PHILADELPHIA _ The Cardinals, stopped on Saturday in their bid to set a major league record for consecutive multi-homer games at 10, tied a different home run mark on Sunday as they walloped the Phillies 9-0 behind Mike Leake's seven strong innings in a game marked by a steady rain over the final few innings.
Among their four home runs for the day was a pinch homer by Jeremy Hazelbaker, a two-run drive in the eighth inning that was the Cardinals' 14th pinch homer of the season, tying the major league mark established in 2001 by both the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Other home-run mashers were Brandon Moss (23), Jedd Gyorko (20) and Stephen Piscotty (18). Hazelbaker's blast was his 11th of the season.
The Cardinals have 24 homers in their last 11 games, just one each by Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta, who led the club last year with 28 and 17, respectively, for the season.
"I enjoy watching a lot of homers," said Peralta, smiling. "A lot of guys hit a lot of homers. Me and Carpenter are a couple of guys watching. Watching Gyorko, Moss ...
"That's good. They go far."
Moss agreed that the Cardinals' DNA is the home run.
"It's not the only way we can score runs, but it's our main way," said Moss. "We've got a lot of guys in the lineup who can do a lot of damage."
Leake, who had given up 13 runs over 17 innings in his last three starts, blanked the Phils on seven hits, walked just one and fanned eight as he evened his record at 9-9.
The Cardinals finished off a 6-3 trip by winning two of three games at Citizens Bank Park. They return home for an off day on Monday before they play their final 39 games in 41 days beginning Tuesday at home against the New York Mets.
