Penny leads Cardinals past Nationals 6-4

JUPITER, Fla. -- This type of outing was what St. Louis was hoping for when it signed Brad Penny to a $7.5 million, one-year contract in the offseason.

Penny threw four shutout innings to help the Cardinals beat the winless Washington Nationals 6-4 on Wednesday.

"He had good stuff," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "His location was outstanding. He was very impressive."

The Cardinals were without sluggers Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, who were scratched after batting practice. Pujols was supposed to be back in the lineup after being sidelined by a sore back, but the problem resurfaced. Holliday had some soreness in his ribcage.

"Especially at this time of year it's better to go safe than sorry," Holliday said. "Whether it feels good enough to swing tomorrow or not, I probably won't. If this was two days before the season started I might be a little more concerned, but I've got time."

-- AP