Cardinals Escape with 1-0 Win
Shortstop Brendan Ryan's infield single scored Ryan Ludwick to give the Cardinals a 10-inning, 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday at Busch Stadium. The run didn't come in time for starting pitcher Chris Carpenter but arrived soon enough to save the Cardinals from consecutive shutout losses for the second time in barely a week.
"Just a very tough win," manager Tony La Russa said. The game was delayed 2 hours, 20 minutes by rain, punching holes in an announced 44,534 attendance.
Ludwick primed the rally with a pinch leadoff double before advancing to third base on catcher Yadier Molina's sacrifice.
"That was just a perfect bunt," said La Russa.
The Pirates, pitching out on the previous pitch, drew the infield in but second baseman Neil Walker couldn't come up with Ryan's smash to his left, which was first ruled an error then changed to a hit and an RBI.
The hit was Ryan's first in eight at-bats with a man at third and under two out this season."I wouldn't doubt it," he said. "There couldn't have been many."
Ryan, a .201 hitter before that at-bat, said he half expected to get the squeeze sign at 2-0. "But I'm not trying to think too much," he said. "I was wondering if I was going to see a strike."
On the pitch he hit, though, Ryan said he wasn't so sure it was a strike. "I got a little over-aggressive," he said, "but it worked out."
Ryan was happy to receive the opportunity to hit when he might have been pinch hit for.
"You look up at that batting average and that's not all that intimidating," he said. "I'm just trying to prove that first half was a fluke, that I can play, like I did last year."
The win returned the Cardinals (57-46) to first place in the National League Central by half a game over Cincinnati. Ryan's single also snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak that began with the Cardinals' 4-0 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday.
Carpenter worked eight shutout innings but Ryan Franklin (6-1) received the win in return for 1 1/3 innings. The win was the Cardinals' ninth in their last 10 home games. (They are 5-11 in their last 16 road tilts.) Carpenter remains 11-1 in 15 career starts against the Pirates. He lowered his career ERA against them to 2.12.
Pirates starter Jeff Karstens worked six shutout innings with only 69 pitches, including 50 strikes. It was the second time this season that Karstens had blanked the Cardinals for six innings.
Rookie right fielder Jon Jay, who also made an outstanding catch to take a triple away from Jose Tabata, contributed three hits and briefly reached .400 as he extended his hitting streak to eight games (15 for 32).
The Cardinals held the Pirates (36-66) to five hits.
Ludwick was 6-or-16 on the Cardinals' last trip. He is starting two of every three games since returning from a calf strain but was held out Friday.
Et Cetera
Notables from Friday's Cardinals win:
The game was Carpenter's third consecutive at Busch when he has gone at least eight innings and allowed one or no runs.
The Cardinals lost three outs on steal attempts. The last time that happened was April 4, 2003. The Pirates had caught 11 would-be base-stealers all season before Friday.
Rookie outfielder Jon Jay raised his hitting streak to eight games. He is hitting .469 (15-for-32) in the stretch. Jay has already constructed a 12-game streak this season. He has started only 23 games.
Colby Rasmus has 16 home runs, none since June 27.
Friday represented the Cardinals' first extra-inning shutout win since April 23, 2005. Mark Mulder took the decision in a 1-0 game.
The Cardinals lowered their team ERA to 3.33 with the shutout, second best in the major leagues to the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals' 11th shutout win ties them for third in the league to the New York Mets (14) and the Padres (12).
Cards on Another Scoreless Skid
The Cardinals entered the seventh inning having failed to score in their last 15 innings. This is, of course, falls barely a week after going 21 consecutive innings without a tally against the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals have so far managed two at-bats with runners in scoring position, one apiece by Chris Carpenter and Matt Holliday.
Pirates starter Jeff Karstens is out of the game after muffling the Cardinals for six innings only only 69 pitches, including 50 strikes. In other words, Karstens got 18 outs on 50 strikes. He walked no one.
Until a week ago, the Cardinals had gone 2,370 games without suffering consecutive shutouts. As we speak, they have gone five games without enduring the indignity.
And now the Cardinals' streak reaches 16 scoreless innings. Carpenter takes two-out plate appearance in seventh inning after throwing 103 pitches. Jason Motte was warming but was waved to sit down. And now Brendan Ryan is caught stealing to end the inning.
Carpenter Waits on Offense
Chris Carpenter has used only 55 pitches to work four shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He overcame an elegant miss by shortstop Brendan Ryan on a leadoff fourth-inning flare by getting a strikeout-double play against Pirates second baseman Neil Walker.
Pirates starter Jeff Karstens, meanwhile, continues to dazzle the Cardinals -- except for right fielder Jon Jay. Jay just produced his second single in as many at-bats to raise his season average to .394.
The Cardinals have reduced the Reds-Braves game after splashing it as the only entry on the Busch Stadium matrix. The Braves won, 6-4.
GAME TIME: 9:35
The grounds crew is taking the tarpaulin off the infield at Busch Stadium and the club announced that tonight's game with the Pittsburgh Pirates will begin at approximately 9:35. The delay will be some 2 hours 20 minutes.
CARDINALS SIGN HIGH DRAFT PICK
Arizona State righthander Seth Blair, the second player chosen by the Cardinals in the June amateur draft, agreed to terms today and will be assigned to short-season Batavia. Blair, 12-1 for the Sun Devils, was the 46th player taken overall as a supplemental first-round choice. His bonus is estimated to be slightly in excess of $750,000, plus the club will take care of paying for Blair to finish his education at ASU.
GAME DELAYED
The start of tonight's Cardinals game with Pittsburgh was pushed back by the threat of more severe weather although it wasn't raining when the field was covered about 7:10. But then it began raining with some gusto about six or seven minutes later.
Lohse Likely to Make Two More Rehab Starts
Kyle Lohse is scheduled to start Saturday for Memphis against Omaha, marking his second rehab start as he recovers from May surgery to free his right forearm.
Lohse had voiced optimism after last Monday's impressive three-inning work that he might be activated after a second minor-league outing. However, manager Tony La Russa suggested it far more likely that Lohse make at least a third rehab start before rejoining the rotation for the first time since May 22.
"You don't want him to come up here and not be ready. That's only going to be his second game. That would seem like quite a push," La Russa said.
Asked if a two-game rehab seemed a bit aggressive, La Russa replied, "Physically, it's hard for me to judge. But for sharpness, that's pretty tough. We'll see."
Freese Says He's Close
After an earlier false start in addition to a weight room mishap, Cardinals third baseman David Freese says he expects to leave for a minor-league rehab assignment beginning Sunday or Monday at Triple-A Memphis.
Freese has been missing since landing on the disabled list retroactive to June 28, initially because of a deep right ankle bruise. Freese experienced a setback during the team's previous homestand when he dropped a 75-pound weight on his left big toe, fracturing it.
Freese has run in the Busch Stadium outfield for several days and took grounds balls on the grass while the team was on its recent six-game road trip. He has yet to run at full speed, according to manager Tony La Russa, but Freese insists he expects to be ready to return to the major-league roster after a rehab of 3-5 games.
"I've been pretty much doing everything," Freese said.
"I think if I'm good to go when I'm down in Memphis, they'll talk about it and see if they want me down longer to see if they want to get more [at-bats] or whatever. We'll take it as it comes," he added.
Freese said he is comfortable with his swing but needs to regain pitch recognition.
The Cardinals have played Felipe Lopez regularly at third base while awaiting Freese's return. The shift has diminished La Russa's ability to create more advantageous match-ups within his middle infield while Lopez has on occasion been exposed defensively. Freese was hitting .320 on June 1 but saw his average plummet after he suffered his ankle injury running the bases. An 11-for-50 fade dropped his average to .296 before he landed on the disabled list.
Rasmus, Jay in Tandem
Manager Tony La Russa will offer another look at the tandem of Colby Rasmus and Jon Jay in the same outfield tonight against Pittsburgh Pirates righthander Jeff Karstens. The Pirates have yet to post their nine. Per usual, Brendan Ryan starts at shortstop in support of Chris Carpenter. Ryan Ludwick, who is on track to play two of every three games, according to the manager, misses tonight's start. Developing
Pirates
CF Andrew McCutchen
LF Jose Tabata
2B Neil Walker
1B Garrett Jones
3B Pedro Alvarez
RF Lastings Milledge
SS Ronny Cedeno
C Erik Kratz
P Jeff Karstens
Cards
3B Felipe Lopez
RF Jon Jay
1B Albert Pujols
LF Matt Holliday
CF Colby Rasmus
C Yadier Molina
SS Brendan Ryan
P Chris Carpenter
2B Skip Schumaker
