PITTSBURGH — Ryan Ludwick allowed Adam Wainwright to overcome a rare subpar start and back into becoming the majors' first 17-game winner.

Ludwick homered twice and had his first career five-hit game, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-7 last night for their 10th win in 12 games.

Last-place Pittsburgh lost its eighth straight despite a six-run fifth that briefly gave it the lead after trailing 5-0 — only to watch Albert Pujols give St. Louis the lead again the following half-inning with a three-run homer, his major league-leading 43rd.

"He had that one bad inning," Ludwick said of Wainwright. "He's been so dominating as of late, to be able to come back and get him out of it — being that he really hasn't done that at all of late — it was nice. It was nice to be able to help him out, get him off the hook and get this first win of the series."

Matt Holliday also homered and Mark DeRosa added three hits for St. Louis, which extended its lead in the NL Central to 11 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs.

NL Cy Young candidate Wainwright (17-7) cruised through the first four innings, allowing only four baserunners and holding a 5-0 lead until, with one out in the fifth, seven of eight Pirates batters reached to give them a 6-5 lead.

ASTROS 7, PHILLIES 0

Wandy Rodriguez (13-9) allowed seven hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings to win his fifth straight home decision, and drove in two runs with a double to lead Houston over Philadelphia.

MARLINS 9, NATIONALS 6

John Baker homered and matched a career high with four RBIs, Jorge Cantu also connected, and visiting Florida won its third straight while handing Washington its seventh consecutive loss.

REDS 3, BRAVES 1

Bronson Arroyo (12-12) gave up six hits and one run in seven innings, and Jonny Gomes' homer in the second gave visiting Cincinnati a 1-0 lead it never lost in winning for the fifth straight time, while handing Atlanta its third consecutive loss.

METS 6, CUBS 2

Pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis hit a tiebreaking RBI single that triggered a five-run eighth inning, and Francisco Rodriguez entered with the bases loaded in the ninth and got two outs for his 29th save as host New York beat Chicago.

ROCKIES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4

After Seth Smith's two-run double tied it at 4-all for Colorado in bottom of the seventh, pinch-hitter Jason Giambi singled home Yorvit Torrealba from second base with one out in the eighth to beat Arizona.

PADRES 2, DODGERS 0

Rookie Wade LeBlanc (1-1) pitched two-hit ball over six innings, Kevin Kouzmanoff singled home a run in the first, and host San Diego got another run in the second with the help of two Los Angeles throwing errors.

GIANTS 3, BREWERS 2

Prince Fielder drove in his 121st run, tops in the majors, and Jeff Suppan took a no-hitter into the fifth, but Bengie Molina homered on the first pitch in the top of the eighth inning to lift San Francisco over Milwaukee.