Gateway Redbirds: A St. Louis Cardinals Franchise (Trade deadline rosters)

[mockme]

What would it be like without Pujols next year?
BY DERRICK GOOLD | Monday, September 19, 2011

TOWER GROVE • I'm fairly sure that the headline has been a question that many Cardinal fans have been thinking of throughout the season with Albert Pujols' contract coming to an end. Albert wants to, and should be paid like the best player in baseball, but what if the Cardinals cannot afford that?

The club has a number of contracts expiring at the end of the season. Along with Pujols, players like Yadier Molina, Chris Carpenter, Rafael Furcal, Lance Berkman and Edwin Jackson are without contracts for next year. Jackson will most likely be let go, but otherwise these are players the Cardinals want to keep around.

These last couple of weeks have shown us a bit of the life without Albert. Berkman has been playing first base in his absence with the occasional spell appearance from Mark Hamilton or, like yesterday, Allen Craig. Signing Berkman would go a long way in preparing for Pujols not returning to the team. He provides a bat capable of almost the same kind of results and does a good enough job defensively. However, you'd need a quality bench player that could take over when needed. Hamilton is nowhere near ready for the majors and Craig is way out of position over at first.

If the team that's been playing around him were to return, Pujols' loss might not hurt that much. We've seen that there might be the occasional shortage of productivity and power from the three-hole as Matt Holliday and Berkman are much more prone to go on slumps than El Hombre, but the team has been able to keep on winning despite of Pujols being out. And that's saying a lot. Of course, there are players that are perhaps not wanted in St. Louis next year, but the core should be retained.

All of this does not mean that I think that Pujols will be leaving, or that the Cardinals themselves have resigned to that, but it's just throwing out the possibility that he indeed might not be playing in Gateway City next year. One should think that the Cardinals want both Berkman and Pujols around next year, but that might leave Furcal out of the equation, thus causing a hole on the middle infield, unless the Cardinals can get major discounts from long-serving players that are becoming free agents, like Molina and Carpenter. In Albert's case, even if the Cards do get a discount, the contract's going to be a big one.

One can only hope that the King of Baseball will be donning the same colors next year that he's been wearing all of his major league career. Albert, nothing else suits you.

[mockme]

Three-run ninth has Cards coming on top of Phillies, winning series
BY JOE STRAUSS | Monday, September 19, 2011

PHILADEPLHIA • A string of two-out magic from the Cardinals in the ninth inning of the final game of the four-game series against the Phillies lifted the Redbirds to a 6-3 win. It all started with Daniel Descalso's pinch-hit double over shortstop Jimmy Rollins' head, that plated Ryan Theriot, who'd just stole second after hitting a single. Rafael Furcal's double brought home Descalso and Allen Craig drove in Furcal with a single, leaving Jason Motte with the task of closing out the game.

"We had our best at-bats of the whole game in that inning," said manager Tony La Russa. "That's when you want your players to perform. When it counts the most."



The Cardinals took the lead in the second inning when Edwin Jackson hit a single in front of the center fielder Shane Victorino. Theriot had hit a triple before him, and he had an easy job scoring. Theriot went three-for-four in a rare start for him, taking over at second base while Skip Schumaker played center field, allowing Jon Jay to have the day off.

Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies the lead in the bottom half, hitting a single down the left field line. Ruiz was thrown out trying for two, but the runners were able to score on the play.

Cole Hamels, who started the game on the mound for the Phillies, had to leave in the fifth inning after throwing just one pitch. It seemed like he hurt his throwing shoulder. Kyle Kendrick took over for him, and the youngster hurled a scoreless inning. He was pulled right away though, as Ross Gload pinch-hit for him and grounded into an easy double play.

After that David Freese tied it with a solo home run off of Aaron Heilman. Ryan Howard's double would give the Phillies the lead again, but Craig's solo shot tied it again, and then came the ninth inning.

"It's a good way to end a road trip," said Lance Berkman, who went hitless today. "Winning the series against a team like this, you feel confident going back home."

As Berkman said, the Cardinals will return to Busch Stadium tomorrow to play a three-game series against the New York Mets. Jake Westbrook gets the start in the first game.

"They, like Philly, are a team right in the thick of the wild card race, so they're going to come in playing hard," Westbrook said. "We can't take them lightly, and we sure haven't clinched the division yet."

The Cardinals stay 5 1/2 games ahead of the Reds with nine games left to play.

Player of the Game


Ryan Theriot - 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, SB

St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies
Sep 19, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis (83-70)	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	6	11	0
Philadelphia (87-66)	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	8	0
W: F. Salas (2-2) L: D. Herndon (7-3) S: J. Motte (5)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			STL	PHI
STL	2	Jackson lined to center for a single. Theriot scores.	1	0
PHI	2	Ruiz lined to left for a single. Out at 2nd. Howard scores. Brown scores.	1	2
STL	6	Freese homered to left.	2	2
PHI	6	Howard doubled to left. Rollins scores.	2	3
STL	8	Craig homered to left.	3	3
STL	9	Descalso doubled to SS. Theriot scores.	4	3
STL	9	Furcal doubled to 3B. Descalso scores.	5	3
STL	9	Craig grounded to center for a single. Furcal scores.	6	3

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Furcal, SS	5	1	1	1	0	1	0	.275
Craig, RF	5	1	3	2	0	0	1	.280
Holliday, LF	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	.270
Freese, 3B	3	1	1	1	1	0	1	.279
Berkman, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.295
Molina, C	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.268
Schumaker, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.268
Theriot, 2B	4	2	3	0	0	0	0	.300
Motte, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Jackson, P	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	.134
Lynn, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Jay, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.277
Dickson, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.167
Salas, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Descalso, PH-2B	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	.252
TEAM TOTALS	38	6	11	6	1	2	2
BATTING: 2B: Theriot (17), Furcal (34), Holliday (23), Descalso (5) 3B: Theriot (2) HR: Craig (3), Freese (6) RBI: Jackson (4), Furcal (48), Descalso (27), Craig 2 (21), Freese (44)
BASERUNNING: SB: Theriot (9)

Philadelphia Phillies
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Rollins, SS	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.327
Polanco, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.274
Ibanez, LF	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.277
Howard, 1B	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	.267
Brown, RF	4	1	3	0	0	1	0	.251
Victorino, CF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.271
Ruiz, C	4	0	2	2	0	0	0	.292
Valdez, 2B	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.273
Hamels, P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.206
Kendrick, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Gload, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.215
Heilman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Stutes, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Francisco, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.278
Bastardo, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Herndon, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Perez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	33	3	8	3	1	2	0
BATTING: 2B: Brown (18), Howard (16) RBI: Howard (113), Ruiz 2 (47) GIDP: Gload
BASERUNNING: SB: Rollins (34)

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Jackson	5.1	7	3	3	1	1	0	3.41
Lynn	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.95
Dickson	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.04
Salas (W, 2-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.88
Motte (S, 5)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.77
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	8	3	3	1	2	0

Philadelphia Phillies
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Hamels	4.0	5	1	1	1	1	0	4.24
Kendrick	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4.26
Heilman (BS, 3)	1.0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2.69
Stutes (H, 6)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	5.91
Bastardo (BS, 4)	1.0	1	1	1	0	0	1	3.19
Herndon (L, 7-3)	0.2	3	3	3	0	0	0	2.24
Perez	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	7.27
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	11	6	6	1	2	2

[mockme]

Cards hang on to win in series opener
BY JOE STRAUSS | Tuesday, September 20, 2011

ST. LOUIS • Many Cardinals fans had their hearts racing with the Mets manning second and third with two out in the ninth inning, but in the end Jason Motte was able to close it out and pick up his sixth save since becoming the team's closer. A solo home run from Corey Patterson and an RBI single by Lance Berkman were enough to give the Cardinals a 2-1 win.

Jake Westbrook pitched through seven innings, allowing the one run on a single by Lucas Duda that plated Luis Castillo in the second inning, giving the Mets a lead that wouldn't last through the bottom half, where Patterson hit his homer.

"He (Westbrook) was strong today. We need performances like that from our starters," said manager Tony La Russa. "Now we only need to get the guys some run support. If we have to go into the ninth with a save opportunity in every last game, we're going to wear our bullpen down pretty fast."

La Russa's words hold some truth, as Motte has now gone out to pitch the ninth in four of the last five games. He has also got the save in all of those appearances, but it's only a matter of time before a pitcher wears down if he is out there constantly.

"I don't mind it," said Motte himself. "I like playing in games. I feel like I can go, they need me to go. So I go out there, pitch to the best of my ability and right now it seems to be working."



Aside from Motte's workload, the bullpen has got its rest as of late. Having the September call-ups available also doesn't hurt. Octavio Dotel pitched the eighth inning, giving up a hit before Motte came in to pitch the ninth.

"The guys are staying fresh, and right now we certainly have our share of arms to throw out there, but so does every team," said bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist. "September's a great time to really test out your young guns, like we've done with guys like (Adam) Reifer and (Brian) Augenstein."

The Cardinals stand 4 1/2 games above the Reds in the NL Central right now, and with eleven games remaining in the schedule for them it looks like they'll be able to clinch the play-off spot before the end of the regular season. Especially if they keep on playing as well as they are playing right now. The Cardinals are 8-2 in their last ten games.

"It would be great to clinch the division sooner rather than later," said La Russa. "It would allow us to give some of the guys who are playing a lot a rest before the play-offs. You want your guys to be at their best when playing those games."

Despite the loss, the Mets still lead the Wild Card standings with a one-game lead over the Phillies and the San Francisco Giants. Tomorrow's pitching match-up features Kyle Lohse for the Cardinals and Chris Capuano for the Mets.

Player of the Game


Corey Patterson - 2-for-3, HR, RBI, R, BB, SB

New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 20, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (89-65)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	0
St. Louis (84-70)	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	X	2	10	2
W: J. Westbrook (7-9) L: R. Dickey (9-8) S: J. Motte (6)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			NYM	STL
NYM	2	Duda lined to center for a single. Castillo scores.	1	0
STL	2	Patterson homered to right.	1	1
STL	3	Berkman lined to center for a single. Schumaker scores.	1	2

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Reyes, SS	5	0	1	0	0	1	0	.270
Thole, C	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	.264
Wright, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.299
Bay, LF	2	0	0	0	2	1	0	.265
Murphy, 1B	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	.233
Castillo, 2B	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.270
Duda, RF	4	0	1	1	0	1	0	.230
Nieuwenhuis, CF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.281
Martinez, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333
Dickey, P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.118
Pagan, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.293
Tankersley, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pridie, PH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.270
TEAM TOTALS	36	1	9	1	2	3	0
BATTING: 2B: Reyes (30), Thole (20), Murphy (19) RBI: Duda (34) GIDP: Duda
BASERUNNING: CS: Reyes (17)

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Jay, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.274
Schumaker, 2B	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	.272
Holliday, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.270
Berkman, 1B	4	0	2	1	0	1	0	.296
Punto, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.333
Cruz, C	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.240
Patterson, RF	3	1	2	1	1	0	1	.229
Descalso, SS	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.254
Westbrook, P	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.204
Greene, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.400
Dotel, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Motte, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	32	2	10	2	1	5	1
BATTING: 2B: Schumaker (37) HR: Patterson (5) RBI: Berkman (89), Patterson (29) SAC: Westbrook
BASERUNNING: SB: Patterson (23) Picked Off: Patterson
FIELDING: E: Berkman (6), Punto (1)

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Dickey (L, 9-8)	6.0	8	2	2	1	4	1	2.91
Tankersley	2.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	3.13
TEAM TOTALS	8.0	10	2	2	1	5	1

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Westbrook (W, 7-9)	7.0	6	1	0	2	1	0	4.54
Dotel (H, 19)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	2.16
Motte (S, 6)	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2.73
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	9	1	0	2	3	0

[mockme]

Cardinals' offense ice cold as Mets win game two
BY JOE STRAUSS | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

ST. LOUIS • The Cardinals had a tough time against the Mets and lefty starter Chris Capuano in game two of the three-game series tonight, as they managed to score only one run, and that came on two throwing errors in the same play. Capuano held the Cards hitless all the way to the fifth inning, when Skip Schumaker was able to bloop a single in front of the left fielder Jason Bay.

"We got some good swings in, but everything we hit was right at guys or just too slow to get past the infield. Nothing went our way," said Lance Berkman, who wasn't able to register a base hit either, along with many others.

Kyle Lohse didn't do a bad job for the Redbirds, surrendering three runs in five and two thirds of an inning. Mitchell Boggs balked twice in a row, allowing a runner to score that way and making the final score 5-1 for the Mets.



Daniel Murphy was a nightmare for the Cardinals, hitting a perfect three-for-three with two RBIs and scoring two runs himself. The one time he didn't get a base hit he was hit by a pitch. He also hit two doubles.

"We basically let Capuano beat us when we were at the plate, and when we were fielding it was him (Murphy) who beat us," manager Tony La Russa said. "We didn't lose to the Mets, we lost to two of their players."

Jon Jay was meant to start the game in center field, but he sprained his ankle during the pre-game warm-ups, and Corey Patterson got the start. He didn't get a hit either. Skip Schumaker played left field with Matt Holliday taking the day off and appearing as a pinch-hitter. Jay will likely be out tomorrow as well when the Mets are scheduled to start Mike Pelfrey against Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals.

"With Jay's injury, it would be extremely important to get (Adron) Chambers back from the DL. We're a bit short of outfielders now that Berkman is playing first and Schumaker being a bit of a utility guy out there," La Russa said. Chambers is another of the club's September call-ups but has been out the whole time.

Player of the Game


Daniel Murphy - 3-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 21, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (90-65)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	5	9	2
St. Louis (84-71)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	1
W: C. Capuano (13-11) L: K. Lohse (14-8)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			NYM	STL
NYM	1	Murphy doubled to 1B. Reyes scores.	1	0
NYM	6	Murphy doubled to left. Bay scores.	2	0
NYM	6	Duda lined to right for a single. Murphy scores.	3	0
STL	6	Throwing error by Duda, throwing error by Wright. Theriot scores.	3	1
NYM	8	Boggs balks.	4	1
NYM	8	Boggs balks.	5	1

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Reyes, SS	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	.269
Thole, C	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	.263
Wright, 3B	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.299
Bay, LF	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.265
Murphy, 1B	3	2	3	2	0	0	0	.239
Castillo, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.269
Duda, RF	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	.231
Nieuwenhuis, CF	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.280
Capuano, P	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	.127
Acosta, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pagan, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.292
Carrasco, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000
TEAM TOTALS	37	5	9	3	0	5	0
BATTING: 2B: Murphy 2 (21), Bay (26) 3B: Wright (2) RBI: Murphy 2 (53), Duda (35) HBP: Murphy
FIELDING: E: Wright (8), Duda (5)

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Furcal, SS	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.275
Craig, RF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.274
Berkman, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.294
Freese, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.276
Molina, C	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.268
Schumaker, LF	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	.274
Patterson, CF	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.226
Theriot, 2B	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	.300
Lohse, P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.123
McClellan, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Holliday, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.269
Rzepczynski, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Boggs, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Descalso, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.252
Augenstein, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	32	1	5	0	0	3	0
FIELDING: E: Freese (11)

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Capuano (W, 13-11)	6.1	5	1	1	0	2	0	3.92
Acosta (H, 19)	1.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.08
Carrasco	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.32
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	5	1	1	0	3	0

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Lohse (L, 14-8)	5.2	7	3	3	0	4	0	3.36
McClellan	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.81
Rzepczynski	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.26
Boggs	0.2	1	2	2	0	0	0	2.59
Sanchez	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	5.40
Augenstein	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	9	5	5	0	5	0

[mockme]

Cards take series in low-scoring affair, beat Mets 2-1
BY JOE STRAUSS | Thursday, September 22, 2011

ST. LOUIS • Chris Carpenter just keeps rolling along. The Cardinals' ace picked up win number sixteen on the year as he pitched seven innings of one-run ball to lead the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Mets in the rubber match of the three-game series. RBIs by Rafael Furcal and Matt Holliday, who was moved back to the clean-up spot with Lance Berkman batting third, provided the Cards' offense.

The Cardinals took the lead in the third inning. After a single from Zach Cox, Yadier Molina took a base on balls and allowed Carpenter to bunt the runners over with only one out. Furcal launched a deep fly ball to right field, where it was caught by Lucas Duda, but the runners were able to advance, with Cox scoring. Skip Schumaker wasn't able to bring Molina home from third, flying out.



The Mets tied in the fifth on a single from the pitcher. After allowing singles from Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Carpenter was clearly frustrated, leaving the ball in the middle of the plate for Mike Pelfrey to hit.

"I didn't keep my cool," said Carpenter. "I was angry because I gave up two singles to the bottom of the order, and I left one up there."

"He really shouldn't beat himself up about that," said manager Tony La Russa. "He pitched a great game otherwise. Five hits and one run over seven innings is nothing to beat yourself up for."

Yet Carpenter strives for perfection every time he is on the mound. And his catcher certainly appreciates it.

"He trusts me," Molina said. "He goes out there and he trusts my decisions, and has the confidence to throw any kind of pitch. He trusts I can catch it. It's great to have a pitcher who believes in you and at the same time wants to do everything he can to get better himself."

The Redbirds would take the lead back in the sixth inning where, after Schumaker's single, Matt Holliday hit a double to right field for his 90th RBI of the year. It has been a while since the last Holliday RBI, and the two hits from him once moved back into the four-hole seem to suggest that it's his place to be, regardless of Albert being around or not.

The ninth inning was nearly turned to a disaster by the Cardinals, as in the process of getting two outs, Jason Motte also loaded the bases with an error from Furcal, a hit and a walk. Fernando Salas took over to record the last out and pick up the save.

"It's good to have two guys who can go out there in the ninth and do the job," said La Russa. "Motte remains our primary closer but whenever he needs a rest or struggles like today we can throw Salas out there."

The save was number forty-two for Salas.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the last home series of the 2011 season for the Cardinals as they take on divisional rival Chicago Cubs. Jaime Garcia takes the mound in game one to face Matt Garza.

"It's pretty much their best pitcher right out of the gate," said Lance Berkman. "You can't really stress the importance of this series enough. We're only four games ahead (of the Reds) so we have to keep on winning."

Player of the Game


Chris Carpenter - 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 22, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (90-66)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
St. Louis (85-71)	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	X	2	8	2
W: C. Carpenter (16-7) L: M. Pelfrey (12-10) S: F. Salas (42)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			NYM	STL
STL	3	Furcal hit a sacrifice fly to RF. Cox scores.	0	1
NYM	5	Pelfrey lined to center for a single. Duda scores.	1	1
STL	6	Holliday doubled to 2B. Schumaker scores.	1	2

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Reyes, SS	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	.267
Thole, C	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.263
Martinez, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333
Nickeas, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.417
Turner, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.233
Wright, 3B	4	0	1	0	1	3	0	.298
Bay, LF	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.265
Murphy, 1B	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.237
Castillo, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.266
Duda, RF	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.231
Nieuwenhuis, CF	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.279
Harris, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.230
Pelfrey, P	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	.200
Pagan, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.291
Parnell, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pridie, PH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.273
TEAM TOTALS	35	1	7	1	4	9	0
BATTING: 3B: Thole (1) RBI: Pelfrey (4) GIDP: Thole
BASERUNNING: SB: Wright (23)
FIELDING: E: Reyes (8)

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Furcal, SS	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	.275
Schumaker, CF	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	.275
Berkman, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.294
Holliday, LF	4	0	2	1	0	0	0	.271
Freese, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.275
Craig, RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.271
Cox, 2B	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	.400
Rhodes, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Cleto, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Motte, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Salas, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Molina, C	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	.269
Carpenter, P	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.156
Punto, PH-2B	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.318
TEAM TOTALS	28	2	8	2	1	3	0
BATTING: 2B: Holliday (24) RBI: Furcal (49), Holliday (90) SF: Furcal SAC: Carpenter GIDP: Berkman, Craig
BASERUNNING: CS: Furcal (7)
FIELDING: E: Furcal (20), Cox (1)

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pelfrey (L, 12-10)	6.0	7	2	2	1	3	0	3.91
Parnell	2.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5.26
TEAM TOTALS	8.0	8	2	2	1	3	0

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Carpenter (W, 16-7)	7.0	5	1	1	1	7	0	2.98
Rhodes (H, 15)	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.52
Cleto (H, 2)	0.2	0	0	0	2	1	0	0.00
Motte (H, 20)	0.2	1	0	0	1	0	0	2.70
Salas (S, 42)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.86
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	7	1	1	4	9	0

[mockme]

Cards win in dramatic fashion behind Molina's 4 RBIs
BY JOE STRAUSS | Friday, September 23, 2011

ST. LOUIS • It took a four-run comeback and a clutch RBI single from Yadier Molina for the Cardinals to take the opening game of their last home series of the 2011 regular season, but they were able to come on top of the Cubs 7-6. Adron Chambers made his first appearance in the Major League, going one-for-two with a double and scoring a run.

Molina hit a two-run homer to open the scoring in the second inning, putting the Cards on top. Starter Jaime Garcia would fold after that, allowing three runs in two innings before being pulled after the fifth for Lance Lynn, who didn't do much better. It wasn't until Kyle McClellan took the field that the pitching stabilized again and the Cardinals were able to get the comeback going.

"They got off hits early in the count against the other guys. He (McClellan) was really the only one to get that first strike in there and take command of the at-bat," said manager Tony La Russa.

Garcia even allowed a run by balking, making it apparent that things were getting too fast for him. Not even a talk by Molina and a mound visit from pitching coach Dave Duncan were enough to settle him down. He was able to finish the fifth, but with him having an at-bat in the bottom half of the inning it was not a difficult decision to use a pinch-hitter.



Perhaps the ugliest defensive play for the Cardinals was however made by David Freese. Geovany Soto hit an easy ground ball toward him, and it looked like it would be a double play. Instead Freese threw the ball over the head of Zach Cox and deep into right field, allowing Alfonso Soriano to score and Soto to reach third.

"That was a big mistake," the third baseman said. "It was a routine play and I blew it."

Freese was pulled for Daniel Descalso later, as he wasn't producing at the plate either, going 0-for-three with a strikeout.

Molina was the one to start the rally, as his single brought home Cox. Adron Chambers hit his double, allowing Molina to reach third, and Rafael Furcal's single up the middle brought both of them home.

"After those two runs we really felt that we're coming back," said Lance Berkman, who also had an RBI single. "Before that, we had given up a bit."

Skip Schumaker's single moved Furcal over to second, and Berkman was able to drive the shortstop home with his base hit.

After Allen Craig reached second on a throwing error by Tony Campana, it was only fitting that Molina would be the one to put the Cards back on top in the eighth. He lined a single into center field and Craig had an easy job to reach home.

Jason Motte came in to close things out and he retired the side in order, striking out the last batter to face him.

"It was a good performance from us," La Russa said. "It's always important to get the series opener and we did the job today. It also goes a long way in putting the Reds behind us in the divisional race with only five games remaining now."

One win could clinch the division for the Cardinals, and they will be aiming for that when they face the Cubs tomorrow. Edwin Jackson (10-9, 3.41) goes up against Ryan Dempster (11-10, 3.29).

Player of the Game


Yadier Molina - 3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 23, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chicago (72-85)	0	0	0	1	2	3	0	0	0	6	10	1
St. Louis (86-71)	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	1	0	7	14	2
W: M. Boggs (5-2) L: A. Guzman (3-2) S: J. Motte (7)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			CHC	STL
STL	2	Molina homered to left. Cox scores.	0	2
CHC	4	Soto doubled to 1B. Pena scores.	1	2
CHC	5	Castro tripled to SS. Abreu scores.	2	2
CHC	5	Garcia balks.	3	2
CHC	5	Soto reached third on a throwing error by Freese. Soriano scores.	4	2
CHC	5	Baker flied to center for a single. Soto scores.	5	2
CHC	5	Castro grounded to 1B for a single. Baker scores.	6	2
STL	7	Molina grounded to center for a single. Cox scores.	6	3
STL	7	Furcal grounded to center for a single. Molina scores. Chambers scores.	6	5
STL	7	Berkman lined to center for a single. Furcal scores.	6	6
STL	8	Molina lined to center for a single. Craig scores.	6	7

Chicago Cubs
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Castro, SS	5	1	2	2	0	1	0	.248
Byrd, CF	5	0	0	0	0	2	0	.250
Ramirez, 3B	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	.249
Pena, 1B	5	1	1	0	0	2	0	.241
Soriano, LF	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	.266
Soto, C	3	1	2	1	1	0	0	.262
Baker, 2B	3	1	1	1	0	0	0	.232
Campana, PH-2B	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.255
Abreu, RF	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	.153
DeWitt, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.238
Johnson, RF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.239
Garza, P	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	.234
Wood, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Grabow, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Barney, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.234
Guzman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	37	6	10	4	2	8	0
BATTING: 2B: Pena (20), Soto (19) 3B: Castro (8) RBI: Soto (47), Baker (36), Castro 2 (34) SAC: Garza
BASERUNNING: CS: Soto (1)
FIELDING: E: Campana (4)

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Furcal, SS	4	1	1	2	0	0	0	.275
Schumaker, CF	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	.279
Berkman, 1B	4	0	2	1	0	0	0	.295
Holliday, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.271
Boggs, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Patterson, RF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.226
Freese, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.273
Descalso, PH-3B	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.257
Craig, RF	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	.266
Motte, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Cox, 2B	4	2	2	0	0	0	0	.444
Molina, C	4	2	3	4	0	1	1	.273
Garcia, P	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.169
M. Carpenter, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.429
Lynn, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Dickson, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.167
McClellan, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Chambers, PH-LF	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	.500
TEAM TOTALS	36	7	14	7	0	3	1
BATTING: 2B: Chambers (1) 3B: Cox (1) HR: Molina (14) RBI: Furcal 2 (51), Berkman (90), Molina 4 (47) GIDP: Berkman
FIELDING: E: Freese 2 (13)

Chicago Cubs
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Garza	6.2	9	5	5	0	3	1	4.08
Wood (BS, 5)	0.0	3	1	1	0	0	0	4.37
Grabow	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	5.05
Guzman (L, 3-2)	1.0	2	1	0	0	0	0	3.25
TEAM TOTALS	8.0	14	7	6	0	3	1

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Garcia	5.0	5	3	3	1	5	0	3.55
Lynn	0.1	1	3	1	1	1	0	4.07
Dickson	0.1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1.03
McClellan	1.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.71
Boggs (W, 5-2)	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2.54
Motte (S, 7)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.66
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	10	6	4	2	8	0
PITCHING: Balk: Garcia, Lynn

[mockme]

Cards fail to clinch, fall to Cubs in game two
BY JOE STRAUSS | Saturday, September 24, 2011

ST. LOUIS • The atmosphere in the Cardinals' clubhouse was surprisingly negative after their 7-3 loss against the Cubs in game two of the last regular season series that will be played at Busch Stadium this year. The team had just missed on their chance to clinch the NL Central, as the Reds also lost to the Pirates.

"It takes the wind out of you a little bit," said Edwin Jackson, who had to be pulled after the third inning where the Cubs jumped on him for five runs. "We know we've got to keep our heads high and that we still are the favorites to win the division, but right now it feels bad."

The Cardinals had difficulty solving Cubs' starter Ryan Dempster, who pitched through eight innings allowing two runs on six hits. The only one who seemed to have some kind of a hold on Dempster was Yadier Molina, and he was pulled later for Gerald Laird, as the Cardinals pretty much threw in the towel in a plan to rest their regulars.



"You're down by a few runs late in the game, and you know you still hold an advantage in the division," manager Tony La Russa said. "For me, that's a spot where you get the youngsters out there."

Laird certainly is no youngster, but Adron Chambers, Shane Robinson and Pete Kozma also entered the game, though Kozma only as a pinch-hitter. Tyler Greene played the whole game at shortstop.

The Redbirds weren't able to strike back after the huge third inning. It took them until the fifth before Mark Hamilton finally drove in their first run, and that rally also was quickly suffocated by Dempster.

"We took a risk by putting guys like Hamilton and (Zach) Cox out there to start in place of regulars, but we're confident that the division is ours," La Russa said.

The Cardinals certainly don't seem like they have much to worry about. They're four games ahead, and there's four games remaining. A win at any time over the last games will clinch it, the first chance being tomorrow in the series finale.

"They (the Reds) have to win it all while we have to lose them all," said Lance Berkman, who had a pinch-hit appearance today. "I don't think either of those is going to happen."

Jake Westbrook will start tomorrow in his last chance to convince the coaching staff that he indeed should hold a spot in the playoff rotation.

Player of the Game


Carlos Pena - 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 24, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chicago (73-85)	0	0	5	0	0	2	0	0	0	7	11	0
St. Louis (86-72)	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	3	8	0
W: R. Dempster (12-10) L: E. Jackson (10-10)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			CHC	STL
CHC	3	Campana hit a sacrifice fly to CF. Soto scores.	1	0
CHC	3	Byrd homered to left. Barney scores.	3	0
CHC	3	Pena homered to right. Ramirez scores.	5	0
STL	5	Hamilton doubled to center. Molina scores.	5	1
CHC	6	Soto doubled to left. Pena scores. Castro scores.	7	1
STL	6	Holliday grounded out to 3B. Greene scores.	7	2
STL	9	Cox grounded out to 2B. Schumaker scores.	7	3

Chicago Cubs
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Campana, RF	4	0	2	1	0	0	0	.261
Byrd, CF	5	1	1	2	0	2	1	.250
Ramirez, 3B	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	.248
Pena, 1B	4	2	2	2	0	1	1	.243
Soriano, LF	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.265
Castro, SS	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.248
Soto, C	4	1	3	2	0	1	0	.267
Barney, 2B	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.234
Dempster, P	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.147
Marshall, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	34	7	11	7	2	9	2
BATTING: 2B: Campana (12), Soto 2 (21) HR: Pena (39), Byrd (15) RBI: Campana (16), Pena 2 (82), Soto 2 (49), Byrd 2 (64) SF: Campana SAC: Dempster GIDP: Castro, Byrd

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Greene, SS	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.333
Schumaker, CF	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.279
Holliday, LF	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	.269
Robinson, LF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.250
Craig, RF	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.267
Chambers, RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.333
Cox, 2B	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	.385
Molina, C	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	.275
Laird, C	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.192
Hamilton, 1B	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	.304
Descalso, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.252
Jackson, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.134
Berkman, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.295
Rzepczynski, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Jay, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.274
Cleto, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Lynn, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Kozma, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Augenstein, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
TEAM TOTALS	33	3	8	3	0	3	0
BATTING: 2B: Hamilton (3), Craig (18) 3B: Molina (1) RBI: Hamilton (3), Holliday (91), Cox (1) GIDP: Hamilton
BASERUNNING: SB: Greene (1)

Chicago Cubs
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Dempster (W, 12-10)	8.0	6	2	2	0	2	0	3.25
Marshall	1.0	2	1	1	0	1	0	4.07
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	8	3	3	0	3	0

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Jackson (L, 10-10)	3.0	6	5	5	1	1	2	3.57
Rzepczynski	2.0	0	0	0	0	3	0	4.34
Cleto	0.2	3	2	2	0	1	0	5.40
Lynn	1.1	1	0	0	1	3	0	3.99
Sanchez	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.50
Augenstein	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	11	7	7	2	9	2

[mockme]

Cardinals bounce back in style, dominate Cubs to clinch Central
BY JOE STRAUSS | Sunday, September 25, 2011

ST. LOUIS • After an impressive performance against the Cubs in their last home game of the regular season, the Cardinals have clinched the NL Central title and thus a playoff spot. Rafael Furcal was clearly the player of the game, going five-for-five with a two-run homer, one of four for the Redbirds, that gave them the lead they would not give up in a 9-1 win over their long-time rival.

Jake Westbrook was pitching a one-run game before he had to leave after five and a third after a surge of pain went through his throwing arm. There is no lasting damage however, and Westbrook won't have to take any time off because of it.

Lance Berkman and Allen Craig both hit solo home runs in the sixth inning to give the Cardinals a commanding 4-1 lead, and in the eighth the offense exploded for five runs, three coming on David Freese's blast into left.



"We were fantastic," said manager Tony La Russa. "We had to go to the bullpen a bit earlier than we would have liked, but they did a good job and held onto the lead."

Bryan Augenstein was the pitcher to relieve Westbrook, and he finished the inning without giving up a run despite walking two batters.

"I didn't get any time to warm up so my command was a bit off when I entered the game," said Augenstein, who hasn't given up any runs during his relief appearances since joining the team earlier in September. "Once I got going I felt really good."

The Cardinals now have a chance to rest their regulars and maybe even lift a start from the likes of Chris Carpenter, who have pitched over 200 innings during the season as they face the Astros in Houston for a three-game series to wrap up the regular season. However, La Russa was quiet on the subject.

"We may want to give some guys a rest, but at the same time you want to keep the guys going so that when we reach October they'll be in the best possible form," said the manager, whose future in St. Louis is questionable. La Russa's possible return might be they key in many of the contract negotiations with the players.

"If we can reach a deal, we'd be glad to welcome him (La Russa) back," said Cardinals' general manager John Mozeliak. "But at the same time, he has done so much for us that he has earned the right to choose whether he wants to be here or not."

La Russa himself would not give any kind of indication whether he'd like to stay in St. Louis or not.

Other teams in the National League to clinch a playoff berth are the Diamondbacks and the Braves. The Wild Card is still up for grabs.

Player of the Game


Rafael Furcal - 5-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 25, 2011	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chicago (73-86)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
St. Louis (87-72)	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	5	X	9	16	0
W: J. Westbrook (8-9) L: R. Wells (8-14)

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			CHC	STL
STL	3	Furcal homered to right. Cruz scores.	0	2
CHC	4	Ramirez doubled to SS. Campana scores.	1	2
STL	6	Berkman homered to right.	1	3
STL	6	Craig homered to left.	1	4
STL	8	Freese homered to left. Berkman scores. Holliday scores.	1	7
STL	8	Chambers lined to center for a single. Cruz scores.	1	8
STL	8	Jay lined to right for a single. Chambers scores.	1	9

Chicago Cubs
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Campana, RF	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	.263
Byrd, CF	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	.250
Ramirez, 3B	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	.248
Pena, 1B	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	.241
Soriano, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.265
Castro, SS	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.246
Soto, C	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.267
Russell, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Samardzja, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000
Barney, 2B	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.232
Wells, P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.158
Hill, C	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.227
TEAM TOTALS	29	1	5	1	3	2	0
BATTING: 2B: Ramirez (29) RBI: Ramirez (63) GIDP: Barney
BASERUNNING: SB: Campana (11)

St. Louis Cardinals
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Furcal, SS	5	1	5	2	0	0	1	.281
Jay, CF	5	0	2	1	0	0	0	.275
Berkman, 1B	5	2	2	1	0	0	1	.296
Holliday, LF	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.269
Reifer, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Freese, 3B	4	1	2	3	0	0	1	.275
Craig, RF	4	1	2	1	0	0	1	.271
Cruz, C	3	2	1	0	1	0	0	.245
Schumaker, 2B	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.277
Cox, PH-2B	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.357
Westbrook, P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
Augenstein, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
McClellan, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Theriot, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.299
Rhodes, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Chambers, PH-LF	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	.500
TEAM TOTALS	37	9	16	9	1	1	4
BATTING: 3B: Cruz (1) HR: Furcal (11), Berkman (31), Craig (4), Freese (7) RBI: Furcal 2 (53), Berkman (91), Jay (70), Craig (22), Freese 3 (47), Chambers (1) SAC: Westbrook GIDP: Berkman, Cruz

Chicago Cubs
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Wells (L, 8-14)	6.0	8	4	4	1	0	3	3.60
Russell	1.1	4	3	3	0	0	1	4.55
Samardzija	0.2	4	2	2	0	1	0	4.13
TEAM TOTALS	8.0	16	9	9	1	1	4

St. Louis Cardinals
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Westbrook (W, 8-9)	5.1	4	1	1	1	1	0	4.44
Augenstein (H, 1)	0.2	1	0	0	2	0	0	0.00
McClellan (H, 6)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.63
Rhodes (H, 16)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.47
Reifer	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	5	1	1	3	2	0