Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Rick Ankiel hit a two-run home run, and Mitchell Boggs tossed six-plus solid innings as the St. Louis Cardinals got their first win in five tries this season against the Kansas City Royals, 5-1, in the second of three games at Kauffman Stadium.

Boggs (3-0) allowed a run on four hits -- walking four and striking out six -- for the Cardinals, who also snapped a three-game losing skid overall. Boggs remained undefeated in four starts since being promoted from Triple-A Memphis earlier this month.

"I was a little erratic in the first couple innings," Boggs said. "I was fortunate to get out of that unscathed because any time you walk guys to start innings you're playing with fire. The guys behind me made great plays. That allowed me to get into a little rhythm there."

Chris Duncan drove in a run for St. Louis, while Ryan Ludwick doubled and scored a pair of runs.

Ross Gload knocked in the only run for the Royals, who had a six-game win streak ended. Kyle Davies (3-1) was touched for all five runs -- three earned -- on seven hits in 6 1/3 frames to drop his first decision of the season.

A bizarre play allowed the Cardinals to take the lead in the fourth. After Aaron Miles and Albert Pujols singled with one out, Ankiel grounded to second for what seemed to be a surefire double play. But, Mike Aviles' relay throw missed Gload at first base, and while Gload recovered to retire Ankiel at second, Miles dashed home with the game's first run.

The Cards tacked on another run in the fifth, as Ludwick doubled with one out and came around to score on Duncan's single to center.

Ankiel's two-run homer gave St. Louis a four-run cushion in the sixth. Skip Schumaker led off with a single, and two outs later Ankiel golfed his 15th homer of the season over the wall in right.

St. Louis put runners at second and third with one out in the seventh, when Brendan Ryan hit a grounder to short that was picked up by Aviles, who fired home. The throw beat Ludwick to the plate, but he knocked the ball out of Miguel Olivo's glove to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Royals finally chased Boggs in the seventh when he walked Mark Teahen to start the frame and Olivo followed with a single. Gload ripped an RBI double off reliever Kyle McClellan, but Olivo was thrown out trying to score on the play.

"(Boggs is) a good pitcher," Aviles said. "I faced him in Triple-A and he's got pretty good stuff. He did his job today. He hit his spots. He mixes pitches well and he kept us off-balanced. We couldn't anything going offensively on a roll like we have been."

McClellan preserved the four-run lead through the eighth, and Russ Springer tossed a scoreless ninth to complete the win.