INSIDE PITCH
The Cardinals' winning streak
ended at five games under some adverse circumstances Friday night/Saturday
morning.
Though he didn't have his best
command, right-hander Brad Penny nursed a 2-1 lead over Cincinnati into the top
of the sixth but, having to pitch in a heavy rain before the Reds' half inning
came to a close, he allowed three singles with two out as the Reds took a lead
they wouldn't relinquish.
After the half inning was over,
crew chief Gary Darling halted play for 2 hours 32 minutes. Manager Tony La
Russa, asked if he thought the game should have been halted before the top of
the sixth started or even before the half-inning ended, said, tersely, "You know
what I believe? We all have a job to do and we all have enough trouble doing our
jobs without trying to do somebody else's job. They're experienced umpires that
try to do the right thing. And whatever they decide, we go with
it."
Penny suffered his first loss
after three wins. His biggest error was giving up a two-run, game-tying single
in the sixth to left-handed-hitting Jay Bruce with a base open and
right-handed-hitting Orlando Cabrera, a .138 lifetime hitter against Penny, up
next. Cabrera then blooped a single, keeping the inning alive for what proved to
be the game-winning hit, a single by Jonny Gomes.
"It was pretty wet," said Penny,
"but regardless of the situation, I've got to make better pitches. I probably
messed up and lost a little focus. But we should have won that game. I consider
it my fault that we lost."
REDS 3, CARDINALS
2: The Cardinals
went only 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, a two-run single by LF Matt Holliday, who had been 3-for-30 in such situations. But RHP Brad Penny, who had
issued just three walks in his first four starts, walked five Reds and made
several other pitches that were not where he meant to throw
them.
NOTES,
QUOTES
--After 3B David Freese drove in
six runs in the best game of his career on Thursday, he had warned that being a
hero can be fleeting because there's always a game the next day. How right he
was. Not only was the rookie picked off second base in the seventh when the
Cardinals had runners at first and second and nobody out, but he also bounced
into a double play to end the eighth when the Cardinals had the bases loaded and
one out.
--SS Brendan Ryan, enjoying only
his third multi-hit game in four weeks, doubled and singled in four at-bats.
Since being dropped to the No. 9 spot, Ryan is three for
10.
--RF Jon Jay made his first
big-league start. He got his first assist by throwing out a runner at the plate.
His first hit, a ground-rule double, was one of the key hits in the Cardinals'
two-run third inning.
--RF Ryan Ludwick was given the
start off although he pinch hit in the seventh and struck out. LF Matt Holliday,
who has been in all 23 Cardinals games, may get a start off before the weekend
is over as the Cardinals are in a stretch of playing 17 straight days. 1B Albert Pujols got his day off on Thursday.
--With 1B Pujols being walked
intentionally in the third inning, the Cardinals now have 17 intentional passes,
seven for Pujols, for the season. The next closest teams have only
eight.
BY THE NUMBERS: 15 -- Home run
differential (24-9) for the Cardinals after the first three weeks of the
season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was
unbelievable. You're talking to a lot of people who seem perfectly normal but
who obviously have done some really bad things." -- 2B Skip Schumaker, after
visiting San Quentin State Prison near San Francisco.
ROSTER
REPORT
MEDICAL
WATCH:
--INF Felipe Lopez (strained right
elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list April 26.