Albert Pujols was activated from the disabled list in time for the St. Louis Cardinals' game Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, but it ended up being an 8-1 blowout, and Pujols went unused.

Jaime Garcia pitched six strong innings in the win, allowing only an RBI groundout by Scott Rolen, along with two hits and three walks.

Edinson Volquez, meanwhile, was touched up for seven runs in 5.1 innings. Volquez allowed three home runs - back-to-back solo shots by Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman in the first inning, and a three-run bomb by Holliday in the fifth, which gave Holliday his first multi-homer game of the season.

The Cardinals added three runs in the sixth on Mark Hamilton's run-scoring single and a two-run double by Ryan Theriot.

With the Cardinals' win and the Reds' loss, St. Louis holds a 1.5-game lead on the N.L. Central. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who defeated the Houston Astros Tuesday, are now in second place, followed by the Milwaukee Brewers and the Reds.