INSIDE PITCH
Adam Wainwright hadn't won a game in three weeks. And he didn't have any of the
following as a hitter this season: an extra-base hit, a run batted in, a walk or
a run.
He achieved all of the above Tuesday
night as the Cardinals spotted Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw a two-run lead before rallying for an 8-2 win.
Wainwright (8-10), who held the
Dodgers to seven hits and one walk while fanning seven in 7 1/3 innings, doubled
home a run and scored on a single by shortstop Rafael Furcal as the Cardinals
tied the game in the fifth.
Then, after an intentional walk in the
sixth to second baseman Daniel Descalso, who had two key hits off Kershaw, the
reigning Cy Young Award winner inexplicably walked Wainwright to force home
another run.
The six-run inning was culminated by a
two-run single by Furcal and a two-run double by right fielder Allen Craig.
The win was the first for the
Cardinals against the Dodgers after eight straight losses to them over two
seasons.
Wainwright had been an .079 hitter at
game time.
"A lot of times what you do at the
plate makes a difference between a win and a loss," he said.
"I had pretty much been wasting
everyone's time going up to the plate before tonight. I've been embarrassing
myself all year long. I was just brutal. It's about time I did
something."
NOTES,
QUOTES
1B Lance Berkman has
played only 22 of a possible 97 games this season because of a bevy of leg
injuries, including a left hamstring injury and then a right knee meniscus tear
that required surgery. Now add on a bruise to that same right knee as he was hit
by a pitch from Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw and, after a brief tour on the
bases, knocked out of the game. Of all his ailments this season, Berkman said,
"This, for sure, was the most painful. It hurts. It couldn't have been any more
on the surgery. You normally don't get any kind of major structural damage on a
hit-by-pitch. It's just a bad bruise in an unfortunate spot. I've already had a
lot of trauma to that joint and really didn't need any more." As to when he
would play again, Berkman said, "Let me look at my crystal
ball."
RHP Chris Carpenter was
back in the Cardinals' clubhouse before Tuesday's game. But he was sore. Five
days after surgery that included taking out the first rib and two neck muscles
connected to that rib, besides freeing up some nerves, Carpenter admitted he was
surprised to still be in so much pain and have so much swelling after the
procedure performed in Dallas by Dr. Greg Pearl. But Carpenter said
everything he had heard from Pearl was that the procedure correctly had
addressed the problems. "I'm sure we'll know by the end of the season whether it
worked or not," said Carpenter, who allowed that there isn't much more he could
have done to him. "This is about it," said Carpenter. "If this doesn't work,
unfortunately, I'm going to have to say goodbye. I don't think I will. I think
it's going to be fine."
LHP Brian Fuentes,
recently picked up after Oakland released him, pitched a perfect inning
for Class AA Springfield on Tuesday, striking out two. Fuentes is slated to work
again on Wednesday, and the Cardinals might bring him up after
that.
3B David Freese's
run-scoring single gave him 56 RBI for the season, a career high, with 65 games
to go. Freese has a seven-game hitting streak in which he is 11 for
21.
2B Daniel Descalso,
facing Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw for the first time, singled twice off
Kershaw. Descalso, a left-handed batter, is hitting .357 against left-handers in
42 at-bats and .203 against right-handers in 158 at-bats.
RF Allen Craig continues
to be among the most productive hitters in the National League. His two-run
double gave him 49 RBI in just 56 games.
By the
Numbers:
8 - Consecutive scoreless
outings by LHP Marc Rzepczynski, who hasn't allowed a run this month after
struggling most of the season.
Quote to Note:
"Seventh was a kind spot
for me. I could have been hitting eighth."
- 1B Lance Berkman on
batting seventh for the first time as a Cardinal and only the 18th time in 1,796
career games.
MEDICAL
WATCH
1B Lance Berkman (bruised
right knee) had to leave the July 24 game after being hit by a pitch on the
exact spot where he underwent surgery earlier this season. He's
day-to-day.
LHP Jaime Garcia (left
shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6, and he
was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 16. After further examination, it was
determined that he has tearing in his rotator cuff. He threw 40 pitches from 60
feet on flat ground for the first time in a month July 4. He is scheduled to
throw off a bullpen mound July 21. He is out until early to
mid-August.
RHP Kyle McClellan (torn
labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 18 due to a
strained right elbow, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 30. He
threw on flat ground for the first time July 3, but he subsequently felt
shoulder pain. He had season-ending shoulder surgery July
10.
RHP Chris Carpenter (weak
right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he
was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 10. He threw for the first time since
March on June 13 and then threw another 40 pitches on June 15. He threw to
hitters for the first time June 22 but then had a setback June 25 when he felt
renewed weakness in the shoulder. He said it felt better the next day, and he
had an extensive throwing session off flat ground June 27. On June 28, he was
told he has thoracic outlet syndrome, which can cause, among its effects,
weakness in one's shoulder. A July 2 bullpen session was canceled. He underwent
season-ending surgery July 19 to relieve thoracic outlet
syndrome.
Link to boxscore: St. Louis 8, Los Angeles 2