Cairo, Kline give Cards a lift

NEW YORK -- Miguel Cairo and reliever Steve Kline each hit a two-run double in a six-run eighth inning that sent the Cardinals to an 8-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.

Edgar Renteria went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double for the Cardinals, who remained two games behind first-place Houston in the NL Central.

Cliff Floyd homered for the struggling Mets, who have lost six of seven and 18 of 23.

New York led 2-1 to start the eighth, but as a steady rain became heavier, second baseman Joe McEwing bobbled pinch-hitter Bo Hart's slow roller for an infield single. Pinch-hitter Kerry Robinson followed with a tying triple to the right-field corner off Dan Wheeler.

Albert Pujols and Edgar Renteria walked to load the bases, and Scott Rolen lifted a sacrifice fly to left, advancing all three runners and putting the Cardinals ahead 3-2. After an intentional walk to Tino Martinez, Cairo sent a liner to the gap in right-center.

One out later, Wheeler had a chance to get out of the inning when Kline (4-4) came to the plate without an official at-bat this season. But the pitcher hit a sharp grounder just inside the third-base line to make it 7-2.

It was Kline's second career hit and first RBIs in 12 at-bats.

Wheeler (0-2) allowed four hits and five runs in one inning.

The Cardinals added another run in the ninth on Renteria's double and Rolen's RBI triple.

The rally saved St. Louis starter Jeff Fassero from another hard-luck loss. Fassero allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, walking two and striking out four.

After 168 straight relief appearances, Fassero joined the St. Louis rotation June 22. In three starts, he has allowed just three runs in 15 2/3 innings, although he has only a loss and two no-decisions to show for it.

New York's Steve Trachsel allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the New York defense helped him leave with the lead in the seventh.

McEwing, whose fifth-inning double put the Mets ahead 2-1, dived to his left to stop Mike Matheny's hit-and-run grounder. Instead of a potential first-and-third situation, St. Louis was left with a runner on second and two outs.

Trachsel was lifted for John Franco, who struck out pinch-hitter J.D. Drew to end the threat.

After sitting through a 55-minute rain delay at the start, the teams played as if they expected more bad weather, breezing through the first four innings in just more than an hour.

Renteria led off the second with his 12th homer, an opposite-field shot off Trachsel. The Mets evened the score in the bottom half on Floyd's drive to right.

Floyd's 18th homer traveled an estimated 420 feet, and the Mets nearly had back-to-back shots when Ty Wigginton hit a drive to deep left-center. But Pujols made a leaping catch to prevent a homer.

Pujols' broken-bat single in the sixth extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

Noteworthy

Floyd's homer was the 150th of his career.

Fassero notched his 1,500th strikeout, getting Jeff Duncan to end the fifth.

Fassero allowed 19 earned runs over his last 17 2/3 innings as a reliever for a 9.68 ERA.

Mets C Mike Piazza expects to begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Norfolk next Friday night, and manager Art Howe said Piazza could be back with the Mets by Aug. 12 if all goes well.

Howe said he doesn't expect LHP Tom Glavine (right ribcage strain) to make his scheduled start Sunday.