Spiezio clubs two HRs in victory over Arizona

~ St. Louis posted a 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

PHOENIX -- Scott Spiezio homered twice to back Jeff Weaver and give the St. Louis Cardinals a 6-2 victory over Arizona on Thursday night, the Diamondbacks' eighth loss in nine games.

Juan Encarnacion added an RBI single and Chris Duncan also drove in a run for the Cardinals, who opened a 6 1/2-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central.

Luis Gonzalez homered for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 16 of 20 and fell a season-worst 10 games under .500 at 65-75.

Weaver (3-4) gave up two runs and five hits in five innings. He had been 2-2 in seven starts since Aug. 7.

Arizona had runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth but Weaver struck out Tony Clark and, after an intentional walk to Stephen Drew, retired Miguel Batista on a 3-2 forceout and got Chris Young on a groundout.

Batista (10-6) allowed five runs and six hits in six innings. He had been 4-0 in 13 starts since losing to Tampa Bay on June 20.

Duncan's RBI single and Spiezio's two-run homer put St. Louis ahead in the first, by Gonzalez's 15th homer cut the gap to 3-2 in the third. Yadier Molina scored on rookie Miguel Montero's passed ball in the fifth, and Encarnacion followed with a single that made it 5-2.

Spiezio hit his 11th homer of the season in the eighth, a drive off Jorge Julio that went over the St. Louis bullpen in right. It was the seventh two-homer game for Spiezio, the first since May 13, 2003, against the New York Yankees.

Notes: Johnny Estrada was hit by a pitch in the fourth, then left with a bruised right forearm and was replaced by Montero. Estrada is day to day. ... St. Louis has won 19 of 30 at Arizona. ... Gonzalez hit his 47th double of the season in the first, matching the club record he established in 2000. Gonzalez also pulled even with Harry Heinemann for 21st place on baseball's career list with his 542nd double. ... Arizona has been outscored 132-65 in the first inning.