Jhonny Peralta drove in three runs as the St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Philadelphia Phillies, 12-4, to open a three-game set.
Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong each clubbed two-run home runs while Randal Grichuk was 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored for the Cardinals, who have won six of their last eight. Tyler Lyons (2-0) won his second straight start as he allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings.
Ryan Howard hit a three-run home run and Cesar Hernandez drove in a run for the Phillies, who had snapped a nine-game losing streak with a victory on Thursday.
Phillippe Aumont's (0-1) first career start was a rough one as he was pounded for six runs on five hits and seven walks in just four innings on the mound. He was making the start in place of an injured Cole Hamels, who was scratched due to a mild right hamstring strain.
The Cardinals jumped on Aumont in the second inning as Jason Heyward led off with a double and Molina followed with his second homer of the season. The next two batters recorded outs, but Lyons kept the inning alive with a single and Wong followed with his eighth homer of the season for a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth, a pair of walks were later followed by Peralta's two-run double to make it a 6-0 game.
Justin DeFratus came on to pitch for the Phils in the fifth, and fared no better. The first three batters reached base and Lyons singled home a run before Wong struck out. Matt Carpenter then singled in another run, Peralta brought one in with a sac fly and Mark Reynolds doubled off the top of the wall in right-center to score two more for an 11-0 lead.
The Phils were able to cut a bit into their deficit in the home fifth on Howard's 13th of the season, a three-run blast to right, but Grichuk answered with a solo shot of his own in the sixth to make it a 12-3 game.
Hernandez drove in a run on a groundout in the eighth to account for the final score.
[SportsNetwork.com]
