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Towles sets Houston record with 8 RBI as Astros crush Cards

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Rookie catcher J.R. Towles went 4-for-4 -- including a two-run homer -- and set a club record with eight RBI as the Houston Astros decimated the St. Louis Cardinals, 18-1, in the start of a four-game series at Busch Stadium.

Josh Anderson had three hits and three RBI, while Mike Lamb finished with three hits and three runs scored for Houston, which has won two straight. Cody Ransom also had three hits and scored five runs.

Wandy Rodriguez (9-13) allowed just one run and seven hits over eight innings in the victory. It was his third straight road win and came on an 88-pitch effort before Mark McLemore tossed the ninth.

Skip Schumaker accounted for the lone Cardinals' run with an RBI single. Braden Looper (12-11) was hammered in the start, yielding five runs and nine hits, with three walks and a strikeout over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers then combined to surrender 13 runs on 14 hits the rest of the way.

Houston went on top in the second when Carlos Lee walked, Ransom hit a two-out single to left and Towles chased both runners home with a double.

The Astros struck again in the fourth on the strength of that same group. Lee hit a lead-off single, Lamb doubled and Ransom drew an intentional walk to load the bases for Towles, who followed with a two-run single to make it 4-0.

Back-to-back doubles by Ransom and Towles then made it 5-0 in the sixth.

The rout continued in the seventh, as Houston put five more on the board. Lee and Lamb hit consecutive singles and both came home on Chris Burke's hit to left, which also scored Lamb after a throwing error by So Taguchi. Ransom walked, Towles was hit by a pitch and Anderson's two-out single made it 9-0 before Towles trotted home on Craig Biggio's hit to right.

Towles drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth before Rodriguez made it 12-0 with a single to left. Ransom scored on a wild pitch and Towles crossed the plate on a ground out by Anderson.

Brad Ausmus' single made it 15-0 and after consecutive singles by Adam Everett and Eric Bruntlett once again loaded the bags, Lamb's liner up the middle put the Astros up by 16.

Schumaker's RBI single got the Cardinals on the board in the eighth, while Towles cranked a two-run shot off Aaron Miles in the ninth.

Miles, an infielder, was on the mound because the Cardinals were short-staffed out of the 'pen.

Game Notes

Houston center fielder Hunter Pence was scratched due to an upper back sprain...Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan underwent successful surgery Thursday to repair a bilateral sports hernia...Towles began the year at Class- A Salem and was among the September callups. His homer was the first of his major league career...The Astros reached season highs in runs and hits (23)...Looper had not lost in his previous five starts.

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