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From The Associated Press

Lohse, Cardinals put dent in D-backs’ chances

ST. LOUIS—Kyle Lohse won his 15th game and the St. Louis Cardinals clobbered Randy Johnson for the second time this month, putting a dent in the Arizona Diamondbacks' postseason hopes with a 7-4 victory Tuesday night.

Ryan Ludwick hit a three-run homer in the first and Albert Pujols had two hits, two RBIs and reached 100 walks for the first time in his career for the Cardinals, who won for the third time in 13 games.

The 2006 World Series champions were eliminated from postseason contention for the second straight season in the top of the seventh when New York beat Chicago. They are, however, guaranteed a .500 finish that lets manager Tony La Russa off the hook from his pre-game jest that he would 'walk from here to California' if they ended with a losing record.

St. Louis scored four runs on five hits in the first off the 45-year-old Johnson (10-10) and then hung on after Lohse (15-6) allowed a two-run homer to Chris Young in the fourth and a solo shot to Miguel Montero in the sixth.

Conor Jackson added three hits for the Diamondbacks, who never got closer than a two-run deficit while losing for the second time in nine games. Arizona entered the night two games behind first-place Los Angeles in the NL West and has five games to play.

Johnson lacks only six victories to join the 300 club, but is 6-7 with a 4.12 ERA for his career against the Cardinals in 15 starts. He is 0-2 in his last seven appearances overall this season, a stretch that includes a Sept. 1 start against St. Louis in Arizona in which he allowed five runs in 3 2-3 innings.

Johnson lasted six innings, giving up five runs and seven hits and had only one strikeout to match his season low.

Ohio State RB Wells probable for Minnesota

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells is likely to return to No. 14 Ohio State against Minnesota on Saturday.

“It adds to our arsenal,” coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday, shortly after announcing that Wells was probable for Saturday’s game.

Wells has been out of action since injuring his right foot early in the second half of the opening victory over Youngstown State. Dan Herron has been the tailback in victories over Ohio and Troy and a lopsided defeat at top-ranked Southern California.

Ohio State could use the boost. Even though freshman Terrelle Pryor threw four touchdown passes last week in his debut as a starter against Troy, the offense has been erratic since Wells left.

His teammates were happy to see him doing all the drills at Tuesday night’s practice.

Asked how Wells looked, offensive lineman Alex Boone said, “Fast. Very fast. He was running all over the place. He looked physical and fast. He looked like nothing had happened to him.”

Mangini anticipates Favre to play Sunday

NEW YORK—Don’t fret, Jets fans. Brett Favre’s playing streak appears safe.

The New York quarterback rolled his left ankle during the third quarter of the Jets’ 48-29 loss at San Diego on Monday night, but coach Eric Mangini wasn’t overly concerned about Favre’s injury.

“Brett usually plays,” Mangini said Tuesday, “and I would anticipate the same.”

Favre was limping noticeably after the injury and in the locker room after the game, but has started an NFL-record 256 straight regular-season games. He is expected to start Sunday at home against Arizona.

“It’s just understanding him and I think we have a good plan in place whenever guys get injured, so I feel pretty comfortable with the process,” Mangini said. “And I know that if there’s any way that he can play, he’ll definitely play.”

Chiefs’ Huard could start Sunday against Broncos

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Saddled with a 12-game losing streak, the rebuilding Kansas City Chiefs may decide they need a win more than a long look at a young quarterback.

Without coming right out and saying so, coach Herm Edwards strongly hinted Tuesday that veteran Damon Huard would probably get the nod on Sunday against Denver and that second-year man Tyler Thigpen would return to the bench after one start.

“I’ll decide on that tomorrow. Sleep on it a little bit more,” Edwards said. “I’m leaning that way. I’ve got to address the team, exactly what we’re going to do.”

Most of the players probably feel that Huard gives them the best chance of upsetting the unbeaten Broncos and snapping the longest losing skid in franchise history. After Brodie Croyle was injured in the season opener at New England, Huard came in and nearly pulled off an improbable victory before losing 17-10.

In eight starts for an injured Trent Green in 2006, Huard was 5-3.

Joyner resigns as Padres’ hitting coach ,/b>

LOS ANGELES—Wally Joyner quit Tuesday as hitting coach of the San Diego Padres with six games left in the season.

His departure came with the Padres tied for last in the major leagues in runs and on-base percentage.

Joyner was preparing to go to Los Angeles on Tuesday when general manager Kevin Towers called to say the team preferred he not be there, said Joyner’s agent, Barry Axelrod.

Axelrod said Joyner resigned due to “the frustration level with realizing that his philosophy, his approach, the way he wants to teach hitting just didn’t coincide with what they like to see in the organization. He was hoping as time went by that they could somehow coincide or overcome that, but it became evident that was not going to happen.”

Joyner was hired July 31, 2007, to replace the fired Merv Rettenmund.

The Padres will be looking for their fourth hitting coach in as many seasons.

Joyner was San Diego’s first baseman when the Padres won the NL West in 1996 and 1998. San Diego reached the World Series in 1998, when they were swept by the New York Yankees.