Holliday, Penny lead Cardinals past Arizona 4-2

[April 20, 2010]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Matt Holliday went 3 for 5 with his fourth home run of the season, Brad Penny had his third strong outing and the St. Louis Cardinals opened a six-game road trip by handing the Arizona Diamondbacks their fifth loss in a row, 4-2 Monday night.

Colby Rasmus hit a go-ahead double in the eighth inning, followed two batters later by Arizona first baseman Adam LaRoche's fielding error. Rasmus singled in a run off struggling Chad Qualls in the ninth.

Penny (2-0) threw six scoreless innings after the Diamondbacks scored twice in the first. Holliday's two-run homer off Arizona starter Rodrigo Lopez tied it in the fifth. Ryan Franklin tossed a perfect ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities.

Lopez, who left after seven with the score tied 2-2, is the fifth Arizona starter in a row not to win despite a strong performance. Those five gave up six earned runs in 30 1-3 innings.

Arizona blew a lead for the sixth time in seven games when Blaine Boyer (1-2) gave up an unearned run in the eighth.

On his second pitch, Rasmus doubled to deep left-center. He advanced to third by Felipe Lopez's sacrifice bunt, then Yadier Molina scorched a grounder off the glove of LaRoche's glove, allowing Rasmus to score.

Penny, who had given up one earned run in 14 innings entering the game, scattered eight hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings. Lopez allowed two runs on seven hits.

Stephen Drew led off the first with a single, then LaRoche hit a two-out, ground-rule double that bounced over the fence into the swimming pool area in right center. Mark Reynolds doubled over the head of Rasmus in center field to bring home both runs.

Lopez blanked the Cardinals until the fifth, when he walked leadoff batter Ryan Ludwick. Albert Pujols struck out, but Holliday lined a 1-0 pitch just into the seats in left field to tie it at 2.

In the first, Schumaker was thrown out at third trying to advance on a fly out to center. Chris Young's bouncing throw was well to the right of the base, but third baseman Reynolds scrambled back and made a diving tag just as Schumaker went head-first into the bag.

Arizona twice failed to advance runners to second with sacrifice bunts, by Lopez in the second and by pinch hitter Augie Ojeda in the eighth. Both runners were thrown out at second.

Pujols went 0 or 3 against Lopez with one strikeout and is 0 for 8 against him in his career.

NOTES: Arizona and St. Louis are tied for the NL lead in homers with 17. ... The Diamondbacks placed LF Conor Jackson on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring and recalled RHP Esmerling Vasquez from Triple-A Reno. ... Entering the game, the Diamondbacks bullpen had a 14.34 ERA in the team's four-game skid. ... The Cardinals have opened the season winning four straight series.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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