Luvofthegame
09-21-2006, 11:49 PM
By Matthew Leach
MLB.com
9/21/06
classic at-bat ended in a killer home run, as Lance Berkman hit a two-run blast off Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter to send St. Louis to a 6-5 defeat at Minute Maid Park on Thursday night.
Berkman drilled a 3-2 offering from Carpenter deep to right-center field, turning a 5-4 Cards lead into the first Redbirds deficit of the evening.
The Astros narrowed the Cardinals' lead in the National League Central division to 6 1/2 games with 10 days remaining in the season. St. Louis' magic number to clinch its third straight division title remains at five.
Carpenter twice watched three-run leads turn into one-run margins, but through seven innings, he never let the advantage get away. But Morgan Ensberg led off the eighth with a single, and after a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Berkman worked a seven-pitch at-bat before pummeling a full-count offering from Carpenter for his second home run of the night.
St. Louis built leads of 3-0 and 5-2 with the help of a series of defensive gaffes by the Astros. Two errors, a missed double-play chance, a balk and a wild pitch all added up to four unearned runs against left-hander Andy Pettitte.
Once Pettitte was removed from the game after five innings, the Cardinals' offense went quiet. Houston relievers held the St. Louis lineup to four straight hitless frames to close out the game.
MLB.com
9/21/06
classic at-bat ended in a killer home run, as Lance Berkman hit a two-run blast off Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter to send St. Louis to a 6-5 defeat at Minute Maid Park on Thursday night.
Berkman drilled a 3-2 offering from Carpenter deep to right-center field, turning a 5-4 Cards lead into the first Redbirds deficit of the evening.
The Astros narrowed the Cardinals' lead in the National League Central division to 6 1/2 games with 10 days remaining in the season. St. Louis' magic number to clinch its third straight division title remains at five.
Carpenter twice watched three-run leads turn into one-run margins, but through seven innings, he never let the advantage get away. But Morgan Ensberg led off the eighth with a single, and after a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Berkman worked a seven-pitch at-bat before pummeling a full-count offering from Carpenter for his second home run of the night.
St. Louis built leads of 3-0 and 5-2 with the help of a series of defensive gaffes by the Astros. Two errors, a missed double-play chance, a balk and a wild pitch all added up to four unearned runs against left-hander Andy Pettitte.
Once Pettitte was removed from the game after five innings, the Cardinals' offense went quiet. Houston relievers held the St. Louis lineup to four straight hitless frames to close out the game.