Cardinals enter All-Star break with win

ST. LOUIS -- Fortified by a pregame pep talk from the St. Louis Cardinals' two hitting instructors, David Freese belted his first home run in almost three months.

Freese hit a tie-breaking two-run shot in the third inning and Jaime Garcia won for the sixth time at home as the Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Sunday for a four-game split heading into the All-Star break. Freese said he had a discussion with hitting coach Mark McGwire and instructor Mike Aldrete "about me just being me."

"I'm not trying to prove I can do this or do that," Freese said. "Just put an 'A' swing on it and let things happen."

Albert Pujols had two hits and Matt Holliday had an RBI single and a walk for the Cardinals, who are tied with the Brewers for the NL Central lead and have a roster finally healthy for the second half.

They're 3-3 since getting Pujols back from the DL and Freese prospered batting fifth after going 2 for 12 the previous three games batting second. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said he might hit Freese second again against left-handers but likes him a lot more behind the big three of Holliday, Pujols and Lance Berkman.

Cardinals third baseman David Freese connects for a two-run home run against the Diamondbacks during the third inning Sunday in St. Louis. (Tom Gannam ~ Associated Press)

"I don't really get mixed up with all that," Freese said. "Maybe I feel more comfortable down there, I don't know. It's just nice to be in the lineup."

Ryan Roberts hit a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who completed a 5-5 trip and are in second place in the NL West.

"If they told you this scenario in spring training, you'd take it by all means," said the Diamondbacks' Eric Young, who singled, walked and scored a run. "I think almost any team in baseball would take that for right now.

"You're still in a good position. That's good. That's good news."

The Cardinals won with their 80th different lineup in 82 games. Rookie backup catcher Tony Cruz made his first career start in right field and made a nice sliding catch on a short flyout by Henry Blanco in the fourth. Cruz was replaced for defense in the sixth, with Colby Rasmus going to center and Jon Jay moving to right.

"Everybody in the dugout got charged up when he made that catch," La Russa said. "That's not what he was there to do. He's just got to make the routine play, but he's an athlete."

Roberts' two-run shot in the second was the only damage against Garcia, who entered with a major league best 0.94 ERA at home. He improved to 6-1 at Busch Stadium as his ERA increased to 1.14 in nine starts.

Garcia (9-3) leads the staff in victories a year after finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting. He has won his last three starts.

"I feel really good because obviously I'm healthy. The numbers, they're good, too," Garcia said. "But I'm not going to get satisfied or comfortable."

Freese homered in the third inning, a two-run opposite-field shot off Zach Duke (2-4) to right. It was Freese's first home run in 13 games since coming off the disabled list from a broken left hand that sideline him for 51 games. He had been 3 for 24 with no RBIs the previous seven games and had one double and one RBI in 41 at-bats since returning.

The homer was also the first at home for Freese, a St. Louis native, since May 2, 2010 against the Reds.

Fernando Salas worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances, giving up a hit with a strikeout.

Duke gave up four runs in six innings. He's 1-4 in eight starts since June 2. He paid dearly for his only walk to Matt Holliday with two outs in the third, one at-bat before Freese connected.

"We'd like to have better," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said "He's battling. We'd like to have better from everybody, and that goes for me, too."

The Cardinals got three straight hits in the first, including a double by Pujols and an RBI single by Holliday. Freese made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Roberts tied it in the second with a two-run homer, his 11th of the year.