Luvofthegame
09-27-2006, 01:21 PM
By Joe Strauss
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/27/2006
They threw in Chris Carpenter, two early home runs by second baseman Ronnie Belliard and a three-run lead at the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
It wasn't enough.
A Cardinals team that has led its division for 117 consecutive days took another stagger-step toward an inglorious finish when the Padres had a four-run seventh inning against Carpenter in a 7-5 Cards loss at Busch Stadium.
A stretch of eight hitters rendered Belliard's two home runs and the Padres' loose defense irrelevant. The Cardinals suffered a seventh straight loss and their eighth in nine games. Advertisement
What was a seven-game lead in the NL Central on Sept. 20 now stands at 1½ games over the Houston Astros. With five games and a potential Oct. 2 make-up game looming, the Cardinals fell deeper into a hole.
Rarely this month has a prevailing wind blown so strongly in the Cardinals' favor as it did after Tuesday's sixth inning. But the Padres' seventh-inning insurrection against Carpenter only added to a swirl of uncertainty that virtually silenced a crowd of 40,443.
"We've played through rough stretches before this season and played through it. That's what has to happen here. And I think we'll play through this, too," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. "Right now, we need a win. A win would do a lot for us."
Others were more blunt.
"Just recognize that's the reality of our pennant race and we kept busting our (butt). In the end, our (butt) gets busted," said manager Tony La Russa. "I like a lot of things I see except the score."
Padres center fielder Mike Cameron capped his team's four-run rally with a two-out, two-run double. The Cardinals never found an answer. The Cardinals have allowed the Astros to creep seven games closer in the last seven days. Tuesday, the division leaders dropped to four games over .500 (80-76) for the first time since April 21.
With their lead at its smallest since Aug. 25, the Cardinals are confronted with tonight's possibility of their third eight-game losing streak this season. They have gotten there by losing each of their last six games from the seventh inning on.
"The shoe seems to keep falling at some point in the game," said third baseman Scott Rolen. "I don't know how anybody can control that."
The next five, six or even seven games will decide whether the bell begins to toll for this season. But if the Cardinals are to pull out of their seven-game nosedive, they must do so behind three starting pitchers who have been viewed with uncertainty for the last three months.
"The reality is we've been beat some tough games. They're games we have to make go the other way with another at-bat or another pitch. Everybody is realistic about that. We're also still alive," La Russa said.
Carpenter was 5-0 with a 0.90 ERA and more strikeouts (37) than hits allowed (27) in his last six home starts. He had not lost at Busch Stadium since Aug. 4, and only twice all season. If the Cardinals ever had the right man for the right moment, he was it.
Despite their recent skid, the Cardinals had not lost consecutive games at home since Aug. 3-4, and they played behind a pitcher who enjoyed the major leagues' top ERA at home (1.46).
It still wasn't enough.
Confronted by ex-teammate Woody Williams, they hung five runs (three earned) on the Padres' starting pitcher in six innings, thanks to second- and fourth-inning home runs by Belliard and center fielder Jim Edmonds' two-run single.
But even before the Padres splurged, Tuesday was not vintage Carpenter. He pitched almost constantly from the stretch and reached 100 pitches on his 19th out.
By the end of the inning, the Padres had 12 hits, tying his career high.
"I threw the ball well all night until the seventh inning," Carpenter said. "I made a couple bad pitches, here and there, and then I made a bad pitch to Cameron. If I make a better pitch, it's a different outcome."
La Russa lived up to a pre-game pledge that he would push Carpenter, who was making his 32nd start and cleared 220 innings the inning before the game-turning rally.
"I thought Carp was outstanding because he kept taking the blow to the chin," La Russa said. "He kept going and going and almost pulled it off."
Carpenter got the seventh inning's first out before left fielder Dave Roberts singled. Lefthanded-hitting Brian Giles then doubled down the left-field line before Carpenter walked first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to put the tying run on base.
With Adam Wainwright warm, catcher Josh Bard lined a two-run double past first baseman Albert Pujols to make the score 5-4.
Given a high strike by plate umpire Bill Miller, Carpenter struck out third baseman Russell Branyan for the second out. He then got ahead of Cameron 0-2 before leaving a pitch where it could be taken to right field for the inning's second two-run double and a 6-5 Padres lead.
Carpenter failed to protect an eighth-inning lead in Houston five days before.
"I think he's putting so much on his shoulders," La Russa said. "If you watch, he's trying too hard at those key times. He gets out of his rhythm at times and he's making some mistakes."
Carpenter's next start is uncertain. It could come Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers or in Game 1 of the Division Series.
Tuesday, Carpenter appeared to ebb after getting the seventh inning's first out with his 100th pitch. Rather than involve the left side of his bullpen, the manager stayed with his ace because "I think he's the best guy we've got in that situation."
Wainwright inherited a 6-5 game in the eighth and allowed his third earned run of the month on Gonzalez's single with two outs. The Cardinals nearly avoided the score by getting the first out on a rundown and the second on a play at the plate.
Trailing, the Cardinals went quietly the rest of the way. When the game ended, Busch Stadium was only half full, as if those who gathered could correctly guess the ending.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/27/2006
They threw in Chris Carpenter, two early home runs by second baseman Ronnie Belliard and a three-run lead at the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
It wasn't enough.
A Cardinals team that has led its division for 117 consecutive days took another stagger-step toward an inglorious finish when the Padres had a four-run seventh inning against Carpenter in a 7-5 Cards loss at Busch Stadium.
A stretch of eight hitters rendered Belliard's two home runs and the Padres' loose defense irrelevant. The Cardinals suffered a seventh straight loss and their eighth in nine games. Advertisement
What was a seven-game lead in the NL Central on Sept. 20 now stands at 1½ games over the Houston Astros. With five games and a potential Oct. 2 make-up game looming, the Cardinals fell deeper into a hole.
Rarely this month has a prevailing wind blown so strongly in the Cardinals' favor as it did after Tuesday's sixth inning. But the Padres' seventh-inning insurrection against Carpenter only added to a swirl of uncertainty that virtually silenced a crowd of 40,443.
"We've played through rough stretches before this season and played through it. That's what has to happen here. And I think we'll play through this, too," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. "Right now, we need a win. A win would do a lot for us."
Others were more blunt.
"Just recognize that's the reality of our pennant race and we kept busting our (butt). In the end, our (butt) gets busted," said manager Tony La Russa. "I like a lot of things I see except the score."
Padres center fielder Mike Cameron capped his team's four-run rally with a two-out, two-run double. The Cardinals never found an answer. The Cardinals have allowed the Astros to creep seven games closer in the last seven days. Tuesday, the division leaders dropped to four games over .500 (80-76) for the first time since April 21.
With their lead at its smallest since Aug. 25, the Cardinals are confronted with tonight's possibility of their third eight-game losing streak this season. They have gotten there by losing each of their last six games from the seventh inning on.
"The shoe seems to keep falling at some point in the game," said third baseman Scott Rolen. "I don't know how anybody can control that."
The next five, six or even seven games will decide whether the bell begins to toll for this season. But if the Cardinals are to pull out of their seven-game nosedive, they must do so behind three starting pitchers who have been viewed with uncertainty for the last three months.
"The reality is we've been beat some tough games. They're games we have to make go the other way with another at-bat or another pitch. Everybody is realistic about that. We're also still alive," La Russa said.
Carpenter was 5-0 with a 0.90 ERA and more strikeouts (37) than hits allowed (27) in his last six home starts. He had not lost at Busch Stadium since Aug. 4, and only twice all season. If the Cardinals ever had the right man for the right moment, he was it.
Despite their recent skid, the Cardinals had not lost consecutive games at home since Aug. 3-4, and they played behind a pitcher who enjoyed the major leagues' top ERA at home (1.46).
It still wasn't enough.
Confronted by ex-teammate Woody Williams, they hung five runs (three earned) on the Padres' starting pitcher in six innings, thanks to second- and fourth-inning home runs by Belliard and center fielder Jim Edmonds' two-run single.
But even before the Padres splurged, Tuesday was not vintage Carpenter. He pitched almost constantly from the stretch and reached 100 pitches on his 19th out.
By the end of the inning, the Padres had 12 hits, tying his career high.
"I threw the ball well all night until the seventh inning," Carpenter said. "I made a couple bad pitches, here and there, and then I made a bad pitch to Cameron. If I make a better pitch, it's a different outcome."
La Russa lived up to a pre-game pledge that he would push Carpenter, who was making his 32nd start and cleared 220 innings the inning before the game-turning rally.
"I thought Carp was outstanding because he kept taking the blow to the chin," La Russa said. "He kept going and going and almost pulled it off."
Carpenter got the seventh inning's first out before left fielder Dave Roberts singled. Lefthanded-hitting Brian Giles then doubled down the left-field line before Carpenter walked first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to put the tying run on base.
With Adam Wainwright warm, catcher Josh Bard lined a two-run double past first baseman Albert Pujols to make the score 5-4.
Given a high strike by plate umpire Bill Miller, Carpenter struck out third baseman Russell Branyan for the second out. He then got ahead of Cameron 0-2 before leaving a pitch where it could be taken to right field for the inning's second two-run double and a 6-5 Padres lead.
Carpenter failed to protect an eighth-inning lead in Houston five days before.
"I think he's putting so much on his shoulders," La Russa said. "If you watch, he's trying too hard at those key times. He gets out of his rhythm at times and he's making some mistakes."
Carpenter's next start is uncertain. It could come Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers or in Game 1 of the Division Series.
Tuesday, Carpenter appeared to ebb after getting the seventh inning's first out with his 100th pitch. Rather than involve the left side of his bullpen, the manager stayed with his ace because "I think he's the best guy we've got in that situation."
Wainwright inherited a 6-5 game in the eighth and allowed his third earned run of the month on Gonzalez's single with two outs. The Cardinals nearly avoided the score by getting the first out on a rundown and the second on a play at the plate.
Trailing, the Cardinals went quietly the rest of the way. When the game ended, Busch Stadium was only half full, as if those who gathered could correctly guess the ending.