INSIDE PITCH
There was good news -- and
potentially very bad news -- for right-hander Brad Penny and the Cardinals.
Penny, who had just two
singles this season, clouted the first grand slam of his career in the third
inning off former Cardinal Joel Pineiro of the Los Angeles Angels and those
proved to be the winning runs in the Cardinals' 9-5 win. But Penny wasn't around
to taste the fruits of victory.
As he warmed up before
the fourth inning, Penny then felt he couldn't continue, having reinjured his
upper back which had bothered him in his last start in Cincinnati, when he gave
up 13 hits and seven runs in five innings. After conferring with manager Tony La
Russa and assistant athletic trainer Greg Hauck, Penny came out with later was
described as a strained right lat and likely is headed to the disabled list for
possibly several weeks.
If Penny, who will be
examined Saturday morning, doesn't go on the DL, right-handed reliever Blake Hawksworth probably will. Hawksworth is suffering from a recurrence of a groin
injury which bothered him in spring training.
Right-hander P.J. Walters, who has an 0.48 earned run average for three starts at Class AAA
Memphis, will be recalled, but who he replaces isn't immediately known.
"It was something I was
trying to deal with between starts," Penny said. "I couldn't have pitched that
last inning; there was no way. The first inning, I felt incredible. The second
inning, I felt OK and (in) the third inning, I started feeling a little
worse.
"I'm definitely worried.
I'd like to find out."
Since the bullpen had to
account for the final six innings, giving up just one run, somebody was needed
before Saturday afternoon's interleague game against the Angels.
"I don't know the move,"
general manager John Mozeliak said of who Walters would replace. "We'll just see
how things go."
CARDINALS 9,
ANGELS 5: RHP Jason Motte, who has been throwing fastballs by a lot of
hitters lately, fanned two in two perfect innings as the Cardinals' bullpen
permitted just three hits and one run over the last six innings. The Cardinals
have won four of their last five games after dropping nine of
12.
NOTES AND QUOTES
The first video replay of
a home run at Busch Stadium came Friday when Felipe Lopez's drive to right was
upheld. Lopez, whose homer was his third, has helped spark the Cardinals to four
wins in five games since he came off the disabled list (strained right elbow).
LF Matt Holliday again
hit third and 1B Albert Pujols fourth. This was the fifth game in a row the
Cardinals have done this but the two were of little consequence Friday, going
nothing for eight, although scoring a run apiece.
RHP Blake Hawksworth had
his worst outing of the season Wednesday night when he gave up five hits and
four runs in two innings, but there may be an explanation. It was revealed
Friday that Hawksworth had suffered a recurrence of a right groin injury that
had plagued him in spring training. He won't pitch until at least Tuesday. "It's
not as bad (as in spring training)," said Hawksworth. "I just felt it grab
again."
INF Aaron Miles, a
valuable utility man for the Cardinals in 2006-08, has had a good start
(10-for-27) at Class AA Springfield, after being signed as a free agent. But
manager Tony La Russa says not to book Miles into the Cardinals' plans just yet
although Miles currently has a May 27 "out" on his minor-league contract. "Whose
spot does he take?" La Russa asked. "Who do you want to dump? The whole point is
there isn't a dead spot here, some guy who's just hanging on." Joe Mather or Jon Jay, both young outfielders, would be the most vulnerable if Miles were brought
up.
First-base coach Dave
McKay has been kept off the field for the last several games because of a back
ailment which he has aggravated. Bench coach Joe Pettini has been handling
first-base duties.
CF Colby Rasmus has been
striking out at an alarming rate lately. He did have a two-run triple in the
first inning Friday but then struck out three times in a row after that and he
has eight strikeouts in his last 14 at-bats.
By The
Numbers:
9-Games the Cardinals
went without a home run before they hit two on May 14. That was their longest
dry spell since they had 10 homerless games in May 2007.
Quote To
Note:
"I stopped worrying about
where my body was, where my hands were… I went back to just trying to see the
baseball."
-RF
Ryan Ludwick, whose average had slipped into the .250s before he went on a
recent eight-game hitting streak.
ROSTER
REPORT
Medical
Watch:
RHP Brad Penny (upper back)
re-aggravated the injury that had bothered him in his last start in Cincinnati,
when he gave up 13 hits and seven runs in five innings. Penny is likely headed
to the disabled list for possibly several weeks.