Pujols provided the punch, Ponson provided the pitch

By R.B. FALLSTROM/AP Sports Writer

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Sidney Ponson pitched as if he still had to win a job.

The St. Louis Cardinals' right-hander, who was given the fifth starting spot earlier this week, worked six strong innings in a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. He gave up only two hits and the only damage was a home run by Ricky Ledee leading off the fifth.

“I pitch the same all the time,” Ponson said. “One is fastball, two is curve. Whatever he puts down I try to make a quality pitch.

“I still have to go out there and do the job.”

Albert Pujols drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and RBI single, and David Eckstein and Juan Encarnacion each had two hits and a run batted in for the Cardinals. Jim Edmonds singled in his first two-at-bats, giving him six straight hits, before striking out in the fourth, and David Eckstein had two hits and is 10-for-16 in his last six games.

The Cardinals signed Ponson, released by the Orioles after alcohol-related problems, to a $1 million contract with $1.5 million in incentives. He's trying to bounce back after going 7-11 with a 6.21 ERA last year.

Ponson, who used to be a strikeout pitcher, has been content to get quick outs this spring. He struck out only one and walked one.

“I used to rare back and throw 99 and 'Here you go, I'm going to strike you out,”' Ponson said. “And it didn't work that well.”

The Dodgers' Brad Penny lasted four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. He also had a bit of a run-in with home plate umpire Casey Moser.

Penny took exception to a request to have the ball checked during a Jim Edmonds at-bat, rolling the ball into the dugout instead, and the two jawed in front of the plate after Edmonds struck out for the last out in the fourth.

“I looked down and saw the ball was scuffed, so I do what I always do and threw it out of play,” Penny said. “Then after the inning I went to explain what I did and the umpire started cursing at me.”

Ledee's second homer of the spring was one of only five hits for the Dodgers, who have lost five in a row. Ponson said any pitch that leaves the ballpark is a bad pitch.

“If I bounce the ball right in front of home plate and (Vladimir) Guerrero hits it out, it's a bad pitch,” Ponson said. “So, it's not a good pitch.”

Adam Wainwright, who is trying to make the club in long relief, worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh when he struck out Jason Repko and Russell Martin. That was his first appearance since the Cardinals took him out of the running for the starting spot that Ponson won.