Ludwick delivers in St. Louis win

~ The Cardinals pounded out 13 hits in their 12-7 win.

PHOENIX -- Ryan Ludwick has picked up where he left off last year -- on a tear.

After ending the 2008 season on an 11-game hitting streak, the Cardinals outfielder has opened 2009 by hitting in his first seven games. Ludwick extended the streak with a two-run homer and an RBI single to help the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-7 on Wednesday afternoon.

"It's two different years," Ludwick said. "I'm just trying to go up there and get good pitches to hit and get a good part of the bat on the ball."

Ludwick, who is batting .407, made the Diamondbacks pay when they intentionally walked slugger Albert Pujols in the third. Ludwick followed with an RBI single to keep a five-run inning rolling.

"He's one of the best hitters in the game," Ludwick said. "You've got to have some protection for him or they're just going to walk him constantly."

Ludwick later added a two-run homer off Yusmeiro Petit as the Cardinals tacked on four runs in the sixth.

The Cardinals bounced back from a disheartening 7-6 loss in 10 innings Tuesday night -- a game in which starting pitcher Chris Carpenter strained his left ribcage while swinging the bat. The club put Carpenter on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday and said he could be out four to eight weeks.

"I've said from day one to all of our fans, you're never going to question whether this club is ready to play," Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa said.

Chris Duncan added a single, double and triple and two RBIs for the Cardinals, who have won six of seven.

St. Louis benefited from eight walks and three Arizona errors. The Cardinals batted around twice, scoring five runs in the third and four more in the sixth.

"It was really a difficult day for pitchers," LaRussa said. "Everybody that pitched struggled."

St. Louis starter Joel Pineiro (2-0) was credited with the victory despite giving up five runs in five innings and allowing nine hits, including six doubles and a homer. He walked three and struck out three.

Pineiro said he had trouble commanding his sinker.

"It was a struggle from the first pitch to the last pitch," he said. "I couldn't put the ball wherever I wanted to most of the time."

Pineiro was better than Arizona's Jon Garland (1-1), who allowed seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.