Wellemeyer, LaRue lead Cardinals past Pirates

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Considering the St. Louis Cardinals entered the season without a full-time closer, the ninth inning has been in very secure hands.

Ryan Franklin had a 1-2-3 finish for the second straight game in Thursday’s 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s 9 for 9 after taking over when rookie Jason Motte struggled at the start of the year, and hasn’t allowed a run in 13 1-3 innings.

“I’d say that’s the hardest job in baseball,” manager Tony La Russa said. “You’ve just got to keep him fresh, because when he’s fresh he’s got it all working.”

Todd Wellemeyer threw seven innings of four-hit ball and Jason LaRue hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth for the Cardinals, who won two straight against the Pirates after opening a four-game homestand with two losses against the Philadelphia Phillies. Leadoff batter Skip Schumaker had three hits and scored twice.

“For us to bounce back the way we did, I think it shows a lot about the character of this team,” LaRue said. “There’s no quit.”

The 36-year-old Franklin had 17 saves in 25 chances last year, stepping in when Jason Isringhausen was twice demoted from the closer role.

“I’ve been playing a long time, so I’ve had some good stretches where I could hit the mitt when I wanted to,” Franklin said. “This is just one of them.”

St. Louis batted around in a four-run fifth that started with LaRue’s first homer of the season. Ross Ohlendorf (3-3) hit Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick in consecutive at-bats, the latter with the bases loaded. Chris Duncan had a sacrifice fly and Khalil Greene singled in a run.

Ohlendorf felt he slowed down too much in the fifth.

“My fastball command wasn’t as good as it was the rest of the game,” Ohlendorf said. “I had a chance to help us end a losing streak and didn’t come through like I needed to.”

La Russa wasn’t pleased that the Cardinals were hit seven times in the two games, although neither Pujols nor Ludwick thought Ohlendorf was throwing at them.

“He didn’t know where he was throwing it,” Pujols said. “I don’t think he wanted to hit me with Ludwick coming up.”

Ohlendorf, who had won his previous three starts, hit only two batters in his first five starts over 31 innings. He departed after six innings trailing 5-1, although he singled up the middle in the third for his first major league hit after an 0-for-18 start.