Cardinals have answer two Reds' rallies

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Skip Schumaker singled to snap an eighth-inning tie after the Cincinnati Reds twice rallied to even the score in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-3 victory Saturday.

Albert Pujols had an RBI double and added one of two bases-loaded walks in a three-run eighth for the Cardinals. Pujols is 9 of 17 with three doubles and four RBIs the first six games of a seven-game homestand, including his first day off of the season Thursday.

David Freese added his second homer of the season and second in three days for the Cardinals, who have won six of seven and ended the Reds' five-game winning streak.

Kyle Lohse allowed a run and struck out eight in seven innings, but remained the lone member of the St. Louis rotation without a win. He matched his best strikeout total since June 30, 2007, when he was the Reds and faced the Cardinals in Cincinnati.

Lohse totaled seven strikeouts his first four starts of the year.

Ryan Franklin (1-0) got the last four outs after the Reds scored twice off the St. Louis bullpen. He benefited from a poor throw by Colby Rasmus on Scott Rolen's tying sacrifice fly to shallow center. Rasmus, who was removed in a double switch, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

The only run the first six innings came on Freese's drive that barely cleared the right field wall in the fourth. Jay Bruce tripled to start the seventh and Orlando Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Pujols' RBI double put the Cardinals ahead 2-1 in the seventh and he scored on Scott Rolen's throwing error as the Cardinals took a 3-1 lead. Rolen's wild throw to first on Holliday's infield hit got away from Votto and allowed Pujols to score.

Jason LaRue doubled off Carlos Fisher (0-1) with one out in the eighth, pinch runner Jaime Garcia advanced on a groundout and Brendan Ryan walked on a full count before Schumaker lined a single to left off Daniel Ray Herrera.

Matt Holliday also walked with the bases loaded, this one off Micah Owings.

NOTES: C Yadier Molina and 3B Freese got tangled up a bit chasing Bruce's foul pop in the fourth and Freese's glove went flying as Molina made the catch near the Reds dugout. ... Of the Cardinals' 111 runs, 53 have come on homers. ... Rolen, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, has four errors after totaling five last year with Toronto and Cincinnati.