Luvofthegame
09-30-2006, 12:54 AM
By R.B. Fallstrom
ASSOCIATED PRESS
09/29/2006
After nearly giving up all of their NL Central lead, the St. Louis Cardinals rebounded for a big win behind Jeff Weaver.
Weaver won for the first time in nine home starts since joining the Cardinals, and Albert Pujols and Preston Wilson homered Friday night in a 10-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
St. Louis (82-77) increased its division lead to 1 1/2 games over second-place Houston (81-79), which lost 4-1 at Atlanta. The Cardinals had a seven-game lead with 12 games to go but wasted nearly all of it by losing eight of nine.
St. Louis cut its magic number to two for clinching its third straight NL Central title. After two more games with the Brewers, the Cardinals would host San Francisco on Monday in the makeup of a Sept. 17 rainout if it's needed to decide the division. Advertisement
Wilson hit a two-run homer in the second and Pujols added a three-run drive in a five-run third as St. Louis built an 8-1 lead against Chris Capuano (11-12).
Paying attention to developments in Atlanta, fans cheered when Edgar Renteria and Chipper Jones homered in the eighth for the Braves, and Busch Stadium organist Ernie Hays played the "Tomahawk Chop" ditty after the final out in that game.
Juan Encarnacion had four hits and Scott Rolen three. Cardinals leadoff hitter David Eckstein returned after missing four starts with a strained left hamstring. Eckstein, who was not in the original lineup, was 1-for-3 with an infield hit before leaving for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
Weaver (5-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, working out of trouble in the first, second and fourth innings. He had been 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA at home. Although he has an 8.13 ERA in his last five starts overall, Weaver is 3-0 in that span.
Capuano (11-12) gave up eight runs -- six earned -- and seven hits in five innings, dropping 0-4 with a 5.93 ERA in his last seven starts.
Geoff Jenkins put Milwaukee ahead with an RBI single in the first, but Wilson's homer gave St. Louis the lead for good and Pujols' 48th homer -- his second three-run drive in three days -- made it 8-1.
Corey Hart hit a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth, and Prince Fielder and Bill Hall hit consecutive homers in the eighth off Randy Flores. Hall is 17-for-32 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last nine games.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
09/29/2006
After nearly giving up all of their NL Central lead, the St. Louis Cardinals rebounded for a big win behind Jeff Weaver.
Weaver won for the first time in nine home starts since joining the Cardinals, and Albert Pujols and Preston Wilson homered Friday night in a 10-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
St. Louis (82-77) increased its division lead to 1 1/2 games over second-place Houston (81-79), which lost 4-1 at Atlanta. The Cardinals had a seven-game lead with 12 games to go but wasted nearly all of it by losing eight of nine.
St. Louis cut its magic number to two for clinching its third straight NL Central title. After two more games with the Brewers, the Cardinals would host San Francisco on Monday in the makeup of a Sept. 17 rainout if it's needed to decide the division. Advertisement
Wilson hit a two-run homer in the second and Pujols added a three-run drive in a five-run third as St. Louis built an 8-1 lead against Chris Capuano (11-12).
Paying attention to developments in Atlanta, fans cheered when Edgar Renteria and Chipper Jones homered in the eighth for the Braves, and Busch Stadium organist Ernie Hays played the "Tomahawk Chop" ditty after the final out in that game.
Juan Encarnacion had four hits and Scott Rolen three. Cardinals leadoff hitter David Eckstein returned after missing four starts with a strained left hamstring. Eckstein, who was not in the original lineup, was 1-for-3 with an infield hit before leaving for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
Weaver (5-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, working out of trouble in the first, second and fourth innings. He had been 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA at home. Although he has an 8.13 ERA in his last five starts overall, Weaver is 3-0 in that span.
Capuano (11-12) gave up eight runs -- six earned -- and seven hits in five innings, dropping 0-4 with a 5.93 ERA in his last seven starts.
Geoff Jenkins put Milwaukee ahead with an RBI single in the first, but Wilson's homer gave St. Louis the lead for good and Pujols' 48th homer -- his second three-run drive in three days -- made it 8-1.
Corey Hart hit a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth, and Prince Fielder and Bill Hall hit consecutive homers in the eighth off Randy Flores. Hall is 17-for-32 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last nine games.