Pujols hits 2 homers for Cards' 8-2 win over Padres

[May 20, 2008]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Albert Pujols hit two mighty home runs, and Cesar Izturis and Ryan Ludwick also went yard in leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-2 win over the punchless San Diego Padres on Monday night.

It was the third straight win for the Cardinals, who got to face Wil Ledezma instead of Padres ace Jake Peavy, who could be heading for the disabled list due to soreness in his pitching elbow. The four homers were the most in a game this year for the Cardinals, who tied their season high with 16 hits.

The Padres (16-30) have the worst record in the major leagues. It was their third straight loss and 11th in 15 games.

Pujols went 3-for-5, scored three runs and drove in two. It was his 22nd career multihomer game and his second this season. Pujols has 11 homers.

Pujols' first homer was massive. He led off the fifth inning by hitting reliever Justin Germano's second pitch into the balcony on the fourth floor of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in Petco Park's left-field corner, 405 feet from home plate.

He hit another high, arching shot leading off the eighth, this one into the seats in left-center on a full-count pitch from left-hander Sean Henn.

Ludwick got some help from Padres left fielder Scott Hairston in hitting the first homer of the night, which gave St. Louis a 2-0 lead with two outs in the first.

Hairston positioned himself against the wall as he settled under the fly ball, but didn't get a good jump and the ball hit off the top of his glove and went over the fence. Skip Schumaker was aboard on a leadoff single.

Hairston made a much better jump in going after Izturis' fly ball with one out in the fourth, but it left the park on its own to give St. Louis a 4-1 lead. It was Izturis' first.

Ludwick went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He also hit a run-scoring double.

Starter Todd Wellemeyer (5-1) hit an RBI single and held the Padres to two runs in six innings. He walked three and struck out two.

Ledezma (0-1) gave up four runs and five hits in four innings, walked two and struck out two.

Peavy, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, had been scheduled to start but was scratched on Sunday due to soreness in his pitching elbow that had been bothering for three or four starts. He had an MRI on Monday. Manager Bud Black said it was likely Peavy would miss more than one start.

Notes: Padres officials checked Petco Park following an explosion Monday afternoon at a hotel under construction about 200 yards away. The ballpark wasn't damaged, but the blast was heard and felt by stadium workers and a handful of early arriving ballplayers and coaches. Authorities said 14 workers were injured, five critically. ... St. Louis' Rick Ankiel hit off a tee but is still listed as day-to-day with a sprained right shoulder. ... Cardinals LHP is likely to resume his rehab from shoulder surgery in 10 to 14 days. He was pulled from a rehab assignment earlier this month due to a mild rotator cuff strain.

[Associated Press; By BERNIE WILSON]

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