Astros put away Cards in 12

ST. LOUIS -- Brad Ausmus hit a grand slam in the first inning and a solo shot in the 12th to lead the Houston Astros over the Cardinals 6-5 Friday night.

With two runners on in the bottom of the 12th, Brad Lidge struck out Albert Pujols on a 3-2 pitch and Ausmus threw out Fernando Vina trying to steal third to end it.

Jim Edmonds went 4-for-4 with two home runs, two doubles and his first four RBIs of the season to bring the Cardinals back from a five-run first-inning deficit.

Ausmus hit a 1-1 pitch from Russ Springer (0-1) over the left-field wall leading off the 12th for his first career multihomer game. It was his second five-RBI game, both against the Cardinals, who lost for the first time this season.

Before the homer, St. Louis pitchers retired 16 of 17 batters. It was the Astros' first hit since Ausmus singled with two outs in the sixth.

Ricky Stone (1-0) worked a scoreless 11th inning, and Lidge got three outs for his first career save.

Ausmus' second career slam, and first since 1997, capped a five-run first. All of the runs off Brett Tomko were unearned after right fielder Eli Marrero dropped Craig Biggio's liner for an error to start the game.

Jeff Bagwell hit an RBI single and Lance Berkman and Richard Hidalgo walked before Ausmus' slam off the foul pole in left.

Edmonds answered with an RBI double off Brian Moehler in the bottom of the first. Edmonds hit his first homer with the bases empty in the third, and he and Pujols homered on consecutive pitches in the fifth to tie it.

Edmonds' homer to straightaway center was a two-run shot that scored Vina, who doubled with one out.

Edmonds doubled with one out in the seventh before leaving for a pinch-runner. He missed three weeks of spring training with a left calf injury and has yet to play a complete game.

Tomko righted himself after the first, giving up just three hits over the next five innings.

Moehler lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.

Noteworthy

Edmonds has 16 career two-homer games, the last coming April 12, 2002, against the Astros. He has 13 career four-hit games, the last on May 14, 2002, against the Cubs.

Biggio got his 2,300th career hit with an infield single to start the fifth.

The Cardinals' best season start was 7-0 in 1962.

Bagwell is 7-for-22 against Tomko with five homers and 12 RBIs.

Cardinals rookie reliever Kiko Calero worked a perfect eighth and ninth. In his first inning, he retired Bagwell, Berkman and Jeff Kent.

The Astros were 6-13 against the Cardinals last year.