Cards win wild one

ST. LOUIS -- So Taguchi scored the go-ahead run on Paul Bako's passed ball in the eighth inning, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Chicago Cubs 10-9 Wednesday night.

The Cardinals, who have won seven of nine, wasted leads of 3-0 and 5-3 but bounced back and improved to 28-8 at home against the Cubs since the start of the 2000 season.

Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer for the Cardinals, his 20th of the season.

Todd Walker homered and had four hits, and Corey Patterson and Derrek Lee had three hits each for Chicago, which outhit the Cardinals 14-9 but lost for the second time in 11 games.

After scoring two runs off closer Jason Isringhausen in the eighth inning Tuesday, Chicago beat up on the Cardinals' bullpen again, scoring six runs in the sixth off Kiko Calero and Julian Tavarez to take a 9-5 lead. Entering the series, Cardinals relievers hadn't allowed a run in 10 consecutive home games, a span of 32 1/3 innings.

Hector Luna tied the score 9-9 in the seventh with a sacrifice fly against Kent Mercker.

Taguchi, recalled from Class-AAA Memphis earlier in the day, took a walk from Mike Remlinger (0-1) to start the eighth. He advanced on John Mabry's sacrifice and a groundout, then scored without a play when Bako couldn't handle a high inside fastball on the first pitch from Kyle Farnsworth.

Bako entered after Mercker and catcher Michael Barrett were ejected by plate umpire Sam Holbrook following an argument at the end of the seventh.

Steve Kline (2-1) retired the last five batters in order.

Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings, while Cubs starter Glendon Rusch gave up five runs and five hits in five innings.

After Pujols' third-inning homer gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead for the second straight night, Chicago tied it in the fifth on Aramis Ramirez's two-run double and Patterson's RBI single.

Pinch-hitter Ray Lankford hit an RBI triple in the sixth, and Tony Womack made the score 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to left that Moises Alou missed for an error.

Calero retired only one of five batters in the sixth. Walker hit his 11th homer, Alou had an RBI double, and Sammy Sosa hit a run-scoring single to put Chicago ahead 6-5.

Patterson had an RBI double, and Ramon Martinez was credited for a two-run double on a liner that Luna misplayed in left.

St. Louis closed in the bottom half when Luna had an RBI double, and Taguchi and Womack singled in runs.Noteworthy

Suppan is 5-0 with a 2.09 ERA on the road and 1-5 with a 5.28 ERA at home. He ended up with no decision for only the third time in 14 starts.

Pujols is 10-for-30 with two homers and eight RBIs against Rusch.