ST. LOUIS, April 30 (UPI) -- Albert Pujols homered twice and Eli Marrero and Edgar Renteria drove in three runs apiece Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals stormed past the New York Mets, 13-4.
Pujols sparked the blowout with a solo homer in the first inning and added a two-run shot in the fourth. It was his third career multi-homer game and first since May 28, 2001.
Marrero capped a five-run first inning with a three-run homer and Renteria had a run-scoring single and two-run double to raise his National League-leading RBI total to 27.
Fernando Vina homered and Jim Edmonds had a pair of doubles as the Cardinals won for the fourth time in five games.
The offense made it comfortable for Woody Williams (4-0), who allowed just two runs and four hits in seven innings. He struck out five and improved to 20-5 since joining the Cardinals.
Mets starter Pedro Astacio (1-1) was shelled for nine runs and nine hits, including four home runs, in just four innings.
Mo Vaughn provided a rare highlight for the Mets in the ninth, when he hit a 466-foot homer into the upper deck in right-center field.
