Stavinoha collects first big league RBI; Looper garners ninth win
DETROIT -- The Cardinals put to rest their only bad memory from the 2006 World Series when they beat Kenny Rogers and the Tigers, 8-4, at Comerica Park on Tuesday night.
In a five-game Fall Classic win over Detroit in '06, Rogers' eight-inning scoreless gem was the Redbirds' only blemish. On Tuesday, Rogers held no such hex. His command wasn't sharp, and the Cardinals waited him out for their third win in four games.
Brian Barton doubled, homered and drove in two runs for St. Louis. And when Detroit called on a right-handed relief pitcher, Skip Schumaker pinch-hit for Barton and drove in two more runs with a single to center field. Nick Stavinoha drove in the first run of his big league career with a seventh-inning single, and Brendan Ryan racked up three hits and two RBIs.
It was plenty of offense for Braden Looper, who ran into some trouble but still pitched well enough for his ninth win on the season.
Looper surrendered three home runs after going four straight starts without one. One blast, however, was controversial. Miguel Cabrera's shot in the fourth inning appeared on replay to have hit off the top of the right-field wall, which by rule should not be a homer.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
We Would Have Played for Nothing
Edited by Fay Vincent
(Simon & Schuster, 327 pages, $25)
Ex-Baseball Players Recall Life
In the Big Leagues of the 1950s and '60s
Fay Vincent was the Herb Score of baseball commissioners, a man who brought presence and brilliance to the game only to be struck down by an outside force. In the case of Score, the Indians' sensational lefthander, it was a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald in 1957 that curtailed his career. In the case of Mr. Vincent, who became the commissioner in 1989, it was a 1992 power play by team owners who wanted to pick a fight with the Players Association and felt that he was too accommodating to the union. Two years later, the owners got their confrontation. A strike forced cancellation of the 1994 postseason and, some would argue, helped usher in the steroid era.
Fortunately, Mr. Vincent has not abandoned the game that abandoned him. With the financial assistance of investment banker Herbert Allen, he has been conducting the Baseball Oral History Project, the fruits of which are two books of remembrances: "The Only Game in Town" (2006), in which stars of the 1930s and '40s told their stories; and now "We Would Have Played for Nothing," a gathering of pull-up-a-chair conversations with 11 players from the 1950s and '60s.
Ralph Branca willingly reopens the wound from serving up the Shot Heard Round the World at the Polo Grounds in 1951. Bill Rigney, who died in 2001, regrets not shaking Jackie Robinson's hand to welcome him to the major leagues. ("Why I didn't do that, I don't know, because he was standing right there.") Robin Roberts traces his pitching career, most of it spent with the Philadelphia Phillies, from dreams to dominance to desperation. Duke Snider talks about what it was like, as a Brooklyn Dodger, to be the third member of New York's centerfield triumvirate, along with the Giants' Willie Mays and the Yankees' Mickey Mantle.
The simple eloquence of Carl Erskine is on full display -- whether he is chatting about staying at the Brooklyn YMCA as a rookie pitcher with the Dodgers or describing what it was like to raise a son born in 1960 with Down syndrome, a year after his retirement. Erskine credits Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier with helping to make society generally more accepting of people who are different, including "mongoloid" children who might have been ostracized in earlier generations: "There's a momentum in life and in sports. And I think Jackie kicked off a momentum of change that had a sweeping effect."
There are no lurid or scandalous revelations in "We Would Have Played for Nothing," although Whitey Ford does reveal that he and Mantle won a big bet with Giants owner Horace Stoneham when Ford struck out Willie Mays in the 1961 All-Star Game. Lew Burdette credits Burleigh Grimes, the last legal spitball pitcher, with teaching him the value of making the other team think you're throwing a spitball. Harmon Killebrew recounts how an actual senator, Herman Welker of Idaho, talked the Washington Senators into signing him. Brooks Robinson speaks glowingly of his friendship with Frank Robinson, and Frank Robinson circles the bases again in describing the inside-the-park homer that he hit in 1975 in his first at bat as the Cleveland Indians' player-manager -- and baseball's first black manager. And Billy Williams relives the day in 1959 that the Cubs sent scout Buck O'Neil down to Mobile, Ala., to talk him out of quitting baseball.
Jackie Robinson, Casey Stengel, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Mays, Mantle -- they're in the book, too, as recurring characters. Whitey Ford recalls that, unbeknownst to him, Mantle called the pitches in one particular game, signaling them to Berra from centerfield. Turns out that Mantle had been kidding Berra about how easy it was to call a game and Berra dared him to do it himself. So Mantle did just that for seven innings. And Ford pitched a shutout.
Certain themes also run through the personal narratives: racial integration, westward expansion, the growing resentment at the take-it-or-leave-it salaries that players were offered before free agency. All the players recall, with surprising detail, the first professional contracts they signed. Roberts goes back to a three-day tryout he had with the Phillies in Chicago, when the offer kept escalating: "Well, when the signing bonus got to $25,000, I said, 'Is that enough to build a house?' And the guy said, 'Yeah, that'll build it.' I said, 'That's enough.' " Despite earning what now seem laughable sums for putting on the uniform, the former players each express a deep sense of gratitude to the game and to the people who helped them along the way. Erskine relates how a thoughtful minor-league manager named Jack Onslow on an opposing team told him that he was tipping off his pitches. To his sorrow, Erskine says, "I never thanked Jack Onslow."
With Mr. Vincent's assistance, he now does. But that's just one of the services that the former commissioner provides. He is donating his proceeds from the books' sales to the Hall of Fame, which will also get the tapes of the interviews. In his introduction to "We Would Have Played for Nothing," Mr. Vincent pays tribute to "The Glory of Their Times," Lawrence Ritter's 1966 collection of reminiscences from baseball players in the early 20th century. Mr. Vincent's own volumes are worthy sequels, time machines that allow the players -- and us -- to relive their days on the diamonds.
Don't assume that their era was any simpler than ours; these men had to deal with war, politics, racism, alcohol abuse. Perhaps in future years, someone will produce a similar volume on the stars at the turn of the 21st century who had to wrestle with the dilemma presented by performance-enhancing drugs, a struggle that might have been eased by a commissioner willing to work with the union. Oh, well.
As gentle and as loving as this volume is, Mr. Vincent does use his dedication to jab at the people who have closed the doors of the Hall of Fame to a certain union leader: "To the estimable Marvin Miller -- whose contributions to baseball continue to be ignored by those blinded by their own ignorance."
(Simon & Schuster, 327 pages, $25)
Ex-Baseball Players Recall Life
In the Big Leagues of the 1950s and '60s
Fay Vincent was the Herb Score of baseball commissioners, a man who brought presence and brilliance to the game only to be struck down by an outside force. In the case of Score, the Indians' sensational lefthander, it was a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald in 1957 that curtailed his career. In the case of Mr. Vincent, who became the commissioner in 1989, it was a 1992 power play by team owners who wanted to pick a fight with the Players Association and felt that he was too accommodating to the union. Two years later, the owners got their confrontation. A strike forced cancellation of the 1994 postseason and, some would argue, helped usher in the steroid era.
Fortunately, Mr. Vincent has not abandoned the game that abandoned him. With the financial assistance of investment banker Herbert Allen, he has been conducting the Baseball Oral History Project, the fruits of which are two books of remembrances: "The Only Game in Town" (2006), in which stars of the 1930s and '40s told their stories; and now "We Would Have Played for Nothing," a gathering of pull-up-a-chair conversations with 11 players from the 1950s and '60s.
Ralph Branca willingly reopens the wound from serving up the Shot Heard Round the World at the Polo Grounds in 1951. Bill Rigney, who died in 2001, regrets not shaking Jackie Robinson's hand to welcome him to the major leagues. ("Why I didn't do that, I don't know, because he was standing right there.") Robin Roberts traces his pitching career, most of it spent with the Philadelphia Phillies, from dreams to dominance to desperation. Duke Snider talks about what it was like, as a Brooklyn Dodger, to be the third member of New York's centerfield triumvirate, along with the Giants' Willie Mays and the Yankees' Mickey Mantle.
The simple eloquence of Carl Erskine is on full display -- whether he is chatting about staying at the Brooklyn YMCA as a rookie pitcher with the Dodgers or describing what it was like to raise a son born in 1960 with Down syndrome, a year after his retirement. Erskine credits Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier with helping to make society generally more accepting of people who are different, including "mongoloid" children who might have been ostracized in earlier generations: "There's a momentum in life and in sports. And I think Jackie kicked off a momentum of change that had a sweeping effect."
There are no lurid or scandalous revelations in "We Would Have Played for Nothing," although Whitey Ford does reveal that he and Mantle won a big bet with Giants owner Horace Stoneham when Ford struck out Willie Mays in the 1961 All-Star Game. Lew Burdette credits Burleigh Grimes, the last legal spitball pitcher, with teaching him the value of making the other team think you're throwing a spitball. Harmon Killebrew recounts how an actual senator, Herman Welker of Idaho, talked the Washington Senators into signing him. Brooks Robinson speaks glowingly of his friendship with Frank Robinson, and Frank Robinson circles the bases again in describing the inside-the-park homer that he hit in 1975 in his first at bat as the Cleveland Indians' player-manager -- and baseball's first black manager. And Billy Williams relives the day in 1959 that the Cubs sent scout Buck O'Neil down to Mobile, Ala., to talk him out of quitting baseball.
Jackie Robinson, Casey Stengel, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Mays, Mantle -- they're in the book, too, as recurring characters. Whitey Ford recalls that, unbeknownst to him, Mantle called the pitches in one particular game, signaling them to Berra from centerfield. Turns out that Mantle had been kidding Berra about how easy it was to call a game and Berra dared him to do it himself. So Mantle did just that for seven innings. And Ford pitched a shutout.
Certain themes also run through the personal narratives: racial integration, westward expansion, the growing resentment at the take-it-or-leave-it salaries that players were offered before free agency. All the players recall, with surprising detail, the first professional contracts they signed. Roberts goes back to a three-day tryout he had with the Phillies in Chicago, when the offer kept escalating: "Well, when the signing bonus got to $25,000, I said, 'Is that enough to build a house?' And the guy said, 'Yeah, that'll build it.' I said, 'That's enough.' " Despite earning what now seem laughable sums for putting on the uniform, the former players each express a deep sense of gratitude to the game and to the people who helped them along the way. Erskine relates how a thoughtful minor-league manager named Jack Onslow on an opposing team told him that he was tipping off his pitches. To his sorrow, Erskine says, "I never thanked Jack Onslow."
With Mr. Vincent's assistance, he now does. But that's just one of the services that the former commissioner provides. He is donating his proceeds from the books' sales to the Hall of Fame, which will also get the tapes of the interviews. In his introduction to "We Would Have Played for Nothing," Mr. Vincent pays tribute to "The Glory of Their Times," Lawrence Ritter's 1966 collection of reminiscences from baseball players in the early 20th century. Mr. Vincent's own volumes are worthy sequels, time machines that allow the players -- and us -- to relive their days on the diamonds.
Don't assume that their era was any simpler than ours; these men had to deal with war, politics, racism, alcohol abuse. Perhaps in future years, someone will produce a similar volume on the stars at the turn of the 21st century who had to wrestle with the dilemma presented by performance-enhancing drugs, a struggle that might have been eased by a commissioner willing to work with the union. Oh, well.
As gentle and as loving as this volume is, Mr. Vincent does use his dedication to jab at the people who have closed the doors of the Hall of Fame to a certain union leader: "To the estimable Marvin Miller -- whose contributions to baseball continue to be ignored by those blinded by their own ignorance."
Monday, June 23, 2008
Cards show moxie in 13-inning loss
La Russa impressed by team's refusal to give in to Red Sox
BOSTON -- The Cardinals showed as much in defeat on Sunday as they did in rousing wins on Friday and Saturday. And their manager wanted to make sure they knew that.
So when St. Louis players trudged into the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park, still smarting from a 5-3 defeat in 13 innings against the reigning World Series champions, Tony La Russa led all of the club's support staff in a round of applause.
"All of us that complement this team -- the trainers, equipment guys, the coaches, myself, traveling secretary -- we tipped our caps and clapped for these guys," La Russa said. "You can't watch that kind of effort for three days and have that kind of game at the end without giving them some kind of special recognition.
"We made a point to say what a privilege it was to be in the same uniform and watch that competition, and we gave them a round of applause and tipped our caps. That was really a great effort."
It was that kind of showing, in victory and defeat, for three days for the Cardinals at Fenway. A team that had grave regrets after the 2004 World Series -- not so much about the outcome, but about not showing what they were capable of -- harbored no such disappointment after a return trip to the historic stadium.
"We got beat," said starting pitcher Joel Pineiro, "but it was a great series and a great game. Today's not one of those games where you're walking with your head down and kicking stuff."
Had the game ended four innings earlier, it might have been viewed in a much different light. The Cardinals let a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning slip away, and they entered the ninth with a one-run deficit. But a down-to-the-last-strike rally against Jonathan Papelbon forced extra innings and ultimately helped cast the game with a memorable glow.
"Just a hellacious game," La Russa said. "That's one of those things that makes you enjoy this level of competition. Both clubs had chances. Lot of heroics to get something going, a lot of heroics to stop them. What a great competition."
The Cardinals took a two-run lead into the seventh, but the game turned against them over the final frames. Pineiro, who had been impeccable for 6 2/3 innings, missed badly with a fastball to Kevin Youkilis in the seventh, and Youkilis tattooed it for a solo homer.
In the eighth, Pineiro was betrayed by his defense when Rick Ankiel overran a Coco Crisp fly ball to center. Ankiel wasn't able to correct himself in time, and Crisp had an easy triple, chasing Pineiro.
"I just got to where I thought it was going to be, and when I got there, it wasn't," Ankiel said. "I just misplayed it, I guess. I think it cut, because I was right there. I was calling it, and all of a sudden, it was behind me."
Julio Lugo's sacrifice fly against Chris Perez tied the game. Perez walked the bases loaded, then Mike Lowell for the go-ahead run. Perez retired Jacoby Ellsbury for the second out, and Dustin Pedroia poked a single to right field.
Requiring only one out to escape with a tie intact, Perez couldn't deliver. He walked J.D. Drew to put the winning run in scoring position, loaded the bases with an unintentional-intentional walk to Manny Ramirez and walked Lowell for the deciding run.
"I just didn't make the pitches," Perez said. "I fell behind, tried to come in and missed inside. And the last one wasn't close either -- four bad pitches. Our game plan was to attack him with the fastball away, because he tries to pull everything, and my stuff matched up good for that situation. It just didn't work out that way."
Yet the Redbirds showed life in the ninth, mounting a mini-rally to force extras. After Papelbon struck out the first two batters of the inning, Chris Duncan walked and Adam Kennedy lined a game-tying double.
As regulation time turned to extra innings, the game continued to get more memorable. The Red Sox knocked leadoff doubles in the 10th, 11th and 12th, but never got the run home. The Cardinals, meanwhile, put a runner into scoring position with fewer than two outs in the 10th, 11th and 13th, but likewise never delivered.
Their best shot came in the 13th, when Duncan doubled and Kennedy singled to right field. Third-base coach Jose Oquendo sent Duncan home, but Drew made a tremendous throw and Jason Varitek held onto the ball as Duncan barreled into him. Skip Schumaker flied out to end the inning, and two batters later, the game was over. Mike Parisi allowed a leadoff single to Lowell, and Youkilis followed by crushing a pitch from Parisi over the Green Monster.
Game over. But point made, just the same. Facing a playoff-caliber opponent, the Cardinals played playoff baseball.
"You look back and it's an 'L,' but the tenacity that each one of our pitchers showed in going after those guys and getting the big outs when we needed them, and to come back in the ninth on Papelbon, it shows the heart and the reason this team is as good as it is," said Aaron Miles, who had five hits. "A lot of tough guys in here."
BOSTON -- The Cardinals showed as much in defeat on Sunday as they did in rousing wins on Friday and Saturday. And their manager wanted to make sure they knew that.
So when St. Louis players trudged into the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park, still smarting from a 5-3 defeat in 13 innings against the reigning World Series champions, Tony La Russa led all of the club's support staff in a round of applause.
"All of us that complement this team -- the trainers, equipment guys, the coaches, myself, traveling secretary -- we tipped our caps and clapped for these guys," La Russa said. "You can't watch that kind of effort for three days and have that kind of game at the end without giving them some kind of special recognition.
"We made a point to say what a privilege it was to be in the same uniform and watch that competition, and we gave them a round of applause and tipped our caps. That was really a great effort."
It was that kind of showing, in victory and defeat, for three days for the Cardinals at Fenway. A team that had grave regrets after the 2004 World Series -- not so much about the outcome, but about not showing what they were capable of -- harbored no such disappointment after a return trip to the historic stadium.
"We got beat," said starting pitcher Joel Pineiro, "but it was a great series and a great game. Today's not one of those games where you're walking with your head down and kicking stuff."
Had the game ended four innings earlier, it might have been viewed in a much different light. The Cardinals let a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning slip away, and they entered the ninth with a one-run deficit. But a down-to-the-last-strike rally against Jonathan Papelbon forced extra innings and ultimately helped cast the game with a memorable glow.
"Just a hellacious game," La Russa said. "That's one of those things that makes you enjoy this level of competition. Both clubs had chances. Lot of heroics to get something going, a lot of heroics to stop them. What a great competition."
The Cardinals took a two-run lead into the seventh, but the game turned against them over the final frames. Pineiro, who had been impeccable for 6 2/3 innings, missed badly with a fastball to Kevin Youkilis in the seventh, and Youkilis tattooed it for a solo homer.
In the eighth, Pineiro was betrayed by his defense when Rick Ankiel overran a Coco Crisp fly ball to center. Ankiel wasn't able to correct himself in time, and Crisp had an easy triple, chasing Pineiro.
"I just got to where I thought it was going to be, and when I got there, it wasn't," Ankiel said. "I just misplayed it, I guess. I think it cut, because I was right there. I was calling it, and all of a sudden, it was behind me."
Julio Lugo's sacrifice fly against Chris Perez tied the game. Perez walked the bases loaded, then Mike Lowell for the go-ahead run. Perez retired Jacoby Ellsbury for the second out, and Dustin Pedroia poked a single to right field.
Requiring only one out to escape with a tie intact, Perez couldn't deliver. He walked J.D. Drew to put the winning run in scoring position, loaded the bases with an unintentional-intentional walk to Manny Ramirez and walked Lowell for the deciding run.
"I just didn't make the pitches," Perez said. "I fell behind, tried to come in and missed inside. And the last one wasn't close either -- four bad pitches. Our game plan was to attack him with the fastball away, because he tries to pull everything, and my stuff matched up good for that situation. It just didn't work out that way."
Yet the Redbirds showed life in the ninth, mounting a mini-rally to force extras. After Papelbon struck out the first two batters of the inning, Chris Duncan walked and Adam Kennedy lined a game-tying double.
As regulation time turned to extra innings, the game continued to get more memorable. The Red Sox knocked leadoff doubles in the 10th, 11th and 12th, but never got the run home. The Cardinals, meanwhile, put a runner into scoring position with fewer than two outs in the 10th, 11th and 13th, but likewise never delivered.
Their best shot came in the 13th, when Duncan doubled and Kennedy singled to right field. Third-base coach Jose Oquendo sent Duncan home, but Drew made a tremendous throw and Jason Varitek held onto the ball as Duncan barreled into him. Skip Schumaker flied out to end the inning, and two batters later, the game was over. Mike Parisi allowed a leadoff single to Lowell, and Youkilis followed by crushing a pitch from Parisi over the Green Monster.
Game over. But point made, just the same. Facing a playoff-caliber opponent, the Cardinals played playoff baseball.
"You look back and it's an 'L,' but the tenacity that each one of our pitchers showed in going after those guys and getting the big outs when we needed them, and to come back in the ninth on Papelbon, it shows the heart and the reason this team is as good as it is," said Aaron Miles, who had five hits. "A lot of tough guys in here."
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Cards power up, poised for sweep
Backed by Glaus' slam, Boggs' solid outing bests Red Sox
BOSTON -- It's not one of them. It's all of them.
After a stagnant week, the Cardinals' offense continued to find its way on Saturday, thanks to another multi-pronged attack. Three different Cardinals hit home runs, making it six Redbirds with a long ball in two games, as St. Louis steamrolled the World Series champion Red Sox, 9-3, at Fenway Park.
For more than a week, the Cardinals had scuffled in the absence of Albert Pujols, who is sidelined with a left calf strain. Batters appeared to get away from the patient approaches that served them so well for the season's first two months, and it seemed that nearly everyone in the lineup tried to be a hero.
Through two games at Fenway, that has all changed. The Cards have tallied 14 runs against a quality pitching staff. They've rapped 22 base hits, including those six long balls by six different players. They even drew five walks on Saturday, their most since June 11 -- the day after Pujols went on the DL.
"You take the best hitter out of any lineup, it's going to leave a big mark," said Troy Glaus, whose grand slam was the biggest hit of the game. "I don't care what team it is. But the last two days were examples. The home runs are great, but we moved runners, we got hits when we needed to get hits, we drew walks, we did things we needed to do to be successful."
Cardinals batters recognized quickly on Saturday that they were facing a diminished pitcher, and they adjusted. Daisuke Matsuzaka, making his first start since a disabled-list stint due to shoulder troubles, had a terrible time throwing strikes. Matsuzaka needed 35 pitches to endure a four-run first, and it got even worse from there.
He didn't even retire a batter in the second, leaving with the bases loaded and nobody out. Rookie Chris Smith set down the first batter he faced, but surrendered Glaus' slam, which doubled the Cards' advantage to 8-0 and turned the game into a laugher.
"We caught a break," manager Tony La Russa said. "[Matsuzaka] was coming off the disabled list, and you could tell he was rusty. He'd fall behind and had to throw the ball down the middle. Sometimes you pop it up. We didn't today."
Aaron Miles' first home run of the year, a two-run shot, highlighted a four-run first. Rick Ankiel also hit a homer, a solo blast in the seventh. The Cardinals' run total was their highest since that same June 11 game, and they scored more than three runs on consecutive days for the first time without Pujols.
"I guess you could say we were in a little bit of a lull there that last series we had at home, but I think it's normal for teams to do that," Miles said. "Any team -- the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Cardinals -- anybody can have lulls like that. I think we've been a pretty good offensive team that's been able to get on base regularly, and we took a bunch of good at-bats today."
Handed the lead, rookie Mitchell Boggs made it stand. Boggs allowed plenty of hard contact, but minimized the damage and survived for his second win in three big league starts. Boggs permitted three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking two.
It made for a perfect day for Boggs, who also celebrated a big College World Series win for his alma mater, the University of Georgia. The 'Dawgs have secured a place in the CWS championship series.
"I was excited about this opportunity," said Boggs, who improved to 2-0. "This is one of the great places in sports. I wanted to control my emotions. I didn't want to get too hyped up for it, because it's still my job to go out there and get guys out, but it was a special day for me."
In a matchup of the National League's best road team and the American League's best home team, the road warriors won out again. St. Louis improved to 21-15 away from Busch Stadium, while Boston dropped to 28-9 at Fenway. By taking the first two games of the three-game series, the Cardinals sent the Red Sox to their first series loss at home since April 22-24 and their second all year. St. Louis remained 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central.
BOSTON -- It's not one of them. It's all of them.
After a stagnant week, the Cardinals' offense continued to find its way on Saturday, thanks to another multi-pronged attack. Three different Cardinals hit home runs, making it six Redbirds with a long ball in two games, as St. Louis steamrolled the World Series champion Red Sox, 9-3, at Fenway Park.
For more than a week, the Cardinals had scuffled in the absence of Albert Pujols, who is sidelined with a left calf strain. Batters appeared to get away from the patient approaches that served them so well for the season's first two months, and it seemed that nearly everyone in the lineup tried to be a hero.
Through two games at Fenway, that has all changed. The Cards have tallied 14 runs against a quality pitching staff. They've rapped 22 base hits, including those six long balls by six different players. They even drew five walks on Saturday, their most since June 11 -- the day after Pujols went on the DL.
"You take the best hitter out of any lineup, it's going to leave a big mark," said Troy Glaus, whose grand slam was the biggest hit of the game. "I don't care what team it is. But the last two days were examples. The home runs are great, but we moved runners, we got hits when we needed to get hits, we drew walks, we did things we needed to do to be successful."
Cardinals batters recognized quickly on Saturday that they were facing a diminished pitcher, and they adjusted. Daisuke Matsuzaka, making his first start since a disabled-list stint due to shoulder troubles, had a terrible time throwing strikes. Matsuzaka needed 35 pitches to endure a four-run first, and it got even worse from there.
He didn't even retire a batter in the second, leaving with the bases loaded and nobody out. Rookie Chris Smith set down the first batter he faced, but surrendered Glaus' slam, which doubled the Cards' advantage to 8-0 and turned the game into a laugher.
"We caught a break," manager Tony La Russa said. "[Matsuzaka] was coming off the disabled list, and you could tell he was rusty. He'd fall behind and had to throw the ball down the middle. Sometimes you pop it up. We didn't today."
Aaron Miles' first home run of the year, a two-run shot, highlighted a four-run first. Rick Ankiel also hit a homer, a solo blast in the seventh. The Cardinals' run total was their highest since that same June 11 game, and they scored more than three runs on consecutive days for the first time without Pujols.
"I guess you could say we were in a little bit of a lull there that last series we had at home, but I think it's normal for teams to do that," Miles said. "Any team -- the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Cardinals -- anybody can have lulls like that. I think we've been a pretty good offensive team that's been able to get on base regularly, and we took a bunch of good at-bats today."
Handed the lead, rookie Mitchell Boggs made it stand. Boggs allowed plenty of hard contact, but minimized the damage and survived for his second win in three big league starts. Boggs permitted three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking two.
It made for a perfect day for Boggs, who also celebrated a big College World Series win for his alma mater, the University of Georgia. The 'Dawgs have secured a place in the CWS championship series.
"I was excited about this opportunity," said Boggs, who improved to 2-0. "This is one of the great places in sports. I wanted to control my emotions. I didn't want to get too hyped up for it, because it's still my job to go out there and get guys out, but it was a special day for me."
In a matchup of the National League's best road team and the American League's best home team, the road warriors won out again. St. Louis improved to 21-15 away from Busch Stadium, while Boston dropped to 28-9 at Fenway. By taking the first two games of the three-game series, the Cardinals sent the Red Sox to their first series loss at home since April 22-24 and their second all year. St. Louis remained 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central.
Late blasts give Lohse sixth straight win
Schumaker, Molina back Cardinals right-hander's quality start
BOSTON -- Three guys who are not supposed to deliver home runs did for the Cardinals on Friday night. More importantly, three players who are supposed to for the Red Sox, did not.
Skip Schumaker, Jason LaRue and Yadier Molina all went deep for the visiting Redbirds as they snapped a three-game losing streak and beat the Red Sox, 5-4, at Fenway Park in the opener of an Interleague series between the past two World Series champions. Entering the game, Schumaker, LaRue and Molina had combined for eight dingers on the year.
Meanwhile, three different Cardinals pitchers escaped scary situations with the menacing heart of the Red Sox order at the plate. Kyle Lohse, Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin all walked a highwire, and all three made it to the other side. Lohse won his sixth straight start, while Franklin picked up the first two-inning save of his career.
"We had a lot of heroes," manager Tony La Russa said.
The list started with Lohse, who made it seven consecutive solid starts. After breezing through a 1-2-3 first, he found himself in trouble in the second thanks to a walk and a Cesar Izturis error. Loshe struck out Kevin Youkilis, gave up a one-out bloop single and a sacrifice fly, and got out of the inning when Kevin Cash hit into a force play.
But that was just a warmup for Lohse's true Houdini act. In the fifth, two balls fell in for singles that at least arguably could have been turned into outs by the St. Louis defense. With the bases loaded and one out, Manny Ramirez strode to the plate -- and Lohse struck him out, looking. Mike Lowell followed by grounding into a force, and Lohse had preserved a 1-1 tie.
"That's where I really had to bear down and not think about the situation I was in," Lohse said. "Just think about what pitch I needed to make. It's clichéd, but I really had to take it one pitch at a time and not get ahead of myself. Because if you don't have complete concentration one on of those pitches, it's a home run easily."
After the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, Lohse surrendered a Julio Lugo homer, but six innings with one earned run is a spectacular effort against the Red Sox at Fenway.
"Loshie pitched, for me, probably the best game of the year," Schumaker said. "That lineup is one of the best in all the big leagues. He was so impressive and dominant. I'm not surprised anymore, because I've seen him do it again and again, time after time."
It was in the next half-inning when Schumaker gave the Cardinals another lead, one they would not give up. He cranked a two-run homer off Tim Wakefield, who had gotten three easy outs against Schumaker earlier in the evening.
"I was trying to throw strike one and work from there," said Wakefield, "and the ball didn't do anything."
Even then, nothing was safe for the Cardinals. Randy Flores loaded the bases on a single and two walks to open the seventh, once again presenting Ramirez with a perfect RBI chance. This time, Springer retired the future Hall of Famer, inducing a double-play grounder, before striking out Lowell. The Red Sox got a single run, but the lead was intact.
"To me, that was the key to the game," Lohse said.
Molina's homer in his first start after missing three games due to a concussion made it 5-3, and Franklin put away the Red Sox in the bottom of the eighth. He got into trouble in the ninth, though, and once again the Cardinals had to face those sluggers. A Dustin Pedroia double brought the tying run to the plate, and an unintentional-intentional walk to Ramirez made Lowell the potential go-ahead run. This time Lowell singled home a run, but Franklin retired Youkilis to end the game.
"We're making pitches when we have to," Franklin said. "Those are outstanding hitters up there, and they've proved it for a long time."
BOSTON -- Three guys who are not supposed to deliver home runs did for the Cardinals on Friday night. More importantly, three players who are supposed to for the Red Sox, did not.
Skip Schumaker, Jason LaRue and Yadier Molina all went deep for the visiting Redbirds as they snapped a three-game losing streak and beat the Red Sox, 5-4, at Fenway Park in the opener of an Interleague series between the past two World Series champions. Entering the game, Schumaker, LaRue and Molina had combined for eight dingers on the year.
Meanwhile, three different Cardinals pitchers escaped scary situations with the menacing heart of the Red Sox order at the plate. Kyle Lohse, Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin all walked a highwire, and all three made it to the other side. Lohse won his sixth straight start, while Franklin picked up the first two-inning save of his career.
"We had a lot of heroes," manager Tony La Russa said.
The list started with Lohse, who made it seven consecutive solid starts. After breezing through a 1-2-3 first, he found himself in trouble in the second thanks to a walk and a Cesar Izturis error. Loshe struck out Kevin Youkilis, gave up a one-out bloop single and a sacrifice fly, and got out of the inning when Kevin Cash hit into a force play.
But that was just a warmup for Lohse's true Houdini act. In the fifth, two balls fell in for singles that at least arguably could have been turned into outs by the St. Louis defense. With the bases loaded and one out, Manny Ramirez strode to the plate -- and Lohse struck him out, looking. Mike Lowell followed by grounding into a force, and Lohse had preserved a 1-1 tie.
"That's where I really had to bear down and not think about the situation I was in," Lohse said. "Just think about what pitch I needed to make. It's clichéd, but I really had to take it one pitch at a time and not get ahead of myself. Because if you don't have complete concentration one on of those pitches, it's a home run easily."
After the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, Lohse surrendered a Julio Lugo homer, but six innings with one earned run is a spectacular effort against the Red Sox at Fenway.
"Loshie pitched, for me, probably the best game of the year," Schumaker said. "That lineup is one of the best in all the big leagues. He was so impressive and dominant. I'm not surprised anymore, because I've seen him do it again and again, time after time."
It was in the next half-inning when Schumaker gave the Cardinals another lead, one they would not give up. He cranked a two-run homer off Tim Wakefield, who had gotten three easy outs against Schumaker earlier in the evening.
"I was trying to throw strike one and work from there," said Wakefield, "and the ball didn't do anything."
Even then, nothing was safe for the Cardinals. Randy Flores loaded the bases on a single and two walks to open the seventh, once again presenting Ramirez with a perfect RBI chance. This time, Springer retired the future Hall of Famer, inducing a double-play grounder, before striking out Lowell. The Red Sox got a single run, but the lead was intact.
"To me, that was the key to the game," Lohse said.
Molina's homer in his first start after missing three games due to a concussion made it 5-3, and Franklin put away the Red Sox in the bottom of the eighth. He got into trouble in the ninth, though, and once again the Cardinals had to face those sluggers. A Dustin Pedroia double brought the tying run to the plate, and an unintentional-intentional walk to Ramirez made Lowell the potential go-ahead run. This time Lowell singled home a run, but Franklin retired Youkilis to end the game.
"We're making pitches when we have to," Franklin said. "Those are outstanding hitters up there, and they've proved it for a long time."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Cardinals drop three in a row to Royals
Only three Redbirds reach base off Kansas City pitchers
ST. LOUIS -- The few blotches of Royals fans brought the brooms to Busch Stadium on Thursday and had good reason to celebrate.
All the while, the 44,000-plus Cardinals fans had to sit and watch their team get swept for the first time ever by the Royals, losing, 4-1, in the series finale. It was the sixth time in the last seven games that the Cardinals have scored three runs or fewer.
"They did a good job," said right fielder Ryan Ludwick. "Just shut us down."
The flight to Boston on Thursday night cannot be too pleasant as the Cardinals experienced one of their worst three-game stretches this year. For the first time this season, a team swept St. Louis and no club had accomplished that feat at Busch Stadium since April 1-4, 2007.
Only three runners reached base for the Cardinals all game while Zack Greinke threw seven innings and struck out seven batters for the Royals. Greinke relinquished a walk to Cards starter Brad Thompson, a solo home run to Rick Ankiel and a single to Aaron Miles.
Greinke's two hits allowed on Thursday were the fewest the Cardinals have recorded in a game this year.
"He's spotting that fastball down and away all day long," Ludwick said. "Then he'll come in and keep you honest and he's got that hard slider, too. He did a good job today, but then again, that's no excuse."
And that was it for the Cardinals at home in June. They now have nine Interleague games in a row, traveling to Boston, Detroit and finishing in Kansas City.
"How much tougher can it get?" said manager Tony La Russa, brushing off the tough schedule ahead. "[Four] runs in three days is tough."
But the hitting woes have gone on longer than the past three games, longer than Albert Pujols' departure to the disabled list. Since May 21, the Cardinals are batting .251 and are 15-10 over their last 25 games.
When Pujols hit the DL, that only worsened the issue. St. Louis has scored fewer than four runs a game in its past seven games, a number inflated by a 10-0 victory the day after Pujols' injury.
Good teams go through their rough stretches, but with their upcoming schedule, the Cardinals had better figure out something quick on the offensive end. Their next six games come against teams that can score a flurry of runs in no time.
"You're going to have stretches when the offense isn't clicking, but you still have to find ways to win," Ludwick said. "Unfortunately, we didn't do that this series."
The pitching has been there for the Cardinals. Following two superb performances from Joel Pineiro and Braden Looper, Thompson returned to pitch his first game in the Majors since April 22.
Thompson fared well through his five innings of work, giving up only two runs and scattering five hits. In the fourth, facing the heart of the order, Thompson gave up three straight hits to put the Royals up, 2-0.
"We had a couple ground balls that just found their holes and they did some damage that inning," said Thompson, who was told he would be optioned to Triple-A Memphis following the loss. The Cardinals have not announced who they will call up for him.
Jason Isringhausen made his second appearance since rejoining the club. He pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of Thompson -- the longest Isringhausen has thrown in a game for the Cardinals.
Since recalled, Isringhausen has looked like the Izzy of old, giving up only one hit in 3 1/3 innings.
"All it is, is just getting comfortable again," Isringhausen said. "Seems like the more I throw, the more comfortable I get."
But as well as the pitching has been this year, too many times great outings have been spoiled by a lack of offense -- several of those coming in the last few games. So far, however, the slump is not a cause for concern.
"Yeah, we had a couple of bad days, but it's three games," Ludwick said, citing the Cardinals' two wins over the first-place Phillies earlier in the week. "It's not fun losing, by any means."
ST. LOUIS -- The few blotches of Royals fans brought the brooms to Busch Stadium on Thursday and had good reason to celebrate.
All the while, the 44,000-plus Cardinals fans had to sit and watch their team get swept for the first time ever by the Royals, losing, 4-1, in the series finale. It was the sixth time in the last seven games that the Cardinals have scored three runs or fewer.
"They did a good job," said right fielder Ryan Ludwick. "Just shut us down."
The flight to Boston on Thursday night cannot be too pleasant as the Cardinals experienced one of their worst three-game stretches this year. For the first time this season, a team swept St. Louis and no club had accomplished that feat at Busch Stadium since April 1-4, 2007.
Only three runners reached base for the Cardinals all game while Zack Greinke threw seven innings and struck out seven batters for the Royals. Greinke relinquished a walk to Cards starter Brad Thompson, a solo home run to Rick Ankiel and a single to Aaron Miles.
Greinke's two hits allowed on Thursday were the fewest the Cardinals have recorded in a game this year.
"He's spotting that fastball down and away all day long," Ludwick said. "Then he'll come in and keep you honest and he's got that hard slider, too. He did a good job today, but then again, that's no excuse."
And that was it for the Cardinals at home in June. They now have nine Interleague games in a row, traveling to Boston, Detroit and finishing in Kansas City.
"How much tougher can it get?" said manager Tony La Russa, brushing off the tough schedule ahead. "[Four] runs in three days is tough."
But the hitting woes have gone on longer than the past three games, longer than Albert Pujols' departure to the disabled list. Since May 21, the Cardinals are batting .251 and are 15-10 over their last 25 games.
When Pujols hit the DL, that only worsened the issue. St. Louis has scored fewer than four runs a game in its past seven games, a number inflated by a 10-0 victory the day after Pujols' injury.
Good teams go through their rough stretches, but with their upcoming schedule, the Cardinals had better figure out something quick on the offensive end. Their next six games come against teams that can score a flurry of runs in no time.
"You're going to have stretches when the offense isn't clicking, but you still have to find ways to win," Ludwick said. "Unfortunately, we didn't do that this series."
The pitching has been there for the Cardinals. Following two superb performances from Joel Pineiro and Braden Looper, Thompson returned to pitch his first game in the Majors since April 22.
Thompson fared well through his five innings of work, giving up only two runs and scattering five hits. In the fourth, facing the heart of the order, Thompson gave up three straight hits to put the Royals up, 2-0.
"We had a couple ground balls that just found their holes and they did some damage that inning," said Thompson, who was told he would be optioned to Triple-A Memphis following the loss. The Cardinals have not announced who they will call up for him.
Jason Isringhausen made his second appearance since rejoining the club. He pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of Thompson -- the longest Isringhausen has thrown in a game for the Cardinals.
Since recalled, Isringhausen has looked like the Izzy of old, giving up only one hit in 3 1/3 innings.
"All it is, is just getting comfortable again," Isringhausen said. "Seems like the more I throw, the more comfortable I get."
But as well as the pitching has been this year, too many times great outings have been spoiled by a lack of offense -- several of those coming in the last few games. So far, however, the slump is not a cause for concern.
"Yeah, we had a couple of bad days, but it's three games," Ludwick said, citing the Cardinals' two wins over the first-place Phillies earlier in the week. "It's not fun losing, by any means."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Another Series Opener, Another Loss
Cards lost to the Royals 2-1 last night. No big deal. They'll just win the next two. They've only done that eight times this year. Why not nine?
With Davies being so unfamiliar to the Cards (and with no Pujols or Molina) it's not terribly surprising the offense struggled. Great pitching performance, though, by Hero Joel Pineiro. Too bad the Goat Ron Villone lost it for him. Granted, the Cards should have put up more runs, but giving up a HR in a situation like that is unacceptable.
VEB runs down the problems with the left side of the bullpen today. There's no doubt that something that was such a strength for the Cards just a couple of years ago is now there most glaring weakness. I mean, does anyone want to see Villone or Randy Flores in a game anytime soon, especially a close one? I don't think so. Not sure what the team will do about it, but with an offense that's likely to sputter, the Cards can't afford to give away games with a weak bullpen.
Good to see Jason Isringhausen back, though. The sooner he is healthy and ready to go mentally and can take the closer slot away from Ryan Franklin, the better in my book.
Todd Wellemeyer is going to miss his next start, meaning Anthony Reyes will take the mound. First, does anyone not think Wellemeyer is going to wind up on the DL? A missed start, a terrible outing, and then another missed start. Second, I'm excited to see what Reyes can do. I'd like to see him make the decisions coming up tough. Third, it is very interesting that Mulder is pitching on the same day at AAA Memphis. If Reyes flops, Wellemeyer is still hurt and Mulder dominates, I'd expect Mulder to be pitching in Detroit when that rotation spot next comes up.
Chris Carpenter's pain problem isn't really a problem, which is great news. They may take it a little easier on him for a while, but it's one of the few times where this situation comes out positive instead of more surgery being required. I personally feel much better about it when Dr. Andrews says it's fine. Not that we don't trust the Cardinal staff, it's that we don't trust the Cardinal staff.
Mulder on Thursday and Clement on Friday. Memphis is the place to be at the end of this week! Plus Carpenter, rematches of the last two Cardinal World Series and another skirmish with the Royals. I'm sure Mike will have plenty to talk about when he fills in. (Though you are stuck with me for another day!)
With Davies being so unfamiliar to the Cards (and with no Pujols or Molina) it's not terribly surprising the offense struggled. Great pitching performance, though, by Hero Joel Pineiro. Too bad the Goat Ron Villone lost it for him. Granted, the Cards should have put up more runs, but giving up a HR in a situation like that is unacceptable.
VEB runs down the problems with the left side of the bullpen today. There's no doubt that something that was such a strength for the Cards just a couple of years ago is now there most glaring weakness. I mean, does anyone want to see Villone or Randy Flores in a game anytime soon, especially a close one? I don't think so. Not sure what the team will do about it, but with an offense that's likely to sputter, the Cards can't afford to give away games with a weak bullpen.
Good to see Jason Isringhausen back, though. The sooner he is healthy and ready to go mentally and can take the closer slot away from Ryan Franklin, the better in my book.
Todd Wellemeyer is going to miss his next start, meaning Anthony Reyes will take the mound. First, does anyone not think Wellemeyer is going to wind up on the DL? A missed start, a terrible outing, and then another missed start. Second, I'm excited to see what Reyes can do. I'd like to see him make the decisions coming up tough. Third, it is very interesting that Mulder is pitching on the same day at AAA Memphis. If Reyes flops, Wellemeyer is still hurt and Mulder dominates, I'd expect Mulder to be pitching in Detroit when that rotation spot next comes up.
Chris Carpenter's pain problem isn't really a problem, which is great news. They may take it a little easier on him for a while, but it's one of the few times where this situation comes out positive instead of more surgery being required. I personally feel much better about it when Dr. Andrews says it's fine. Not that we don't trust the Cardinal staff, it's that we don't trust the Cardinal staff.
Mulder on Thursday and Clement on Friday. Memphis is the place to be at the end of this week! Plus Carpenter, rematches of the last two Cardinal World Series and another skirmish with the Royals. I'm sure Mike will have plenty to talk about when he fills in. (Though you are stuck with me for another day!)
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