Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - Ryan Howard had three hits, including one of the Phillies' four two-run homers, and Joe Blanton threw eight strong innings, as Philadelphia dominated St. Louis, 9-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Blanton (7-4) gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk in eight innings, during which he struck out six. Over his last four outings, the right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.21 earned run average.

He took the win after being backed by a robust offensive effort, as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez each hit a two-run homer. The Phillies won the final two games of this series by a combined 23-8 score.

"You kind of feed off of whatever everyone else is doing," Ibanez said. "You have the confidence that the guy behind you [in the lineup] is just as good or better, the guy in front is just as good or better. And all throughout the lineup you feel that way."

Mark DeRosa went 2-for-4 with a homer, and Julio Lugo added two hits for the Cardinals, who have dropped five of their last seven games.

"Every time we scored to get ourselves back in it, it's like they put a two- or three-spot on the board the next half inning and kind of smothered our opportunities to get back in the game," DeRosa said.

Todd Wellemeyer (7-9) got the loss after giving up seven runs -- five earned -- on 11 hits in 5 2/3 frames. Three of his hits allowed were home runs.

Each team scratched out a run in the first inning. Lugo hit a one-out double, went to third on Albert Pujols' single and scored on a Matt Holliday sacrifice fly to put St. Louis on top.

In the bottom half, Shane Victorino got on base on a single up the middle deflected by second baseman Skip Schumaker, then went to third on Utley's base hit. Howard followed with a sac fly to tie the game.

The Phillies took the lead in the third after Victorino singled and Utley followed by crushing a low fastball into the right field stands.

St. Louis got a run back in the fifth on DeRosa's one-out solo shot to center, but Philadelphia poured on the offense to pull away. In the home fifth, after Utley singled with one down, Howard ripped a homer to center that bounced high off the brick wall beyond the fence.

Then, in the sixth with a man on and two outs, Rollins jumped on a fastball and lined it over the right field fence to make it a 7-2 game. Ibanez's opposite field two-run shot off of Blake Hawksworth in the seventh increased the Phillies' lead to seven.

Blanton, meanwhile, finished his outing by striking out Lugo, Pujols and Holliday in the eighth. Brad Lidge pitched the ninth to seal the win.

Game Notes

Howard's homer was his 25th of the season, while Ibanez hit his team-leading 26th...Hawksworth was called up from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game and pitched two innings Sunday. Pitcher Josh Kinney was optioned to Memphis in the corresponding move...Pujols finished 1-for-4 Sunday and is now 4-for-21 with two walks in five games against the Phillies this season...Philadelphia won the season series between the clubs, 4-1...The Phillies are 14-3 in their last 17 home games.