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ST. LOUIS (AP) -Albert Pujols broke out of an April drought with two home runs and five RBIs, and Chris Duncan was 4-for-5 with a homer to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 on Sunday.
Converted reliever Braden Looper was effective in his third straight start for the Cardinals, who scored four runs during an 0-4 start at Busch Stadium. Their first home victory since beating the Tigers in Game 5 of the World Series came against Brewers ace Ben Sheets, who fell to 4-14 in 22 career starts against St. Louis.
Pujols, who entered the game batting .158 with two RBIs, has 17 career multihomer games.
Looper (2-1) has won two of his first three major league starts after making 572 consecutive relief appearances. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. He added his first career RBI on an infield chopper.
Sheets (1-2) gave up eight runs, seven earned, and eight hits in five-plus innings. His 14 losses against St. Louis are six more than he has against any other opponent.
The Brewers had won three in a row on the road to match their best streak from last season.
Braves 8, Marlins 4
ATLANTA (AP) – Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer and Andruw Jones added a two-run shot to back Tim Hudson’s strong pitching in Atlanta’s victory over Florida.
It was the third home run in four games for Chipper Jones, who has seven RBIs during that stretch. His drive in the third inning off Scott Olsen (2-1) capped a five-run inning. Andruw Jones hit his third of season in the fifth off Rick Vanden Hurk.
Hudson (2-0), who is 102-17 when his team scores at least four runs, allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. The right-hander, who is 5-0 against the Marlins, was helped by three double plays.
Hudson has allowed only two earned runs in three starts and has an ERA of 0.86.
Reds 1, Cubs 0
CHICAGO (AP) – Kyle Lohse struck out a career-high 12 in eight innings and Jeff Conine hit an RBI single, leading Cincinnati past Chicago.
Lohse (1-0) allowed four hits and one walk, outpitching Ted Lilly. Ryan Theriot had three hits for the Cubs, but they couldn’t muster much else.
Conine singled home the lone run in the fourth.
Chicago wasted another solid outing by Lilly (1-1), who allowed two hits while striking out 10 and walking one in six innings. It was his ninth game with 10 or more strikeouts and his first since June 10 with Toronto.
David Weathers got two outs for his fifth save in five chances.
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