Cardinals’ Morris Baffles Cubs

Matt Morris made really quick work of the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Morris threw a four-hitter and Albert Pujols homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals added to a dominating home-field advantage against the Cubs with a 2-0 victory. The game lasted 2 hours 5 minutes.

“I was just trying to make pitches and get out there and get it over with, almost,” Morris said. “It’s fun to go out there when you’re in sync and able to make pitches and execute and start playing with the mental part.”

Of Morris’ 117 pitches, 82 were strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 23 of 30 batters.

“They had to swing,” pitching coach Dave Duncan said. “He had everything going.”

The Cardinals took three of four in the series, outscoring the Cubs, 17-8, and pulled two games behind the National League Central leaders. The Cubs are 2-11 at Busch Stadium the last two years and 4-23 there in the last four years.

Pujols hit his 11th homer on a 1-and-2 pitch from Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth inning for the Cardinals’ second run, and was 5 for 14 in the series with two homers and four runs batted in. The other run scored on a double play ball in the third inning.

Morris (5-3) outdueled 21-year-old Carlos Zambrano (4-4), striking out eight and walking none for his fourth career shutout and first since blanking the Cubs, 3-0, on May 13, 2002, at St. Louis.

“We could have won at least two of these games,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “One hit or one play here or there would have made the difference.

“We’re coming back in August and we’ll see what happens then.”

Arizona 4, San Francisco 3 -- Tim Worrell walked Rod Barajas with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Diamondbacks.

Benito Santiago and J.T. Snow hit solo homers against Curt Schilling for the Giants, who blew a 3-1 lead and lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Worrell (1-2) walked Luis Gonzalez to start the ninth. David Dellucci put down a bunt, and first baseman Snow’s throwing error pulled shortstop Rich Aurilia off second base to put runners at first and second with no outs. It was Snow’s first error this season.

Matt Williams, who hasn’t had a sacrifice bunt since 1990, attempted one but popped out to first. Pinch-hitter Alex Cintron beat out a potential double play to put runners at first and third with two outs, and Steve Finley was walked intentionally to load the bases.

The count was 3-and-0 to Barajas before Worrell threw a strike. Barajas fouled off the next three pitches before the low-and-away ball brought home the winning run.

Schilling, coming off consecutive shutouts at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, gave up three runs and seven hits and threw 121 pitches in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Milwaukee 6, San Diego 5 -- Matt Kinney’s pitching and Geoff Jenkins’ three-run homer helped the host Brewers win a game between the two worst teams in the NL.

The Padres rallied for three runs in the ninth inning on Miguel Ojeda’s two-run double and Dave Hansen’s run-scoring single, but Mike DeJean struck out Ramon Vazquez with the bases loaded for his eighth save in 10 chances.

Kinney (3-3) gave up two runs and six hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked none in sending the Padres to their sixth consecutive loss.

The Brewers tagged Randy Keisler (0-1) for six runs and six hits in three innings. He threw 88 pitches, walked four, gave up three homers, balked once and hit a batter.