total and each time after getting roundly booed as he stepped to the plate.

Ramirez was perhaps booed the loudest after he doubled to lead off the eighth for the Dodgers' first extra base hit, chasing Carpenter.

Ryan Franklin got four outs for his 23rd save.

Carpenter was 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA in July after dropping three of his last four starts in June, this despite allowing 35 hits in 37 innings. He qualified for the ERA race for the first time after missing time with a shoulder injury, and his 2.19 ERA is second in the NL.

Holliday received a standing ovation that lasted about a half-minute before his first at-bat with a runner on and two outs in the first. Then he froze center fielder Matt Kemp with a liner off Randy Wolf (5-5) that gave him a double in all four games with St. Louis and five total.

The Cardinals added four in the sixth off three relievers for a 6-1 lead, including an RBI single by Rick Ankiel and Ryan's two-run, two-out double off Guillermo Mota. The four-hit game was the second of Ryan's career and first since June 10 at Florida.

Cardinals right fielder Ryan Ludwick made nice plays on consecutive at-bats to help Carpenter through a tough fourth, making a diving catch on Casey Blake's sinking liner and leaping at the wall to deprive James Loney of extra bases. The Dodgers left the bases loaded when Wolf struck out on three pitches.

Wolf worked six or more innings for the sixth straight start and allowed two runs on seven hits.

NOTES: Wolf has not won consecutive starts all season. ... Juan Pierre is 2 for 16 as a pinch hitter with no RBIs after grounding out to start the seventh. ... Paid attendance of 43,756 was the Cardinals' 15th sellout of the season. ... Carpenter hit two batters after plunking three total in his first 15 starts. ... Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo worked a perfect eighth against the top of the order after coming off the 60-day DL from an elbow injury. ... Rafael Furcal was 3 for 4 and is 12 for 30 during a seven-game hitting streak.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.