INSIDE PITCH
September baseball makes for some
strange situations and some unusual heroes.
So it was Friday night as
the Cardinals, 8-1/2 games behind in the National League wild-card race just
more than a week ago, are just 3-1/2 behind Atlanta now after a 4-2 win in 11 innings over Philadelphia. And two of
the reasons why are outfielder Adron Chambers and infielder/outfielder Tyler Greene, who joined the Cardinals just more than a week ago.
After veteran right
fielder Corey Patterson dropped Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz's fly ball
with two out in the ninth, allowing the Phillies to tie the score at 2-2, the
Cardinals rebounded with two runs in the 11th.
Veteran Rafael Furcal
doubled to open the inning and Patterson did some redeeming with a sacrifice
bunt. Surprise! First baseman Albert Pujols, who was 4-for-4, was walked
intentionally and, suddenly, rookie Chambers, who had come in for defense for
veteran outfielder Lance Berkman, was at the plate.
Hitless in his only plate
appearance since coming up from Class AAA Memphis, Chambers, after a long
at-bat, singled to right to score Furcal and then Greene, who has been up and
down a few times with the Cardinals, doubled off the top of the fence atop the
left-center-field wall.
Pujols scored, but the
speedy Chambers, with a headfirst slide, was out at home.
Chambers, a 38th-round
draft pick in 2007 out of Pensacola, Fla., where he was a star quarterback, said,
"I just didn't want to make an out. They walked Pujols to get to me. I took it
as a challenge.
"I went up there ready to
hit and fortunately, I got a hit. I hope another chance comes up so I can do it
again."
The Cardinals' pitching
was stout throughout, especially holding the first four hitters in the Phillies'
lineup hitless in 18 at-bats.
Lefty Jaime Garcia, who
held the Phillies to an unearned run over eight innings in his first start
against them this season, limited the Phils to one run in seven innings on
Friday.
Right-handed reliever
Octavio Dotel, who had fanned Philadelphia right fielder Hunter Pence three
times in three at-bats, struck out Pence again in the eighth inning with the
tying run on base after Pence narrowly had missed a home run on a drive that was
several feet foul.
Veteran reliever Arthur
Rhodes got a key strikeout on Phillies pinch-hitter Ross Gload in the ninth.
Then, reliever Kyle McClellan, 6-6 as a starter, went to 6-0 as a reliever after
working a scoreless 10th and Fernando Salas nailed down his 24th save with a
scoreless 11th.
"Sometimes, we're not
good enough," said manager Tony La Russa. "But the guts of (the team) are
outstanding. We hung with it and we got a great win."
Boxscore
NOTES,
QUOTES
1B Albert Pujols, who
hadn't been at .300 in any at-bat this year, ended Friday's game at .301 with a
4-for-4 night. He also walked twice, marking the first time in his career that
he had been 4-for-4 and had two walks in the same game. He has reached base in
32 consecutive games.
SS Rafael Furcal, who was
questionable after suffering a left knee strain on Wednesday, wound up getting
two hits and a walk and both scored a run and drove in a run Friday. Furcal is
starting to get on base much more now as the leadoff man after hitting too many
fly balls, some for home runs, in his first six weeks with the team after coming
from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With LF Matt Holliday out
with an inflamed tendon in his right hand, RF Lance Berkman shifted to the
smaller left field at Citizens Bank
Park Friday, with Allen Craig playing right field. But with manager Tony La Russa using virtually every
player on his bench, the outfield at the end of the game was Tyler Greene in
left field, Adron Chambers in center field and Corey Patterson in right field.
None started.
C Yadier Molina had a
strong all-purpose game. He hit his career-high 13th home run in the eighth,
laid down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th and threw out a Phillies runner tying to
advance on a short wild pitch in the seventh.
"I've never seen anybody
better (as a catcher)," said Tony La Russa. "You can't be better than Yadi on
the defensive side and he's as tough an out as we have with men in scoring
position."
LHP Jaime Garcia worked
his third straight strong game and improved his career ERA against Philadelphia to 0.96. "I
thought he got sharper and stronger," said manager Tony La Russa.
BY THE NUMBERS: 14 -
Games over .500 for the Cardinals. It is a season high and ensured them a
winning season, their 13th winning season in La Russa's 16 seasons as Cardinals
manager. Friday's victory was his 1,400th as Cardinals
manager.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm sure
more than a couple of people thought, 'Where's Berkman?'"
- Manager Tony La Russa,
on replacing LF Lance Berkman with rookie OF Adron Chambers, who wound up
getting the game-winning hit after 1B Albert Pujols was walked intentionally in
the 11th inning.
ROSTER
REPORT
MEDICAL
WATCH:
SS Rafael Furcal
(strained left knee) was injured trying to steal second base Sept. 14. He was in
the lineup on Sept. 16.
LF Matt Holliday
(inflamed tendon in middle finger of right hand) was injured while he was in the
on-deck circle Sept. 13 and had to leave the game. An examination the next day
revealed the inflammation, and it's questionable whether he will play again this
season.
RHP Lance Lynn (strained left
oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 10 and was transferred to the
60-day DL on Sept. 2.
RHP Eduardo Sanchez (mild
right shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 13.
He began a rehab assignment with Class AA Springfield on July 7 but had renewed
soreness soon after and was shut down until late August or early September. He
was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 31. Early in September, Sanchez began
throwing bullpen sessions as if they were game situations, i.e., getting up and
down. He declared himself ready to return after a simulated outing on Sept. 10
and was activated on Sept. 14.
RHP Adam Wainwright
(Tommy John surgery in February 2011) went on the 60-day disabled list March 25.
He will miss the entire 2011 season. Wainwright was getting closer to throwing a
full-strength bullpen session in September, but he will not be allowed to throw
his signature curveball until next year.
NEXT GAME
Saturday,
September 17 @ PHILLIES: RHP Jake Westbrook (12-8, 4.63) vs. RHP Roy Oswalt
(7-9, 3.88) 6:05 P.M.
CDT (MLB Network, FOX
Sports Midwest, KMOX Radio and Cardinals Radio
Network).