Associated Press

First baseman Albert Pujols’ fielding error with two outs in the eighth allowed the tiebreaking run to score from second base and the Kansas City Royals handed the St. Louis Cardinals their seventh straight loss, 5-4 on Friday night.

Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter appeared to have pitched around a walk to Mike Moustakas leading off the eighth inning when he induced Alcides Escobar to hit a grounder to Pujols. But the ball went under Pujols glove and into right field. Moustakas, who had advanced to second on a sacrifice by Matt Treanor, scored to break a 4-all tie and spoil manager Tony La Russa’s 2,500th game with the Cardinals.

Blake Wood (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Kansas City. Joakim Soria worked the ninth for his 11th save in 16 chances.

Escobar went 2 for 4 with a run scored. He is 14-for-24 (.583) over his last seven games with eight runs.

Carpenter (1-7) allowed 10 hits and four runs over eight innings. He struck out seven and walked one. Lance Berkman drove in three runs for the Cardinals with a bases-loaded double in the third.

Berkman’s double gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead. Kansas City tied it in the fourth when Royals starter Felipe Paulino laid down a sacrifice with one out and runners on first and third. Chris Getz scored when Cardinals catcher Tony Cruz tried to retire Escobar at second and Paulino was credited with an RBI.

The Royals had built a 3-0 advantage on a first-inning RBI single by Jeff Francoeur and a two-run single by Alex Gordon with two outs in the second.