Energized bats lift Cards out of a slump

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris and a revived offense put an end to the St. Louis Cardinals' miseries.

Morris won his 13th game and Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds hit two-run home runs as the Cardinals beat the Montreal Expos 5-3 to snap a seven-game losing streak Thursday night.

Pujols connected in the first and Edmonds in the second, and the five runs in the first two innings were one more than the team's total in the previous four games.

"Matt did what we needed, he showed up big," manager Tony La Russa said. "And we had a couple of big swings early."

The Cardinals, who were outscored 45-14 and batted just .201 with a 6.36 ERA during the losing streak, avoided a sweep in the three-game series.

St. Louis leads the NL Central by two games over the Astros and by three over the Reds, both of whom lost Thursday.

Pujols' 24th homer, and first since July 21, ended a 58-inning drought without a long ball for the Cardinals. It gave them their first lead since the top of the eighth Sunday at Atlanta when they were ahead 1-0 before losing 2-1.

Edmonds hit his 23rd homer, and first since July 31, into the upper deck in right field in the second for a 5-1 lead. Edgar Renteria added an RBI single in the first off Britt Reames (1-3).

Morris (13-7) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking none to win for just the third time in nine starts. In his previous two outings, Morris allowed nine earned runs in 10 innings.

"It's one game and it's nice to get the monkey off our backs," Morris said. "It's nice to go out there and make pitches."

Morris added two hits and a run scored to the attack. He has a pair of two-hit games this year, both coming against the Expos with the last on April 28 in Montreal.

He also put the clamps on leadoff Jose Macias, who was 7-for-10 the first two games with three RBIs, four runs scored and two doubles. Macias was 0-for-4 and didn't get the ball out of the infield.

"I was seeing the ball as good as I have the last few games, but nothing was falling in," Macias said. "I think tonight was just one of those games."

Morris was working with catcher Mike Matheny for only the fourth time in 25 starts. The rest of the time he's thrown to Mike DiFelice.

Jason Isringhausen worked the last two innings for his 25th save in 29 chances. It was just the third two-inning save of Isringhausen's career.

Isringhausen was well-rested, working 1 2-3 innings since July 25, and told La Russa before the game he was ready to pitch.

"We needed a win and I told him if he needed me for two it wouldn't be a problem," Isringhausen said. "That's the way we're supposed to do it."

The Expos scored in the second on two singles and a sacrifice fly by Orlando Cabrera. Morris' toughest inning was the sixth when Montreal got three straight hits capped by Troy O'Leary's two-run double, and Andres Galarraga and Brad Wilkerson both flied out to right fielder J.D. Drew at the wall.

Galarraga also flied out to the wall in right in the second inning.

"I think we have to wash his uniform," Morris said of Drew. "I think it has some green on it. J.D.'s out there cool and calm, but that's not how I felt."

Reames made only his fourth start of the season and it was a short one. He lasted two innings, giving up five runs on five hits.

"He didn't like he was comfortable out there," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "He didn't seem confident, either. He just didn't have much."

Reames, who pitched for the Cardinals in 2000 before going to Montreal in the deal that brought Steve Kline to St. Louis, said it wasn't for lack of effort.

"If you don't have intensity when you pitch against your old team, something is wrong," Reames said. "It might not have looked like it, but my intensity and focus was definitely there. It may have been too much."

The Cardinals lead the all-time series 259-258.