Rodriguez’s Goal: Repeat ’96 Season

Henry Rodriguez wants people to know he’s not a one-year wonder.

Rodriguez went three for four with a home run and two RBIs and Jeff Juden gave up two hits in seven innings in his first start since 1995, leading the Montreal Expos to a 4-1 victory Wednesday over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I know what kind of a player I am and what happened last year was not a mistake,” said Rodriguez, who had 36 homers and 103 RBIs in his first full season in the majors.

“I’m not saying I’m an all-star or Barry Bonds,” said Rodriguez, whose eighth-inning homer off reliever Lance Painter gave the Expos a 4-1 lead. “But I think I can play this game a little bit.”

Chris Widger hit the second home run of his career leading off the fifth inning to give Montreal a 3-1 lead.

Rodriguez had an RBI double in the first inning and added a triple in the sixth as Montreal dropped the defending NL Central champions to 0-2.

Juden, making his first start since Sept. 23, 1995, when he was with Philadelphia, gave up two hits in seven innings.

“I had a rough outing in my last outing in the spring, so I wasn’t carrying any momentum coming into today,” said Juden, 4-10 in 19 lifetime starts. “I just wanted to come out and settle into a groove. I think I did that.”

St. Louis, which finished with only the two hits, has scored only two runs in its first two games, both on wild pitches and both by Delino DeShields.

Omar Daal worked the eighth inning for Montreal and Lee Smith, baseball’s lifetime saves leader, worked a perfect ninth for his first save since June 28. Smith was making his 998th appearance.

“I felt really pumped,” Smith said. “My arm strength has come around in the last few days. I’m not hitting 96 [mph] anymore, but I think I’ve got a little bit left.”

Widger, a catcher acquired in the off-season trade that sent pitcher Jeff Fassero to Seattle, homered for the first time since July 23, 1995, in the fifth inning to put Montreal ahead, 3-1.