Padres defeat Cardinals 7-1

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres could have used a game like this against St. Louis in October.

Mike Piazza, Dave Roberts and Adrian Gonzalez homered, and Clay Hensley threw eight strong innings to lead the Padres to a 7-1 victory over the NL Central-leading Cardinals on Friday night.

It was the first time the teams met since St. Louis swept San Diego in the division series last postseason, outscoring the Padres 21-11.

Albert Pujols, who leads the majors with 23 homers, drove in St. Louis' only run with a single in the third and finished 1-for-2. In the first, the Padres intentionally walked Pujols after Scott Spiezio doubled with one out. Both runners were stranded. Pujols was hit on the left hip by a pitch in the eighth.

Hensley (3-3) held the Cardinals to one run and five hits, struck out five and walked one. He also doubled in the four-run second for his first big league RBI.

The Padres, who won for the third time in 10 games, jumped on Jeff Suppan (5-4), who didn't face them in the division series.

Roberts hit a leadoff homer to right, the sixth time in his career he's opened a game by going deep. It was his second this season.

Gonzalez homered to left with two outs in the third, his fifth. Piazza hit a ball estimated at 432 feet into the balcony on the third floor of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building just beyond the left-field corner leading off the fifth, his seventh. It came one pitch after catcher Gary Bennett couldn't hold onto Piazza's foul ball just in front of the Padres' dugout.

San Diego scored four runs on five hits in the second.

Khalil Greene hit a leadoff double down the left-field line and scored on a single to center by Geoff Blum. After rookie Josh Barfield forced Blum at second, Hensley doubled over the head of center fielder Jim Edmonds, who was playing in, to score Barfield.

Roberts followed with a single to center, and Mike Cameron drove in both with a single to center.

Pujols singled in David Eckstein with two outs in the third. Cameron made a spectacular diving grab of Scott Rolen's fly ball in right-center for the final out, extending himself to make the catch and then rolling over.

Suppan allowed seven runs and nine hits in six innings, struck out three and walked two.

Notes: Roberts' last leadoff homer was last June 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Bennett struck out four times. ... About a dozen Cardinals came down with a stomach ailment on Thursday, which ruined a day off. "We would have had a hard time fielding a team yesterday," head trainer Barry Weinberg said. ... Blum started in place of slumping 3B Vinny Castilla, who's hitting .225 with one homer and 10 RBIs. Manager Bruce Bochy said Mark Bellhorn probably will start Saturday. ... Bochy also said Piazza will get Saturday and Sunday off.