Albert Pujols Hits Game-Winning Single in 9th Inning, As Cardinals Sweep Pirates After 4-3 Win

Albert Pujols hit a game-winning single in the ninth inning after Jason Isringhausen allowed a tying home run to Jose Hernandez in the top half, giving the St. Louis Cardinals a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday and a three-game sweep.

St. Louis led 3-2 with two outs in the ninth when Hernandez hit his first homer of the season. Isringhausen (1-2) has allowed three homers in eight innings this season.

The Hernandez homer denied Mark Mulder his 100th career victory. Then, in the bottom half, David Eckstein and Hector Luna hit consecutive singles off Roberto Hernandez (0-1), and Pujols lined a 2-2 pitch down the third-base line.

Luna, who went 2-for-5 and raised his average to .432, had his fourth straight multihit game for the Cardinals, who have won six of seven overall. They're 29-10 against the Pirates since 2004 and swept them for the first time since May 23-25 last year.

Juan Encarnacion, batting cleanup for the first time this season, hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth off Zach Duke to break a 2-2 tie. Encarnacion has five RBIs the last two games after totaling one in the first 19.

Craig Wilson's two-run homer in the fourth wasn't enough for the Pirates to avoid a season-worst seventh straight loss. They've been outscored 34-12 during the slump, and have lost 12 of 13 on the road.

Mulder allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings.

Scott Spiezio, starting for the second straight game with Scott Rolen sidelined by bronchitis, was 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single in the first. Miles, playing second base for the first time since a two-error game on Sunday, had an RBI single in the second for a 2-0 lead.

Pittsburgh had two runners on before Wilson grounded into an inning-ending double play in the first. He didn't miss his next chance, hitting his seventh homer to tie it in the fourth.

Duke gave up three runs, eight hits and five walks three intentional in six innings. Last season, Duke stopped a pair of five-game losing streaks, plus a three-game skid.

Notes:@ Jack Wilson was 0-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice, ending an eight-game hitting streak. … Paid attendance of 38,728 gave the Cardinals their 12th sellout in 12 games at the new Busch Stadium. … The Cardinals have won six of seven series this season the exception was a Cubs' sweep in early April. This is their second sweep of the season; they also took three straight at Philadelphia to open the season.