Pujols, Berkman power Cardinals past Dodgers 11-2

[April 16, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman each homered in consecutive at-bats and the St. Louis Cardinals sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to their fourth consecutive loss, 11-2 on Friday night.

The Cardinals' offense continued unabated as they reached .500 for the first time this season, with five wins in their last six games. They battered the Dodgers' staff for 19 hits a night after winning the series opener 9-5 and collecting 16 hits.

In their five games since Monday -- three against Arizona -- the Cardinals have hit 13 homers and scored 51 runs. They've had 14 or more hits in five consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 1930, when they did so in six straight.

The Cardinals' offensive power extended to the bottom of their lineup, too. Yadier Molina had four hits -- all singles -- and starter Kyle Lohse singled, too.

Lohse (2-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings. The right-hander struck out six, including Aaron Miles in the seventh for his 1,000th career strikeout, and walked one.

Jon Garland (0-1) struggled in his season debut, giving up nine hits and five runs in four-plus innings. The right-hander, who struck out two and walked none, came off the disabled list earlier in the day after straining his left oblique March 9.

Berkman homered into the lower right field seats on Garland's first pitch of the second inning. David Freese scored from third base on a balk by Garland and Ryan Theriot hit an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

Berkman homered again leading off the fourth for his second multihomer game since Monday.

Pujols hit a two-run shot in the fifth against Kenley Jansen that extended the Cardinals' lead to 5-2 after Colby Rasmus chased Garland with a leadoff double. Pujols then led off the seventh with a homer to straightaway center field off Blake Hawksworth, making it 7-2.

The Dodgers scored both their runs in the fourth on Matt Kemp's RBI single and a wild pitch by Lohse with two outs.

NOTES: Pujols had his 40th career multihomer game and first since last September. ... Dodgers RF Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an infield single in the fourth. ... Don Newcombe, a former teammate of Jackie Robinson on the Dodgers, threw out the first pitch to Kemp on the annual day baseball honored the player who broke the sport's color barrier 64 years ago.

[Associated Press; By BETH HARRIS]

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