[JoseA]

Ramirez, Pie help Marquis beat Cards

Right-hander gets second win in as many starts vs. former team

Jason Marquis benefitted from a four-run fourth in beating the Cards for a second straight time.

ST. LOUIS -- Finally, an outfielder hit a home run, the Cubs won a close game, and Ryan Dempster picked up an old-fashioned save Friday night.

Best of all for the Cubs, Albert Pujols was standing on deck in the ninth inning, and didn't get a chance to hit.

Aramis Ramirez hit his fifth home run and rookie Felix Pie notched his first in the big leagues, both two-run shots, to lift the Cubs to a 5-3 nail-biting victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jason Marquis (3-1) was the beneficiary. The right-hander, who beat his former teammates last Saturday in Chicago, did it again, giving up three runs on five hits -- including Yadier Molina's two-run homer in the seventh -- over 6 2/3 innings. Hopefully, the Cardinals won't hold it against him when they present Marquis with his 2006 World Series ring before Game 2 of this three-game series.

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