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Cards win on Pujols' blasts

Juan Pierre of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats while wearing No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson during the first inning against the San Diego Padres on Sunday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won 9-3. PHOTO: AP

Albert Pujols broke out of a drought this month with two home runs and five RBIs and Chris Duncan was 4-for-5 with a homer to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 in the National League on Sunday.

Converted reliever Braden Looper was effective in his third straight start for the Cardinals, who scored four runs during an 0-4 start at Busch Stadium.

Their first home victory since the World Series came against Brewers ace Ben Sheets, who fell to 4-14 in 22 career starts against St. Louis.

Looper (2-1) has won two of his first three major league starts after making 572 consecutive relief appearances. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. He added his first career RBI on an infield chopper.

Sheets (1-2) gave up eight runs, seven earned, and eight hits in five-plus innings.

Braves 8, Marlins 4

At Atlanta, Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer and Andruw Jones added a two-run shot to back Tim Hudson's strong pitching in Atlanta's victory over Florida.

It was the third home run in four games for Chipper Jones, who has seven RBIs during that stretch. His drive in the third inning off Scott Olsen (2-1) capped a five-run inning. Andruw Jones hit his third homer of season in the fifth off Rick Vanden Hurk.

Reds 1, Cubs 0

At Chicago, Kyle Lohse struck out a career-high 12 in eight innings and Jeff Conine hit an RBI single, leading Cincinnati past Chicago.

Lohse (1-0) allowed four hits and one walk, outpitching Ted Lilly. Ryan Theriot had three hits for the Cubs, but they couldn't muster much else.

Conine singled home the lone run in the fourth.

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 4

At Phoenix, Tony Clark homered twice and drove in three runs, leading Arizona over Colorado.

It was the 22nd multihomer game for the 34-year-old Clark, one of many major leaguers who wore No. 42 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's major league debut.

Dodgers 9, Padres 3

At Los Angeles, the Dodgers honored Jackie Robinson with a pregame ceremony on the 60th anniversary of the day he broke the major league's color barrier.

All the Dodgers wore No. 42, the number Robinson wore when he played for Brooklyn in 1947.

Andre Ethier homered and drove in his first four runs of the season for the Dodgers.

Randy Wolf (2-1) allowed six hits and three runs in six innings and struck out seven in a strong outing.

C.C. Sabathia pitched eight strong innings and the Cleveland Indians got only one hit -- a leadoff double in the first -- in a 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox in the American League on Sunday.

Sabathia (3-0) allowed five hits, struck out 10, walked three and improved to 14-3 -- 2-0 this season -- in 22 starts against Chicago.

Blue Jays 2, Tigers 1

At Toronto, John McDonald drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single and Josh Towers recovered from a shaky outing with seven-plus strong innings for Toronto.

McDonald broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out single that brought in Royce Clayton.

Devil Rays 6, Twins 4

At Minneapolis, Dioner Navarro hit a tiebreaking double off Joe Nathan in the ninth inning and Tampa Bay earned a split of the four-game series with Minnesota.

Navarro's second hit of the game snapped a 4-all tie and sent Nathan (1-1) to his first loss since September 2005.

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