MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) _ Florida's Brad Penny hasn't pitched like a No. 5 starter this spring. He might not be one for much longer.

Penny allowed two runs _ just one earned _ and six hits in six innings Tuesday as the Florida Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 and stopped a five-game losing streak.

The 21-year-old rookie, whose ERA dropped to 2.35, struck out seven and walked none.

``It helps a lot knowing you've made the club and you have a job,'' said Penny, who was selected the fifth starter Monday. ``It's a big relief.''

He retired seven consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff single to start the game and held Mark McGwire to an 0-for-3 afternoon.

``He was very good. That's what you're looking for when you name a guy a starter,'' Marlins manager John Boles said. ``I stress over who's making the team, and I'm not one of the players. They're really walking on eggshells, hoping their number will be called.''

McGwire accounted for all three of St. Louis' runs off Penny last week in a 16-0 win over the Marlins. Darryl Kile gave up just two singles over six innings in that game.

The Marlins got to Kile a lot more often Tuesday.

They scored twice in the first, then added two runs in the fourth on Brant Brown's home run. Cliff Floyd, Preston Wilson and Kevin Millar hit consecutive doubles with two outs in the fifth, making it 6-1.

``If we swing the bats the way we did today, we'll get off to a good start this season,'' Boles said.

Eric Davis, out for much of the spring while recovering from shoulder surgery, hit a solo home run for the Cardinals.

Kile, the Cardinals' opening-day starter, gave up six runs _ four earned _ and eight hits in six innings.

Millar went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the Marlins, improving his average to .457 this spring. He still might not win the starting first base job from Derrek Lee, though.