HOUSTON – Mike Lamb, Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman hit two-run homers Sunday, leading the Houston Astros over the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1.

Albert Pujols hit his major league-leading 15th homer for St. Louis, a ninth-inning drive that gave him six homers in his last eight games.

Tim Redding (3-3) allowed four hits over 7 1-3 shutout innings for Houston, which had lost its previous five games against St. Louis. After Pujols’ first-inning single, Redding retired 16 of his next 18 batters.

Brad Lidge and Brandon Backe completed a five-hitter, the first win by the home team in nine games between the teams this season.

Matt Morris (4-5) gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings.

Jeff Kent’s RBI single in the first and Lamb’s homer in the fourth built a 3-0 lead.

Bagwell and Berkman homered in the eighth against Cal Eldred. Berkman has homered in eight of his last 12 games.

Notes: Kent extended hit career-best hitting streak to 15 games … Adam Everett leads the NL in runs scored by a shortstop with 38 … Morris has worked six innings or more in all 11 of his starts this season.

AP-ES-05-30-04 1634EDT