Cardinals handled by Myers, Phils

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Brett Myers is earning respect around the National League.

Pat Burrell had three hits and two RBIs, and Myers had another solid outing, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

''He's the real deal,'' St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.

Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds homered for the NL Central-leading Cardinals, who lost a road series for just the second time this season.

Myers (4-2) gave up three runs and six hits, striking out nine in seven innings. His ERA rose from 1.63 to 1.87 as he allowed more than two runs for only the second time in nine starts.

''I tried to stop overthrowing and make good pitches,'' said Myers, who has pitched well this season after struggling last year. ''I made two mistakes and they hit them out.''

It was an important victory for the last-place Phillies, who begin a difficult nine-game road trip against Baltimore, Florida and Atlanta.

Chase Utley's infield single drove in the go-ahead run against Jason Marquis in the fourth inning, giving the Phillies a 4-3 lead.

Marquis (5-3) nearly worked out of a jam after Jimmy Rollins and Bobby Abreu walked and pulled off a double steal. The right-hander struck out Burrell for the second out, but Utley beat Marquis to the bag on a grounder to first base, scoring Rollins.

Burrell's RBI double off the wall in center field made it 5-3 in the sixth. He drove in the first run on a single in the first.

Pinch-hitter Jose Offerman hit a solo homer off Julian Tavarez in the seventh to give the Phillies a three-run cushion.

''We came up with a couple more big hits, but the whole thing revolves around pitching and Brett has been real good for us,'' Burrell said.

Marquis allowed four runs, seven hits and tied a career high with six walks in four innings. It was his shortest outing since lasting only four innings against Pittsburgh last May 26.

''I just didn't have it. I couldn't get anything going,'' Marquis said. ''Mechanically, nothing went right.''

Edmonds led off the second with his seventh homer to tie it at 1. Pujols hit his second two-run homer in two games to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the third.

Utley scored on a wild pitch to tie it at 3 in the third. Myers gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead with an RBI single after faking a bunt in the second.

Reggie Sanders doubled off Billy Wagner in the ninth and scored on a groundout.

Notes: St. Louis fell to an NL-best 13-6 on the road ... Each team had three stolen bases ... Offerman's homer was his first as a pinch-hitter.