Berkman, Cardinals put hurting on Astros

~ Rookie Lynn pitches five innings to earn his first win in the majors

HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman broke a tie with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso had a two-run double in St. Louis' five-run sixth in the Cardinals' 9-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Berkman, the former Astros player who hit a solo homer to break up Bud Norris' no-hit bid in the seventh inning in the Cardinals' 4-1 loss Wednesday night, snapped a 1-1 tie with a single off the scoreboard in left after Jon Jay singled and Albert Pujols drew a walk off J.A. Happ (3-8).

Mark Hamilton's fielder's choice grounder to second baseman Jeff Keppinger scored Pujols, and Wilton Lopez's bases-loaded walk brought home Hamilton. Then Descalso delivered the two-run double to cap the inning.

Berkman added his 15th homer in the ninth.

Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman swings for strike three in the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (PAT SULLIVAN ~ Associated Press)

Lance Lynn (1-1) benefited from the big inning. He pitched five innings, allowed six hits and one run. He walked three and struck out three.

Happ pitched 5 1/3 innings. He gave up six hits, six earned runs, struck out five and walked two.

The Astros left the bases loaded with one out in the third. Brett Wallace struck out and Chris Johnson hit into a forceout. Houston loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh and managed one run on Keppinger's groundout.

Ryan Theriot, whose 20-game hitting streak ended Wednesday night, doubled down the left-field line to open the game. He was sacrificed to third by Jay and scored on Pujols' groundout.

Theriot also hit a solo homer in the eighth, and Skip Schumaker had an RBI single in the seventh.

St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols races the ball to home plate in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros in a baseball game, Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Houston. Pujols won the race to score. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Houston tied it at 1-1 in the first on a single by Brett Wallace, who hit safely for the 12th time in 14 games.

Hunter Pence singled with two out in the inning, extending his hitting streak to 20 games. He took second on a wild pitch before scoring on Wallace's hit.

Pence's 20-game streak is the longest of his career and the Astros' longest since Miguel Tejada hit in 21 straight games in 2009.

Noteworthy

* St. Louis manager Tony La Russa will manage his 5,000th game tonight at Milwaukee. He will join Connie Mack (7,755) as the only manager or coach in American professional sports history to reach 5,000 games.

Cardinals infielder Daniel Descalso connects for a two-run double during the sixth inning Thursday in Houston. (PAT SULLIVAN ~ Associated Press)

* Pujols has hit for extra bases in six straight games. He had his 435th double in the seventh inning to break a tie for second with Hall of Famer Lou Brock on the Cardinals' career list.

* Theriot, who collected two hits, saw his batting average rise to .298. He also scored two runs for the Cardinals.