Penny slams Angels in Friday night win

ST. LOUIS -- Swinging a bat was just fine for Brad Penny, who hit a grand slam in the third inning.

Pitching was another matter.

The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander aggravated an upper back injury from the previous start and had to leave the cushion he created with the bullpen after only three innings of a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

"It was something I was trying to deal with between starts," Penny said. "I couldn't have pitched that last inning, there was no way. The first inning, I felt incredible. The second inning, I felt OK and the third inning, I started feeling a little worse."

Penny said he didn't inform the team after his last start in Cincinnati, in which he allowed seven runs on 13 hits in five innings, that something felt wrong. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said that wasn't unusual, that players constantly are judging whether they're hurt or just sore, but admitted concern.

"My mood stinks, so you'll have to suffer with me," he told reporters.

Penny and Joel Pineiro, the pitcher he replaced in the Cardinals' rotation, both were gone after three innings.

Pineiro (3-5) entered with 17 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, but was clubbed for nine runs on nine hits against the team that allowed him to leave as a free agent after a 15-win season. Penny was shaky for the second straight start while giving up four runs on five hits.

"Just overall, it was embarrassing," Pineiro said. "They just hit me around."

Jason Motte (2-1), the third St. Louis pitcher, struck out two in two perfect innings.

Felipe Lopez followed Penny's third career homer, and first since 2003, with a solo shot that barely cleared the wall in right and was the first confirmed by video replay at Busch Stadium.

Lopez also had an RBI triple and Colby Rasmus had a two-run triple for the Cardinals.

Tied 4-4 after two innings, the teams combined for 10 hits, a wild pitch, passed ball and hit batter before the first strikeout: Juan Rivera to end the top of the third.