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| St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009 in San Diego. |
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Chris Carpenter pitched seven crisp innings, Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 7-0 on Saturday night.
Carpenter (14-3) won his ninth consecutive decision and moved into a tie for the major league lead in victories. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out six.
The NL Central-leading Cardinals moved eight games ahead of the Chicago Cubs, who lost 2-0 at Los Angeles. It's the largest margin for any division leader in baseball.
St. Louis is 12-3 since Chicago took over the Central lead by percentage points on Aug. 6, while the Cubs are in a 4-11 rut.
Holliday connected in the first inning against Kevin Correia (8-10), hitting his sixth homer since he was acquired from Oakland on July 24. Holliday, who also had an infield single and walked twice, is hitting .400 with 25 RBIs in 27 games with St. Louis.
The Cardinals have the best record in the majors (19-8) since the Holliday trade.
Colby Rasmus and pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel added solo homers as St. Louis won for the 18th time in 24 games.
Carpenter allowed just one runner to reach second base and lowered his major league-best ERA to 2.16. In his last 10 starts, Carpenter is 9-0 with a 1.92 ERA.
David Eckstein reached on an infield single in the fourth inning, Adrian Gonzalez singled in the seventh and Will Venable added a double later in the inning for the only hits off Carpenter. After the hits by Eckstein and Gonzalez, the Cardinals turned double plays against Chase Headley.
Brad Thompson and Dennys Reyes each got three outs to complete the four-hitter for St. Louis' eighth shutout. The Padres have been shut out 10 times.
Carpenter faced the Padres for the first time since he beat them twice in the 2006 division series to help the Cardinals advance.
Carpenter tied teammate Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis of Colorado, Boston's Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees for the big league lead in wins. Beckett and Sabathia face each other Sunday night at Fenway Park.
San Diego has lost 10 of 11 games to St. Louis.
Correia allowed five runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.
NOTES: Albert Pujols, who went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts, is 5 for 23 in six games against San Diego this year. ... Ankiel's pinch homer was the second of his career, the other also coming at Petco Park against the Padres on May 21, 2008. ... San Diego signed Eckstein to a one-year contract extension. Eckstein, who leads NL 2B in fielding percentage, signed a one-year, free-agent deal in January.
