ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright worked eight innings of three-hit ball to become the National League’s first 15-game winner and Albert Pujols’ rare hit off Wandy Rodriguez drove in the lone run in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Brendan Ryan sped home from first on Pujols’ one-out double down the third-base line in the first inning for the NL Central leaders.
The Cardinals (73-54) have gone 14-3 since Aug. 7 and are a season-best 19 games above .500.
Ryan is 11-for-27 during a seven-game hitting streak.
Wainwright (15-7) matched the Yankees’ CC Sabathia for the major-league victory lead, and regained the team lead over Chris Carpenter (14-3). He retired 17 straight after Michael Bourn doubled to lead off the game, striking out five and walking none.
Bourn was stranded at second when the next three Astros failed to get the ball out of the infield.
The Cardinals totaled four outfield putouts during Wainwright’s outing. The right-hander worked six or more innings for the 25th straight start, the most since Carpenter did it 28 straight times in 2005.
Ryan Franklin finished for his 33rd save in 35 chances, walking Lance Berkman on four pitches with two outs before Carlos Lee flied out to right.
Before Tuesday, Pujols was 3-for-25 with no RBIs against Rodriguez, and the .120 average was his worst against a left-hander with a minimum of 15 at-bats. Rodriguez’s success against Pujols was, in turn, his best against any batter he had faced at least 20 times.
The Cardinals are 27-3 since July 3 in games started by their top three starters — Wainwright, Carpenter and Joel Piñeiro (12-9). They are 10-2 against left-handed starters since the Matt Holliday trade July 24.
Rodriguez (12-8) allowed a run and three hits in seven innings. He has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, going 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA.
