Cardinals lose 5-4 to Blue Jays

[June 25, 2011]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Jake Westbrook agreed -- this outing was a grind.

Westbrook failed to make it out of the fifth inning, putting stress on St. Louis' bullpen in a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

"A lot of times early on I can get into a rhythm and find it, but tonight I was just kind of all over the place from the get-go," Westbrook said. "I know I'm a better pitcher than that."

The right-hander was charged with four runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings. He is 6-4 with a 5.32 ERA this season, and has failed to pitch at least five innings in four of his 16 starts.

Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 23rd home run in the top of the ninth to help the Blue Jays snap a four-game losing streak.

Bautista's one-out drive off Fernando Salas (4-2) barely cleared the wall in right field, passing just over the outstretched glove of a leaping Jon Jay and landing in the Cardinals' bullpen. He has homered in the last two games after hitting only one in a 22-game stretch.

Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of 13 and are 1-3 without injured Albert Pujols. Rookie closer Salas has allowed a homer in three of his last five appearances after permitting none in his first 25 outings.

"We show up every day and expect to win," said Mitchell Boggs, who struck out two hitters with the bases loaded to end the fifth. "It didn't happen but it's not going to change the way we approach the game tomorrow."

Bautista, due to move from the outfield to third base in the next few days to beef up a struggling offense, doubled and scored in the first, flied out to the warning track in left and drew an intentional walk.

Bautista's homer came not long after a 13-minute delay when portions of two light standards at Busch Stadium failed for the second time this month. Salas was poised to throw the first pitch of the inning before about 70 bulbs in two standards behind home plate went out and umpires stopped play.

Cardinals director of security Joe Walsh said the team suspected an electrical short. Walsh said diagnostic tests after the last failure revealed no problems.

The same sections failed with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning June 1 against the San Francisco Giants, delaying the game for 15 minutes while personnel reset circuit breakers and lights slowly came back on.

Adam Lind had a hit and two RBIs and callup Eric Thames doubled twice and scored for the Blue Jays, who were outscored 14-3 during their losing streak. Jason Frasor (2-1) worked a perfect eighth against the top of the St. Louis order and Frank Francisco finished for his eighth save in 11 chances.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow struck out nine in seven innings, but the homers equaled his season total from the first 11 starts. The right-hander gave up four runs, three earned.

Rasmus hit his first homer since June 2 in the second and Holliday's ninth was a two-run shot in the sixth that tied it at 4.

Westbrook left with the bases loaded and the Cardinals trailing 4-2. Boggs bailed him out, striking out Edwin Encarnacion and Rajai Davis.

Westbrook said poor location is a common denominator to starts in which he's struggled.

"Being in the zone with my sinker and controlling counts, that's something I didn't do a good job of," Westbrook said. "It hurts us and it can't happen. it's something I've got to do better."

Cardinals rookie Lance Lynn, called up earlier in the week, allowed one hit in three scoreless innings.

"Boggs was impressive and Lynn was outstanding," manager Tony La Russa said. "I thought we were going to win."

NOTES: Rookie Mark Hamilton leads the Cardinals with five pinch hits, although he struck out in that role leading off the fifth. "I think it speaks well to his knack for going out there and not fainting," La Russa said. ... Switch-hitting Lance Berkman of St. Louis hit his 300th homer batting left-handed Thursday night, but struck out his first three trips on Friday.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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