Triple play doesn't faze Cardinals

ST. LOUIS -- Atlanta shortstop Rafael Furcal turned the 12th unassisted triple play in major league history, but the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Braves 3-2 Sunday night when Albert Pujols hit a tiebreaking homer off John Smoltz in the eighth inning.

Furcal single-handedly snuffed out a Cardinals rally in the fifth for the first unassisted triple play in the majors since Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde did it against the New York Yankees on May 29, 2000.

With runners on first and second, Furcal made a leaping grab of pitcher Woody Williams' liner. The runners were going on a 1-1 pitch, and Furcal stepped on second base to double up Mike Matheny before tagging out Orlando Palmeiro as he made a futile attempt to scamper back to first.

Gary Sheffield homered and hit a sacrifice fly for the Braves, who took a 2-1 lead into the eighth. But Eduardo Perez homered off Horacio Ramirez with two outs and Pujols followed with his 31st of the season on a 1-0 pitch from Smoltz (0-2).

The home run extended Pujols' hitting streak to 24 games. The Cardinals took two of three from the NL's top team.

Pujols is 36-for-94 during the streak (.383) and is hitting a major league-best .368 overall.

Sheffield was 3-for-3, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

Smoltz has given up only two homers in 57 2-3 innings.

Cal Eldred (5-4) worked a hitless eighth for the win, and Jason Isringhausen got three straight outs for his 11th save in 12 chances.

The Cardinals scored only 14 runs on 34 hits during a 3-3 homestand, going 5-for-36 with runners in scoring position.

Matheny singled to start the fifth and Palmeiro reached when Ramirez threw late to second on his sacrifice bunt. Williams tried to bunt earlier in the at-bat, but the .260-hitting pitcher was allowed to swing away.

The Cardinals have hit into two triple plays this season, also doing it April 10 at Colorado.

Ramirez allowed one run, Matheny's second-inning homer, and five hits in 7 2-3 innings.

Sheffield is 24-for-56 (.429) during his hitting streak with five homers and 15 RBIs. His seventh-inning sacrifice fly gave the Braves a 2-1 lead. He also reached on an infield single in the first, hit his 29th homer leading off the fourth and singled in the fifth.

Williams, among the league leaders with 14 wins, lasted seven innings. He allowed two runs and eight hits.