PHILADELPHIA — Matt Holliday hopped off a train, joined his new team and made an immediate contribution before making good contact.
Holliday went 4-for-5 with one RBI to back Joel Piñeiro, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Friday night in a matchup of division leaders.
Acquired from Oakland for a package of prospects earlier Friday, Holliday had two soft hits and a stolen base to help the Cardinals build a 5-0 lead. He ripped a double in the seventh and got his second infield single in the ninth.
The former Rockies all-star outfielder significantly bolsters St. Louis’ lineup for the stretch drive. With Piñeiro on the mound, the NL Central-leading Cardinals didn’t need much offense.
Piñeiro (9-9) tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits. He’s given up three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts, lowering his ERA to 2.95.
Julio Lugo homered and tripled in his first game with St. Louis, and Rick Ankiel went 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
The NL East-leading Phillies lost for just the third time in 18 games. They entered with a comfortable 6 1/2-game lead in the division.
Philadelphia rookie left-hander J.A. Happ (7-1) gave up five runs and 10 hits in six innings, breaking a string of six consecutive sharp outings.
