Once through the Cardinals' lineup on Tuesday, Reds starter Homer Bailey looked in control.

He'd given up three hits, but had been unscathed -- getting out of the first inning in just 10 pitches and getting Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel to pop up to end the first and then getting a double play ball in the second.

But with two outs in the third inning and St. Louis second baseman Brendan Ryan on second, Bailey's good fortune ended. Ryan Lidwick doubled in a run and then Pujols and Ankiel hit back-to-back home runs to give St. Louis a 4-0 lead en route to a 7-2 victory in front of 34,234 at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday.

"Tonight after the first go-around, they could tell he didn't have the feel for his breaking ball," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "After that they more or less spit on his breaking ball and started to sit on the fastball."

Bailey walked another batter and gave up another hit in the third before getting shortstop Cesar Izturis to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

The fourth inning followed a nearly identical pattern to the start of the third. After getting Cardinals starter Mitchell Boggs, Ryan again got on base, this time with the walk. Leadoff batter Skip Schumaker flew out to center for the second out of the inning. Once again, Bailey couldn't get out of the inning, as Ludwick doubled in Ryan again.

After an intentional walk to Pujols, Baker came to get Bailey, ending his night after 76 pitches.

"All their runs came with two outs, either I slacked off mentally or tried not to do enough or tired to do too much with two outs, instead of finishing off of the inning and getting back in the dugout, I let them do their damage with two outs," Bailey said. "One of the keys to being a pitcher is getting out when you have two outs."

Bailey pitched well in his first start of the season, last Thursday in Philadelphia, allowing four hits and two earned runs in 6.1 innings, although he was saddled with the loss.

On Tuesday, he wasn't as sharp. Bailey walked four in his start against the Phillies and walked three more (one intentionally) on Tuesday.

"He's still a very young pitcher," Baker said. "Most pitchers his age do have problems with walks and location. Like I said, he got bit by the two-out hits tonight. He gave up two-out home runs, two-out RBIs."

Bailey said he felt good physically, he was just having trouble with his breaking ball and his command.

"If one breaking ball's working, you have to find a way to find it or use your changeup," Bailey said. "I threw a couple of good changeups today. I probably should have had a light bulb go off and use that pitch more and start locating the fastball better."

Mike Lincoln relieved Bailey and got Ankiel looking to end the fourth and then worked two more perfect innings before giving way to David Weathers and Jeremy Affeldt, who each surrendered a run, both off the bat of Ludwick, who after striking out in the first had RBIs in each of his final four at-bats, including his 15th home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Boggs, in his first big league start, was more successful than Bailey, allowing four hits and two runs in five innings, with both runs coming on Joey Votto’s 11th homer of the season.

The Cardinals, however, may have lost something much bigger than just a game. In the seventh inning, Pujols had to be helped off the field by teammates after suffering a strained left calf on a groundout. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday.

* Word from the Cardinals clubhouse is to expect Pujols to go on the disabled list. He had a preexisting calf injury and this could mean a lengthy stay on the DL.