Pujols bombs Cardinals past Reds

CINCINNATI -- Albert Pujols is looking awfully healthy these days.

The former MVP hit a three-run homer -- his second in two days -- and Chris Carpenter stymied the NL's most prolific offense again, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Pujols connected in the fifth inning off Bronson Arroyo (7-8), who gives up the most homers in the NL. It was Pujols' 20th homer overall and his third since returning from a broken left wrist that cost him only two weeks.

"At the end of the season, he's going to be somewhere near his career averages for everything," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "The only thing is he missed two weeks, so he might have a little less of this or that. But he's the Albert he's been the last 10 years."

Arroyo didn't want to walk Pujols and load the bases for Matt Holliday. He ended up leaving a 2-1 pitch too far over the plate.

"I threw him a changeup down that I've gotten him with in the past," Arroyo said. "A lot of times, he'll ground it foul. This time, it got too much of the plate."

Carpenter (5-7) was the same way he's been against Cincinnati the last few years. He allowed Joey Votto's RBI single in eight innings, improving to 14-4 against the Reds. He's won 12 of his last 13 decisions against Cincinnati.

His grittiest moment came in the eighth when the Cardinals committed a pair of errors to leave runners on second and third with two outs. Carpenter fanned Chris Heisey on a slow breaking ball -- his 116th pitch -- then pumped his arms in celebration.

"I just get excited when I go out there," Carpenter said. "It's a competitive game. They're a quality club. I was able to make a pitch to get out of that jam."

Another sellout crowd was hoping for a second straight Reds comeback. Instead, Fernando Salas -- who gave up Brandon Phillips' game-ending homer Friday -- finished off them, getting his 17th save in 20 chances.