Cardinals get last blow in slugfest

Cardinals get last blow in slugfest
04/12/2008 7:26 PM ET
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- In the game of the year thus far, the Cardinals came out on top.

Chris Duncan's two-out single in the top of the 10th inning gave St. Louis a wild 8-7 win over the Giants at AT&T Park on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals rallied from a 5-0 deficit, then let a 7-5 lead get away in the bottom of the ninth before finally finishing things off.

Through six innings, the Cardinals not only trailed by five, but they had been held hitless by Matt Cain. But Albert Pujols' double ended Cain's chance at history, and Adam Kennedy and Rico Washington hit RBI singles to get the Cardinals on the board. Duncan hit a solo homer and Rick Ankiel a two-run shot in the eighth, and Ryan Ludwick hit a go-ahead jack in the ninth.

However, Jason Isringhausen had a rough ninth, suffering his first blown save of the season. Rich Aurilia hit an RBI single to cut a 7-5 lead in half, and Fred Lewis kept up his spectacular series with a game-tying double that caromed off Pujols' glove into right field.

For the second straight outing, Todd Wellemeyer saw a brilliant beginning dwindle to a no-decision thanks to a rough final inning. Wellemeyer took a one-hit shutout into the sixth before Cain's solo homer keyed a big inning for the home team.

The Cardinals improved to 9-3 on the season and lead the National League Central by 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee, which beat the Mets. The comeback win was their biggest since overcoming a 6-0 deficit to beat the Brewers, 7-6, on July 28, 2007.