Braden Looper gave up just six hits over seven innings Friday, but two of them were solo homers, by Chicago right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and catcher Geovany Soto, as he suffered his sixth loss against nine wins. Looper threw 22 first-pitch strikes out of 28 hitters as he tossed a career-high 120 pitches.

First baseman Albert Pujols' 300th career homer, off the left-field foul pole, brought the Cardinals to one run down in the eighth. But third baseman Troy Glaus, who thought he had walked in the ninth on a 3-1 pitch that seemed outside, according to replays, then was called out on strikes.

Catcher Yadier Molina, who hit safely in his 11th straight game, later singled, but manager Tony La Russa openly was not happy after the game with umpire Ted Barrett's verdict on the Glaus at-bat.

Instead of being only 1 1/2 games behind division-leading Chicago in the National League Central, the Cardinals are 3 1/2 behind the Cubs and only one game in front of third-place Milwaukee.

While Pujols became the fifth fastest to 300 homers in his career, right-hander Jason Isringhausen appeared in his 600th game. Isringhausen recorded one strikeout in a scoreless ninth, fanning former Cardinal Jim Edmonds, who went down on strikes three times.

The Cardinals had five at-bats with men in scoring position, failing on all five.

CUBS 2, CARDINALS 1: The Cardinals continued to have their troubles winning at home. They have dropped six of their last eight games at Busch Stadium Friday and haven't led for any inning in the last two losses, which have come in succession.

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