Cards open homestand with 8-1 win over Rockies

~ Jason Marquis gave the starting rotation a boost with eight strong innings.

ST. LOUIS -- Jason Marquis was close to his best, propping up a struggling St. Louis Cardinals rotation and giving a worn-out bullpen a break.

Marquis worked eight sharp innings in an 8-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in the opener of the only non-interleague series of the weekend.

"I think that's as good as he's been for us," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's pitched some really good games for us in the three years he's been with us, but that one ranks right there.

"He was outstanding."

Chris Duncan and Yadier Molina each drove in a run against Aaron Cook (5-7) in a two-run fourth and the Cardinals broke it open with a six-run eighth against three relievers. St. Louis has won four of five and snapped the Rockies' four-game road winning streak.

"It was a bad inning for us, that's about it," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It wraps it up. It was official after that inning."

The Cardinals are 6-7 this month with only four victories by the starting pitchers and only two of those wins coming in effective outings. Marquis (9-4) bucked the trend, allowing one run and five hits, and is 6-0 with one no-decision in his last seven starts.

That total includes a five-inning start against the Cubs on June 4 in which he allowed five runs.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily my best stuff," Marquis said. "But it was definitely my best approach to attacking the hitters early, getting quality strikes early in the count, getting quick outs."

Before Brad Hawpe hit his 13th homer just inside the right-field foul pole with one out in the seventh, the Rockies had only one runner reach second base. Marquis walked two, both times to Hawpe, and struck out three.

"He's definitely a good pitcher and he showed what he does when he's on," Clint Barmes said after going 0-for-3. "I'd say he mixed us up real well."

Jim Edmonds singled with one out in the fourth to start the winning rally. Edmonds, still nursing a lower abdominal injury, had to stop at third on Juan Encarnacion's double into the right-field corner, but then scored at trotting speed on Duncan's flyball to medium-shallow left when Matt Holliday's throw was well off the mark.

Molina, a .218 hitter overall but batting .310 with runners in scoring position, followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.