PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Scott Rolen is feeling more relaxed with the
St. Louis Cardinals, and it shows.

Rolen hit a three-run homer and Albert Pujols drove in four runs
as the Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-6 on Monday night.

Rolen, who was 6-for-40 (.150) in his first 11 games after being
traded July 29 from Philadelphia to the Cardinals, homered and
drove in three runs for the second straight day.

"I'm starting to get some hits and that makes you feel a little
better,'' Rolen said. "I think I'm a little more comfortable at
the plate.

"If I had hit three balls real hard and they were all right at
the shortstop, I'd probably feel good, too. But when you get
results, it helps you relax a little bit,'' he said.

Pujols had three hits, including a two-run double and a two-run
homer.

"We got something out of everybody who played tonight,''
manager Tony La Russa said, referring to a lineup potent enough to
keep J.D. Drew in the eighth spot in the batting order.

Tino Martinez also homered as the Cardinals stretched their NL
Central lead to 2½ games over idle Cincinnati with their fourth win
in five games. St. Louis had lost five in a row on the road.

"What we need to do now is get on a roll,'' center fielder Jim
Edmonds said. "This team is good enough to win the division. Now
we have to go out and prove it.''

Brian Giles hit his 30th home run for Pittsburgh. After losing
for the fifth time in six games, the Pirates are a season-low 14
games under .500 at 52-66.

"We made too many mistakes and you can't make them against a
lineup like that,'' Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We left
too many pitches over the middle of the plate and that kind of
lineup will make you pay.''

The game started 62 minutes late because of rain.

Winner Jason Simontacchi (8-4) had gone six starts without a
victory since defeating San Diego 4-1 on July 3. He had been 0-3
with a 7.45 ERA in that stretch.

The Pirates scored three runs in the first before Rolen's 19th
home run tied it at 3 in the fourth. It came off Brian Meadows
(0-3) after Edgar Renteria's single and the first of Jim Edmonds's
two doubles.

"Simontacchi battled,'' La Russa said. "He was upset after
that first inning. A lot of guys wouldn't regain their composure.
He did.''

The Cardinals broke the tie with a four-run fifth inning. Drew,
Fernando Vina and Edgar Renteria hit consecutive singles for the
first run. Edmonds had an RBI single off reliever Joe Beimel and
Pujols doubled in the last two runs.

Martinez hit a solo home run, his 14th, in the seventh off
Josias Manzanillo.

Pujols' 26th home run came off Brian Boehringer and gave St.
Louis a 10-6 lead.

Pittsburgh scored a run in the fifth on singles by Jason Kendall
and Jack Wilson and Giles' sacrifice fly.

Simontacchi allowed four hits and a walk in the first. Aramis
Ramirez hit an RBI double, Rob Mackowiak singled in a run and Kevin
Young hit a sacrifice fly.

Game notes
The Pirates have endured 21 rain delays this season for a
total of 23 hours, 9 minutes. They have had 19 delays at home for
19 hours, 2 minutes. ... Meadows hasn't won a major league game
since he beat Cleveland on May 10, 2001, while with Kansas City.
... Pittsburgh's Armando Rios flied out as a pinch-hitter. He is
1-for-21 since he came off the disabled list on Aug. 2. ... Giles
has hit at least 30 homers in four consecutive seasons. Ralph Kiner
(1947-52) and Willie Stargell (1970-73) are the only other Pirates
to accomplish that. ... Simontacchi had allowed 18 earned runs and
five home runs in 11 innings over his three previous starts.