Cards keep Brewers in a slump at home; Pujols injures thumb

MILWAUKEE -- Orlando Palmeiro tied a career high with four RBIs as the Cardinals kept Milwaukee winless at home with a 7-5 victory over the Brewers on Monday night.

Brett Tomko (1-1) survived a shaky start to send Milwaukee to an 0-4 mark at Miller Park, and 0-4 against St. Louis. He gave up five earned runs on eight hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Cardinals left fielder Albert Pujols left the game after being hit in his right thumb by a fastball thrown by Curtis Leskanic in the seventh. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.

Two Brewers were hurt during the game. Starting pitcher Todd Ritchie left in the fifth with what the team called fatigue in his right shoulder, and right fielder Jeffrey Hammonds jammed his right ankle in an unsuccessful attempt to rob Palmeiro of a home run in the fourth. Both will be evaluated Tuesday.

After giving up nine earned runs in his last start, at Colorado on Wednesday, Tomko allowed three runs in the first before settling in.

Steve Kline got one out for his third save in four opportunities.

Palmeiro had a sacrifice fly in the second, a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run double in the fifth that made it 5-3 and chased Ritchie (1-1), who went to the clubhouse complaining about his right shoulder.

The 31-year-old right-hander missed the last two months of last season with bursitis in his right shoulder after going 5-15 with a 6.06 ERA for the Chicago White Sox.

Ritchie fell to 1-8 in nine career starts against the Cardinals. He allowed six runs on 11 hits, walked three, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and surrendered two homers in 4 2-3 innings.

After John Foster replaced Ritchie, Palmeiro scored from second, making it 6-3 when second baseman Eric Young booted Miguel Cairo's groundball and threw past third baseman Wes Helms for a double error.

Mike Matheny's RBI single off Foster made it 7-4 in the sixth.

Alex Sanchez and Eric Young hit back-to-back doubles and Tomko walked Hammonds, who was hitting .167, with the bases loaded to force in another run. Cairo, filling in for Fernando Vina (hand) at second base, botched a potential double play bouncer, allowing Richie Sexson to score and make it 3-0.

Sanchez came within a few feet of his first career cycle, flying out to deep center field in the sixth for a sacrifice fly while needing his second career home run to accomplish the feat.

Palmeiro's sacrifice fly in the second made it 2-1. Jenkins' throw from shallow left field beat Edgar Renteria by two strides, but the ball scooted through catcher Keith Osik's legs as he tried to apply the tag.

Scott Rolen homered off Ritchie in the third and Palmeiro added a solo shot, his first of the year, in the fourth to tie it at 3.

Geoff Jenkins homered off Tomko in the fifth to make it 6-4.

Sanchez's sacrifice fly off Kevin Ohme made it 7-5 in the sixth.

Notes: The Braves stranded 16 runners. ... Palmeiro also knocked in four runs against Tampa Bay on Sept. 3, 2002. ... Former Milwaukee Braves outfielder Andy Pafko threw out the first pitch. Before the game, he played the accordion for a crowd gathered outside Miller Park to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves' first home game. ... Helms snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a fifth-inning single.