Luvofthegame
09-12-2006, 02:20 PM
By Joe Strauss
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/12/2006
The Cardinals stopped waiting for a wandering offense to return Monday night. Given a crack against a last-minute rookie starting pitcher, they combined Chris Carpenter's complete game with two innings of clutch hitting to further distance themselves from the Houston Astros in a 7-0 win at Busch Stadium.
Five days after mishandling a lead against the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium, Carpenter offered his third shutout of the season and improved to 5-1 the last two seasons against the Astros.
Carpenter's lineup rewarded him with something other than the brownout that followed them from Washington to Arizona on a 2-5 road trip. Left with one- and two-hit losses last week, the Cardinals used four RBIs from energized second baseman Ronnie Belliard and two more from center fielder Juan Encarnacion to exploit eight Astros walks and two errors.
What Carpenter called "a nice quality game" allowed the Cardinals to put six games between themselves and last season's NL champions. The Redbirds have six games remaining with the Astros, who are tied for sixth in the league's wild-card chase.
For Belliard, breaking open the game with a three-run triple during a five-run fourth inning represented a start. Belliard endured a hitless trip but returned home to help reverse his team's slide.
"Every time you get a hit you've got to be happy," Belliard said. "I had a rough week in Washington and Arizona. I got two hits and four RBIs. I've got to come back and do it again."
Those seeing gray clouds know the Cardinals are only 45-51 since May 25. Those who see the silver lining know the Redbirds' lead in the NL Central has grown from four to five games in that span. Derrick Goold's Bird Land blog
With 19 games left, manager Tony La Russa continues to piece together his starting lineup and late-inning relief largely from candidates playing out of position or in compromised health.
Astros manager Phil Garner scratched lefthander Andy Pettitte hours before Monday's game because of a sore ankle. Pettitte was tentatively pushed back to tonight's game. Rookie replacement Taylor Buchholz (6-10) made his first major-league start since July 27 and couldn't clear the fourth inning.
After scraping for a .193 average and 23 runs on the just-completed trip, the Cardinals got to Buchholz (6-10) for three walks, two hits and an error before breaking open a scoreless game in the third inning with consecutive two-out singles from Encarnacion and Belliard.
"The base hit that Encarnacion got was a huge two-out hit," La Russa recalled. "That's a big moment in that game. You give Chris that kind of margin. Those were clutch at-bats with two outs."
Carpenter (14-6) held the Astros to one hit through four innings and six for the game. When the visitors batted in the fifth, the Cardinals had attacked Buchholz and reliever Fernando Nieve for five runs in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead.
The rest was details for Carpenter, who is 7-1 at home since June 18, lowered his overall ERA to 2.84 and climbed to 199 2/3 innings. The Cardinals are 19-10 in his starts compared to 57-57 in all others.
"Everything hasn't worked for him this year. Sometimes we don't score. And he has just ignored everything and gotten himself ready to pitch," La Russa said. "He's putting another great season together. ... He's had a couple things go against him."
The victory was the 99th of the reigning Cy Young Award winner's career and No. 50 in 90 starts with the Cardinals. Five days after he admittedly lost focus with a 3-1 lead against the Nationals, Carpenter never allowed the Astros an opening. The Astros didn't push a runner to reach third base until the seventh inning. Catcher Yadier Molina contributed a first-inning assist and Carpenter escaped the fifth inning on a double play following consecutive one-out singles.
"He's been unbelievable. He works hard. He works quick. We just play good defense behind him," Belliard said.
"There isn't anybody in baseball who's a better pitcher than Chris Carpenter," La Russa said.
The Cardinals also contrasted a moribund trip with an offensive pulse. Their six two-out RBIs followed seven games in which they managed only 14 two-out hits in 63 innings. The Cardinals were also six for 41 (.146) with runners in scoring position on the swing. They did enough by going three for 15 in those situations Monday.
Astros manager Phil Garner thought third baseman Scott Rolen an easy enough mark to intentionally walk Albert Pujols in the fourth inning, loading the bases with one out. Garner then replaced Buchholz with Nieve.
Now in a two-for-23 funk, Rolen scored shortstop Aaron Miles for a 3-0 lead on a one-hop smash to first base.
Garner reloaded the bases by having Buchholz intentionally walk left fielder Scott Spiezio. But this time the plan backfired when Nieve unintentionally walked Encarnacion to force home the inning's second run. Belliard then hit his triple to drive in three more.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/12/2006
The Cardinals stopped waiting for a wandering offense to return Monday night. Given a crack against a last-minute rookie starting pitcher, they combined Chris Carpenter's complete game with two innings of clutch hitting to further distance themselves from the Houston Astros in a 7-0 win at Busch Stadium.
Five days after mishandling a lead against the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium, Carpenter offered his third shutout of the season and improved to 5-1 the last two seasons against the Astros.
Carpenter's lineup rewarded him with something other than the brownout that followed them from Washington to Arizona on a 2-5 road trip. Left with one- and two-hit losses last week, the Cardinals used four RBIs from energized second baseman Ronnie Belliard and two more from center fielder Juan Encarnacion to exploit eight Astros walks and two errors.
What Carpenter called "a nice quality game" allowed the Cardinals to put six games between themselves and last season's NL champions. The Redbirds have six games remaining with the Astros, who are tied for sixth in the league's wild-card chase.
For Belliard, breaking open the game with a three-run triple during a five-run fourth inning represented a start. Belliard endured a hitless trip but returned home to help reverse his team's slide.
"Every time you get a hit you've got to be happy," Belliard said. "I had a rough week in Washington and Arizona. I got two hits and four RBIs. I've got to come back and do it again."
Those seeing gray clouds know the Cardinals are only 45-51 since May 25. Those who see the silver lining know the Redbirds' lead in the NL Central has grown from four to five games in that span. Derrick Goold's Bird Land blog
With 19 games left, manager Tony La Russa continues to piece together his starting lineup and late-inning relief largely from candidates playing out of position or in compromised health.
Astros manager Phil Garner scratched lefthander Andy Pettitte hours before Monday's game because of a sore ankle. Pettitte was tentatively pushed back to tonight's game. Rookie replacement Taylor Buchholz (6-10) made his first major-league start since July 27 and couldn't clear the fourth inning.
After scraping for a .193 average and 23 runs on the just-completed trip, the Cardinals got to Buchholz (6-10) for three walks, two hits and an error before breaking open a scoreless game in the third inning with consecutive two-out singles from Encarnacion and Belliard.
"The base hit that Encarnacion got was a huge two-out hit," La Russa recalled. "That's a big moment in that game. You give Chris that kind of margin. Those were clutch at-bats with two outs."
Carpenter (14-6) held the Astros to one hit through four innings and six for the game. When the visitors batted in the fifth, the Cardinals had attacked Buchholz and reliever Fernando Nieve for five runs in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead.
The rest was details for Carpenter, who is 7-1 at home since June 18, lowered his overall ERA to 2.84 and climbed to 199 2/3 innings. The Cardinals are 19-10 in his starts compared to 57-57 in all others.
"Everything hasn't worked for him this year. Sometimes we don't score. And he has just ignored everything and gotten himself ready to pitch," La Russa said. "He's putting another great season together. ... He's had a couple things go against him."
The victory was the 99th of the reigning Cy Young Award winner's career and No. 50 in 90 starts with the Cardinals. Five days after he admittedly lost focus with a 3-1 lead against the Nationals, Carpenter never allowed the Astros an opening. The Astros didn't push a runner to reach third base until the seventh inning. Catcher Yadier Molina contributed a first-inning assist and Carpenter escaped the fifth inning on a double play following consecutive one-out singles.
"He's been unbelievable. He works hard. He works quick. We just play good defense behind him," Belliard said.
"There isn't anybody in baseball who's a better pitcher than Chris Carpenter," La Russa said.
The Cardinals also contrasted a moribund trip with an offensive pulse. Their six two-out RBIs followed seven games in which they managed only 14 two-out hits in 63 innings. The Cardinals were also six for 41 (.146) with runners in scoring position on the swing. They did enough by going three for 15 in those situations Monday.
Astros manager Phil Garner thought third baseman Scott Rolen an easy enough mark to intentionally walk Albert Pujols in the fourth inning, loading the bases with one out. Garner then replaced Buchholz with Nieve.
Now in a two-for-23 funk, Rolen scored shortstop Aaron Miles for a 3-0 lead on a one-hop smash to first base.
Garner reloaded the bases by having Buchholz intentionally walk left fielder Scott Spiezio. But this time the plan backfired when Nieve unintentionally walked Encarnacion to force home the inning's second run. Belliard then hit his triple to drive in three more.