Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jason LaRue homered and tripled, leading the Cardinals nine-run attack with four runs batted in, as St. Louis clinched an I-70 series win, 9-6, in the finale of a three-game interleague set at Kauffman Stadium.

Albert Pujols homered and doubled with two RBI and two runs scored while Adam Kennedy scored twice with an RBI and two walks for St. Louis, which took two of three from the Royals.

Braden Looper lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs - two earned - on six hits and four walks. Chris Perez (2-0) picked up the win after taking over for Looper in the fourth, and gave up one run on two hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.

Mark Grudzielanek led the Royals going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI while Mark Teahen, Esteban German and Joey Gathright added two hits and an RBI each in defeat.

Brian Bannister (7-7) was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings for Kansas City, which had a season-high six-game winning streak snapped Saturday. KC has just three losses in their last 14 games despite losing two of three.

LaRue gave the Cards an early lead with a two-out two-run homer over the right field wall in the second. Kennedy worked a walk prior to LaRue's at-bat.

"He was all excited on the bench," Cards manager Tony LaRussa said of LaRue following his first inning collision at the plate with the Royals' David DeJesus. "I think it was good for him. We may have to do that the next time he catches, have someone run into him before the game."

St. Louis extended its lead in the third. Skip Schumaker doubled to right leading off, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on a bloop single from Rick Ankiel two batters later. Ryan Ludwick drew a walk to load the bases with one out and Chris Duncan ripped a single to left plating one. Kennedy followed with a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.

The Royals manufactured their first run in the third. Gathright legged out an infield single leading off, tagged and moved to second on a fly ball and then to third on a groundout before scoring on a passed ball.

KC followed with a productive fourth, cutting the lead to two. Grudzielanek and Ross Gload singled around a fly out and John Buck walked to load the bases. Gathright singled to left plating one and German lined a single to right to score another and end Looper's day at just 3 1/3 frames.

Perez came on to retire the next two batters and avoid further trouble.

The Cards added two runs in the fifth. Ludwick lined a one out single to right and Kennedy drew a walk two batters later before LaRue lined a two-run triple to center.

"It was hit right at Joey," Bannister remarked of LaRue's triple that fooled KC's center fielder Gathright. "Those were two huge runs. It's a whole different ball game if that doesn't happen to us."

KC came back with a run in the home half. Grudzielanek doubled to left, moved to third on a Teahen single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Gload.

Pujols added to the St. Louis lead in the sixth with a two-run blast off Joel Peralta over the left field wall, his 17th of the season.

The Royals got a run in the seventh on back-to-back doubles from Grudzielanek and Teahen and scratched out one in the eighth on a Grudzielanek RBI single.

Ryan Franklin tossed the final 1 2/3 frames, keeping the Royals off the board to record his 11th save of the season.