Carpenter's back, Cardinals top Cubs 2-1

[May 21, 2009]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Chris Carpenter returned to St. Louis' rotation with five scoreless innings, and Chris Duncan snapped a 1-for-21 slump with two hits and an RBI in the Cardinals' 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

Pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir had a two-out RBI single in the ninth and the Cubs had two men on before Ryan Franklin struck out pinch-hitter Reed Johnson for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Khalil Greene, relegated to a utility role while mired in a 2-for-23 slump that has prompted anxiety issues, added a seventh-inning sacrifice fly as a pinch hitter that proved crucial.

Ryan Dempster (3-3) was the Cubs' second straight tough-luck loser, allowing six hits and two runs in seven innings. They've lost three in a row while scoring one run the first two games of a three-game series against their biggest rival.

Carpenter (2-0) gave up three hits while throwing 67 pitches in his first outing since he strained a left rib-cage muscle April 14 at Arizona, and also his 100th career start with the Cardinals. The Cardinals played it cautious with the 2005 NL Cy Young winner, whose timetable was pushed up a few days after a rainout last week.

Carpenter has not allowed a run in 15 innings over three starts. He's 8-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 career starts against the Cubs, and 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in six starts against them at home.

The Cubs missed two shots to get to Carpenter, putting two men on with two outs in the first before first baseman Albert Pujols made a nice stab to his right on Milton Bradley's grounder. Ryan Theriot was stranded at second after a one-out double in the third after Kosuke Fukudome flied out and Derrek Lee struck out.

Pujols legged out a leadoff double in the fourth on a ball up the middle to give the Cardinals their first runner in scoring position. He advanced on a sacrifice before scoring on Duncan's hit, which also ended an 0-for-14 slump.

Notes: Dempster has worked at least six innings in all nine starts this season. ... Carpenter is 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA over his career in his first appearance off the DL, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Alfonso Soriano was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Carpenter after entering the game batting .429 (12 for 28) with two homers and seven RBIs. ... The Cardinals have used 39 different lineups in 40 games, and Wednesday's card was the sixth with the pitcher batting eighth. ... Mike Fontenot was hitless in four at-bats and is in a 2-for-36 slump. ... Joe Thurston is in a 2-for-28 slump for St. Louis. ... Hoffpauir is 4 for 10 with three RBIs as a pinch hitter.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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