Berkman leads Cards past Astros

HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman homered and drove in four runs during a nine-run sixth inning then added a solo shot in the ninth against his former team to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 11-7 on Thursday night.

Berkman's three-run shot off Fernando Abad (1-2) gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead as a mixture of cheers and boos rained down on the slugger who spent 12 seasons with the Astros.

Matt Holliday drove in three runs during the sixth inning, and Kyle McClellan and David Freese both drove in a run as four Houston pitchers faced 14 batters before finally escaping the sixth. The Cardinals had pulled ahead 10-4 by that point.

McClellan (4-0) allowed eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings for the win.

Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer and Carlos Lee drove in two runs for the Astros, though they couldn't make up for the Cardinals' one big inning.

St. Louis Cardinals' Lance Berkman (12) is congratulated byGerald Laird after his solo home run in the ninth inning of the Cardinals' 11-7 win over the Houston Astros in a baseball game Thursday, April 28, 2011, in Houston. Berkman hit two home runs in the game. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Berkman finished with four hits, a triple short of the cycle. He totaled eight hits and seven RBIs in his first series against his former team. It was his third multihomer game of the season and the 28th of his career.

The switch-hitter cracked his first homer right-handed and the second, which landed behind the Astros' bullpen in right-center, came from the left side.

Freese and Albert Pujols hit consecutive singles before Holliday chased Houston starter Nelson Figueroa and trimmed the Cardinals' deficit to 4-2 in the sixth inning.

Abad eventually was replaced by Jeff Fulchino after every batter in the St. Louis lineup hit once in the sixth and the Cardinals had pulled ahead.

Berkman ended the scoring in that inning with a run-scoring single to right field. This time, most of the fans booed the former Houston star. Pujols turned and pointed to a smiling Berkman at first base after Pujols scored.