Expos keep Cardinals stuck in a slump

ST. LOUIS -- Masato Yoshii pitched a seven-hitter to win for the first time since April 16, and the top three in the Montreal Expos' order began 8-for-8 Tuesday night in a 10-1 victory over the slumping St. Louis Cardinals.

Scott Rolen's first home game with the Cardinals was a quiet one after the 35-second standing ovation before his first at-bat. He was 0-for-4 with three groundouts, stranding three runners his first two at-bats, and is 0-for-19 since getting two hits in each of his first two games with St. Louis.

The NL Central leaders are 1-6 since acquiring Rolen from the Phillies on July 29 and have been outscored 41-13 in that stretch. They've lost six in a row for the first time since June 26-July 3 last year.

Another recent acquisition for the Cardinals, Chuck Finley, lasted only 2 2/3 innings in his second-shortest outing in 22 starts this season. Finley (2-2), making his fourth start since the Cardinals acquired him from Cleveland on July 19, gave up seven runs and seven hits, and forced in a pair of runs with bases-loaded walks.

Yoshii (3-4) pitched his third career complete game, his first since Aug. 18, 1999, against San Diego. He struck out four and walked none, allowing a run-scoring wild pitch in the first. He's split time between starting and the bullpen this season, and this was his first victory since he won two of his first three outings this year.

Expos leadoff hitter Jose Macias tied his career high with four hits and added two RBIs and three runs. No. 2 hitter Jose Vidro had three hits, including an RBI double, and also scored three runs, and No. 3 hitter Vladimir Guerrero had two walks and an RBI double his first three at-bats.

Macias' RBI single in the fifth made it 8-1. Vidro's inning-ending popout was the first out by the top of the order.

Finley walked Fernando Tatis and Troy O'Leary with the bases loaded in the first, and the Expos added three in the second on Andres Galarraga's two-run single and a run-scoring wild pitch.

Macias' RBI double with two outs in the third chased Finley. Vidro and Galarraga followed with RBI doubles off Luther Hackman for an 8-1 lead.

Notes: Hackman, who replaced Finley in the third, had been the probable starter for Thursday in place of the demoted Travis Smith, with Matt Morris getting an extra day of rest. Morris is likely to pitch Thursday. ... Closer Jason Isringhausen rejoined the Cardinals after the birth of his first daughter, Madolyn, on Sunday night. He missed one game. ... Finley's shortest outing was April 16, when he lasted 1 2-3 innings and gave up nine runs -- eight earned -- in a 10-5 loss to the Chicago White. ... Macias has three career four-hit games, the previous coming June 22 against the Indians.