Pujols' HR holds up for 1-0 victory

St. Louis defeated Colorado behind Chris Carpenter and two relievers.

DENVER -- Albert Pujols hit his 33rd homer, Chris Carpenter scattered seven hits over 7 1/3 innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Colorado 1-0 Tuesday night to hand Jason Jennings the first complete-game loss for a Rockies pitcher at home in franchise history.

Pujols hit a 1-1 pitch from Jennings into the right-field stands in the sixth. That was all the Cardinals could manage against Jennings, who allowed four hits and two walks.

Carpenter repeatedly worked out of trouble to put St. Louis in position to win. He allowed runners to reach third base in each of the first three innings and retired the side in order just twice.

Carpenter struck out four and walked three, one intentionally. He was pulled in the bottom of the eighth after giving up a one-out single to Matt Holliday, but reliever Randy Flores got Todd Helton to fly out to center and Brad Hawpe struck out swinging.

Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

Jamey Carroll led off the bottom of the first with a double and took third on Clint Barmes' sacrifice bunt, but third baseman Scott Rolen threw him out at the plate when he tried to score on Garrett Atkins' bouncer to third.

The Rockies ran themselves out of the inning again in the fourth when Choo Freeman struck out on a 3-2 pitch and Brad Hawpe, who had singled, was thrown out at second on a botched hit-and-run play.

The Cardinals threatened in the first when David Eckstein and So Taguchi hit consecutive singles, but Pujols lined out to shortstop and Juan Encarnacion hit into a double play to end the inning.

Jennings settled in after that, giving up a walk in the second and then retiring 12 consecutive batters before Pujols' homer with two out in the sixth.

Noteworthy

It was the third 1-0 game in the history of Coors Field.

Barmes' infield single in the fifth gave him a 13-game hitting streak.

Pujols has now scored 700 runs in his career.