ST. LOUIS -- Mark Mulder pitched five shutout innings for the win as St. Louis topped Washington, 5-1, at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday. Five different players drove in a run for the Cardinals, who improved to 12-8 on the spring.

Tomo Ohka took the loss for visiting Washington, walking five batters and allowing two runs on six hits in four-plus innings. Mulder permitted four base hits, issued a pair of walks and struck out five. The left-hander's spring ERA dropped from 5.14 to 3.79.

The Cards took a third-inning lead on four straight singles, capped by Scott Rolen's run-scoring knock to right field. Jim Edmonds followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Jose Vidro's sixth-inning sac fly made it a one-run game, but an Albert Pujols RBI double and Hector Luna's single gave the Redbirds some insurance.

The Cardinals swept the three-game Grapefruit League season series from the Nationals. The next meeting between the two teams comes in late May when the former Montreal Expos make a trip to Busch Stadium.