Cardinals fall flat in 4-2 loss to Expos

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Expos made a rare early lead stand up.

Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge hit two-run homers in the first inning to Friday night in a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sun-woo Kim (2-0) allowed one run and seven hits over six innings in his second start since joining the rotation. His 5-4 win at Los Angeles on Sunday was his first since Sept. 28, 2002.

"It was a big start for Sunny," Wilkerson said. "It felt good to finally play ahead for once, to give ourselves some room. With the Cardinals, the way they swing the bats up and down the lineup, he came out and did a great job and we gave him some runs to work with."

Rocky Biddle pitched the ninth for his sixth save in as many chances. Montreal has won four of five for the first time this season, getting consecutive victories for only the third time.

Matt Morris (3-3) gave up all four runs and seven hits in six innings.

"When you go down 4-0 it's a different feel for the team," Morris said. "The other guys don't feel pressured. I'm angry at myself for not concentrating on those pitches."

St. Louis, which outhit the Expos 9-7, fell to 2-2 on its six-game trip, dropping its road record to 9-4.

Endy Chavez singled leading off Montreal's first and scored on Wilkerson's two-out homer. Tony Batista singled and Sledge, who started the season in a 1-for-35 slide, lined a drive over the wall down the right-field line for his second homer in four games.

"It was nice to see us jump out in front with a couple of home runs," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "That's been missing from our offense and it was good to see because it looked like Morris was going to wriggle out of those first two hitters getting on and then (Wilkerson) and Sledge came through for us."

Scott Rolen hit an RBI single in the fourth, and pinch-hitter Colin Porter homered with two outs in the ninth.