LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Matt Morris ' slow start and late meltdown helped the Los Angeles Dodgers to a win.

Morris gave up five runs over the first three innings and allowed a go-ahead tally on a mental mistake in the bottom of the seventh inning as the St. Louis Cardinals dropped a 7-5 decision to the Dodgers.

After being staked to a 2-0 lead, Morris (11-4) gave up an RBI single to Jeff Kent and a three-run homer to Ricky Ledee that gave Los Angeles a 4-2 cushion after one inning. The Cardinals' righthander regrouped through the middle frames and took a 5-5 tie into the seventh.

"After giving up four runs in the first, the least you can do is try to go late into the game," Morris said. "I didn't really find anything out there. I'm not happy with the way things started."

In the seventh, Cesar Izturis drew a one-out walk from Morris and Oscar Robles followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Milton Bradley grounded to Morris, who only gave a passing glance at Izturis before throwing to first base for the second out.

"I didn't think he was off third as much as he was," said Morris, who has given up 11 runs in 13 innings over his last two starts. "I should have paid more attention. With the winning run on third, you gotta pay more attention."

Izturis never retreated and scampered home with the go-ahead run ahead of the throw by first baseman Albert Pujols . Kent crushed the next pitch over a diving Jim Edmonds in center field for an RBI double and the final margin.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was visibly upset in the dugout as the seventh unfolded.

"He should have given up the ball to the catcher," La Russa said. "It was a night we gave up too many mistakes and that was one of them."

"What do you want me to say? He made the decision to throw the ball to first and the runs scored," Pujols said.

Morris was charged with season highs of seven runs - five earned - and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out three and walked one in falling to 6-2 on the road.

"Matt made a lot of mistakes and couldn't overcome them," La Russa said. "This was one of the toughest nights you've seen him have in our uniform."

Kent finished 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Dodgers, who used five pitchers in pulling to within four games of the first place San Diego Padres in the National League West Division.

Starter Brad Penny allowed four runs - three earned - and nine hits in five innings. Duaner Sanchez (3-4) struck out two in a perfect seventh for the win and rookie Yhency Brazoban worked around a double in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.

"I just tried to keep us in the game," Penny said. "They are a tough team, one of the toughest teams in the league."

Jonathan Broxton made his major league debut for the Dodgers, replacing Penny in the sixth. After allowing consecutive singles to David Eckstein and Abraham Nunez , he struck out Pujols before surrendering a sacrifice fly to rookie John Rodriguez that tied it at 5-5.

"I just went out and pitched to my strength," Broxton said. "It was exciting. I had a lot of jitters."

"I was impressed with him," Los Angeles manager Jim Tracy said. "He had to face one of the best hitters in baseball. He was tested, and he passed."

Pujols singled in a run to open the scoring in the first and later scored on an error by Kent.

Kent got the run back by singling in Robles and Ledee's blast gave Los Angeles its first lead.

"We got the three-run home run from Ricky Ledee which was huge," Tracy said. "We rebounded from an early deficit and and played a solid game from there on out."

Jason Phillips knocked in Bradley with a base hit in the third before St. Louis got a pair back in the fifth. Pujols led off with his 28th home run and So Taguchi had an RBI single one out later to make it 5-4.

Mark Grudzielanek was later caught off third after Mike Mahoney 's infield single, spoiling one of many scoring chances for the Cardinals, who hit into two double plays and left 11 runners on.