Eldred returns from DL

ST. LOUIS -- Cal Eldred was activated from the disabled list on Sunday, completing his comeback from a frightening and at times mysterious illness. Eldred has not pitched since April 10 after coming down with a viral infection in the lining of his heart.
To make room for the right-hander, the Cardinals designated lefty Gabe White for assignment. Righty Brad Thompson, the only Cardinals reliever with options remaining, was kept on the roster as St. Louis elected to go with five right-handed relievers and two lefties.

Eldred made three rehab appearances at Double-A Springfield, pitching two innings each time. He did not allow a run, giving up five hits and no walks with one strikeout.

"I think, arm strength[-wise], I'm OK," Eldred said. "I may not be at top strength. Sharpness -- there's bullpen sharpness, there's simulated, there's Minor League, and now we've just got to make sure we brought it here, that's all."

Eldred joins a bullpen that has outperformed expectations, thanks in large part to additions like Thompson and left-hander Randy Flores. He may be somewhat limited at first, but manager Tony La Russa said he will not hesitate to use Eldred.

"When it's his day to pitch, he can throw," La Russa said. "I don't know how many times we'll use him back-to-back right away. But he's healthy. He feels good."'

Plans for Rolen: The other rehabbing Redbird, Scott Rolen, has seen his plans change a bit. Rolen said on Saturday that he will not go on a rehabilitation assignment at the beginning of this week. On Sunday, he explained that he will continue to ramp up his workouts, but he will do it at home rather than in the Minors. The possibility still exists that Rolen could be activated against the Devil Rays next weekend.

"I'm not ready," he said. "It was kind of talked about and discussed, and we decided a few more days of batting practice would be more beneficial than going down. My mental state might have been a little ahead of my physical state in trying to get a rehab started."

La Russa said that Rolen is basically game-ready on defense. He just needs to continue progressing with his swing. He'll take intensive batting practice before heading to St. Petersburg, near his offseason home, to hook up with the team and make a decision.

"A couple more days, and then I'm going to go down to Florida with the team," Rolen said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I might take one day of BP and go out. I might take all three days. I don't know. The short term looks like I'm going to be here the next three days while they're in Toronto, and continue [to] rehab on hitting."

Pregame festivities: The field at Busch Stadium was a busy place on Sunday, even before the first pitch at 1:16 p.m. CT. A couple of ceremonies took place on the warm, sunny afternoon.

Tony Womack, now with the Yankees, was presented with his National League champion ring. Womack was greeted on the field by his teammates from 2004. He was the leadoff man and starting second baseman for the '04 Cardinals after being acquired in a Spring Training trade from Boston.

Yankees manager Joe Torre was presented with a miniature Busch Stadium. Each time a team plays its last game in the current Busch, a player or representative from the team is presented with a commemorative mini-stadium. Previous recipients included former Cardinal Woody Williams, now with the Padres, and the Phillies' Jim Thome.

Baby 'Birds: Triple-A Memphis pounded out 23 hits, nine of them for extra bases, in a 20-4 thrashing of Omaha on Saturday. Three different Redbirds had four hits each in support of Adam Wainwright, who allowed four runs over six innings for the win. ... Springfield tied Arkansas in the top of the ninth, but lost, 4-3, on a game-ending single in the bottom half of the inning. Shaun Boyd had three singles, and Jeremy Cummings pitched six solid innings. ... Class A Palm Beach lost to Daytona, 12-4, in a contest that had previously been suspended due to rain. In Game 2 of the makeshift doubleheader, Tony McQuade went 3-for-4 and Reid Gorecki homered, but Palm Beach lost, 11-8. ... Class A Quad Cities committed four errors in a 7-5 loss to South Bend. Juan Lucena went 3-for-4.

Memphis center fielder John Rodriguez is the player of the day for his 4-for-7 outburst. Rodriguez homered twice and doubled, picking up four RBIs and scoring three times. He was recently acquired in a trade from the Indians organization.

Coming up: The home portion of the Cardinals' 2005 Interleague schedule comes to an end on Sunday afternoon in the series finale against the Yankees. The Redbirds hit the road for a three-city trip after the game.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Molina no surprise to La Russa

ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa is not one to gush.
It's simply not a part of his nature. So when the Cardinals' skipper pauses to reflect on a certain player and grows an ear-to-ear grin, one has to assume that the compliment following is about as hard-earned as a no-hitter in Coors Field.

On Sunday, Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina earned effusive praise from his skipper, after going 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

"He's a tiger," La Russa said. "The guy is all smiles and he looks like he may be soft inside, but he's tough as nails. He's showed it over and over again. I think he's a star already; he's just going to get better and better and better."

A star? Molina's numbers (.255 batting average and two home runs) may not merit an All-Star nod, but La Russa speaks prophetically, judging his young player's work ethic and potential, not even two full years into his Major League career.

Last season, Molina played 51 games as a backup catcher and hit .267 with two home runs, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored. But Molina didn't have much time to sit back and learn as a reserve, as the Cardinals elected not to re-sign one of the game's most knowledgeable veteran catchers in Mike Matheny.

The position was seen as a possible weak spot for the Cardinals this season, but starting Molina behind the plate has been a smooth transition. He has thrown out 55 percent of base runners trying to steal on him. Offensively, Molina's quick development has made opposing pitchers queasy when facing the No. 8 batter.

Through 53 games this year, Molina has either equaled or better most of his offensive stats from last season. He's scored 21 runs, has 11 more hits and four more RBIs than he did in 51 games last season.

"He was great last year, so I knew coming into this season that he'd be able to develop and go out there and call a game," said pitcher Matt Morris, who, with the help of his batterymate, held the Yankees to one run in six innings on Sunday. "He really cares, and I think that's the number one [asset] that Yadi has -- that he really cares so much about what he's doing.

"He doesn't care about hitting home runs; he cares that the pitcher is executing, getting outs and [that Molina is] calling the right games. With a guy behind the plate that cares like that, it gives the pitcher confidence and helps everybody."

Molina has been able to help his team offensively just as well. On Sunday, he broke out of a 3-for-20 and 0-for-10 slump with three hits against the Yankees, scoring twice. In the third inning, Molina doubled and came around to score on David Eckstein's RBI single.

Then, in the seventh, he singled and came around to score on rookie Scott Seabol's game-winning, two-run homer.

When Seabol hit his home run, the first of his Major League career, Molina flashed the soft smile La Russa spoke of as he rounded the bases.

"I was excited for him; I was so happy for him," Molina said.

What La Russa seems to admire most about Molina is his approach to the game. Molina never seems to get down about slumps; his approach rarely changes, and he just keeps hacking away until he manages some hits.

"I just try and make the pitcher work, look for my pitch and have a fun time," Molina said. "That's my approach every day: Whatever happened yesterday, leave it alone and try to do better the next day."

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Cards' offense shut down in Toronto

TORONTO -- They were playing in a hitters' ballpark. They had an extra offensive player, thanks to visiting the hitters' league. And they're the best hitting team in the National League.
But even with the designated hitter, and even at the Rogers Centre, the Cardinals couldn't hit Roy Halladay on a night when the former American League Cy Young winner was making pitcher's pitches. Halladay carved up the St. Louis offense, and the Cards lost to the Blue Jays, 4-1, on Monday night.

The big right-hander needed a mere 101 pitches to go the distance for his fifth complete game of the year. He joined Randy Johnson and David Wells in becoming the third hurler to shut down the St. Louis offense in less than a week.

"The common thread is that they were very efficient," said David Eckstein, who had two of the five hits against Halladay (10-3). "They pounded the zone with strikes, and they pounded the ball low. They didn't leave too many mistakes.

"In this game, everyone knows good pitching gets out good hitting. So on those days, you've got to be tough and try to find a way to get the pitch count up. But when they're throwing that many strikes, you've got to swing the bat."

Jeff Suppan recovered from some early struggles to pitch a solid game, but he had essentially no margin for error against the Toronto ace. Suppan permitted three runs over seven innings, frequently working out of trouble. The right-hander stranded nine base runners over his seven frames.

Though Suppan escaped damage over his final five innings, he couldn't avoid it in the first two. He trailed, 3-0, after two innings, and even that relatively small margin was too much.

"The early part of the game, my location wasn't where it needed to be," said Suppan (5-6). "They were able to get some hits early on, and any time you're going against a pitcher like Halladay, three runs is enough. He was on tonight and threw a good game."

John Mabry cranked a solo homer for the Cardinals' only run in the opener of a 10-day, nine-game, three-city road trip. Though St. Louis has erupted for seven or more runs six times this month, the Cards have also been held to two or fewer on four occasions in June.

It didn't help that they were playing without two of their three MVP candidates from last season. Scott Rolen remains on the disabled list, and Jim Edmonds was a late scratch due to a rib injury.

Meanwhile, the stars who were available had mostly off nights. Albert Pujols went 0-for-4, with three groundouts. Mark Grudzielanek, who has been one of the Cardinals' most dangerous hitters all year, also went 0-for-4, with two strikeouts. And Larry Walker made it 0-for-12 for the 2-3-4 spots in the order, striking out twice himself.

"[Halladay] didn't win the Cy Young by a fluke," said Walker. "We knew we had our work cut out for us tonight. He's been pitching well. He throws the ball good. He's pretty much nasty, so you tip your hat to him."

Suppan permitted a leadoff double to Alex Rios in the first. A groundout and a sac fly scored Rios but also emptied the bases before Shea Hillenbrand hit a homer that made it 2-0. An inning later, Suppan was one out away from working around another leadoff double when No. 9 hitter Russ Adams hit a single to give the Jays a three-run lead.

"There's always going to be situations where you need to make pitches," said Suppan. "In games like this, those times when you're not making pitches are [magnified] when the other guy is throwing a good game."

The game was the opener of a three-game Interleague series and the first regular-season game the Cardinals have ever played in Toronto. It was the first time in four all-time regular-season meetings that the Blue Jays beat St. Louis.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Walker hints at retirement

TORONTO -- On Monday, Larry Walker gave the strongest hints yet that the 2005 season may be his last in the Major Leagues. Making only his second visit to the venue currently known as Rogers Centre (and more famous as SkyDome), he acknowledged that retirement is very much on the horizon for him.
"More than likely, this will be my last trip here," Walker told a throng of reporters. "Unless we happen to meet in the playoffs this year or there are some new things that happen in the offseason where my wife and I decide we'll go one more year. But right now there's a good chance this will be my last year. It's not for sure, but this could be my last chance to play here."

The Cardinals hold a hefty contract option on Walker for 2006, an option they are unlikely to pick up. So the man widely regarded as the greatest ballplayer ever to come from Canada would be a free agent. And though it's possible he could go to the American League as a designated hitter, don't bet against him simply hanging it up when the Cards' season comes to a close.

So he's enjoying this trip to Toronto. Walker, who hails from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, enjoyed a lengthy tenure with the Expos, but he left Montreal before Interleague Play created an annual Toronto-Montreal derby. His only previous experience playing big league ball in Toronto came as a member of the Colorado Rockies.

"Now I'm coming back on a team [that was] National League champs," he said. "I got a taste of the World Series. So I think this time is more special just because of the fact of the team I'm on, the players that surround me, the manager, the organization and the history behind this organization."

Carp's memories: Before the A's had their Big Three starting pitchers, the Blue Jays hoped they had assembled a threesome to anchor their rotation for years to come. Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay and Kelvim Escobar were to be the foundation of a bright future in Toronto.

Only Halladay, the 2003 American League Cy Young winner, remains in Toronto. Escobar signed as a free agent with the Angels before the 2004 season, and Carpenter has been a member of the Cardinals since 2003. Monday marked Carpenter's first trip back to Toronto as a visitor.

"You're talking about three or four years ago, when I was 26 and Doc [Halladay] was 24, or 23," said Carpenter. "That's a lot of stuff to put on two young kids that don't have a whole lot of experience.

"You've seen where Doc's gone and come back to, and it all comes with maturing. It comes with believing in yourself, having confidence in yourself, and believing that you can go out and do the job. And the same thing has happened with me. I've had consistency because of believing in what I do."

Draft signings: The Cardinals announced on Monday that they have signed 20 more of their 2005 draft selections. A total of 25 of the Cards' 50 picks from this year's First-Year Player Draft have now signed contracts. All the signees have either already reported to mini-camp in Jupiter, Fla., or are expected to report soon.

Heading the list of players signing on Monday was sixth-round pick Wilfrido Pujols, the cousin of St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols. A.J. Van Slyke, whose father is All-Star outfielder Andy Van Slyke, also signed on Monday. Van Slyke was taken in the 23rd round.

Cedeno heads out: Outfielder Roger Cedeno, who is on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, has headed to Triple-A Memphis to begin a rehab assignment. Cedeno has only been on the DL since June 6, so his 15 days aren't even up yet. He will attempt to regain his swing and get sharp again after struggling through a rough start to the season.

What happened? Right-hander Jeff Suppan was puzzled when he was issued a warning after hitting Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand with a pitch in the third inning of Monday's game. Hillenbrand had hit a solo home run off Suppan in the first, and was hit in the back with two outs and the bases empty his next time up.

"I wasn't throwing at him," said Suppan, "but I guess that's how the umpire felt. I said, 'Look, man, I just got two quick outs. I gave up a home run to him, but it was because it was out over [the plate]. He went out to get to the pitch that he got for a home run, and I'm just trying to throw a sinker in, and it happened to hit him.' "

There were no further hit batsmen in the game, and no one was ejected.

Minor stars: Class A Quad Cities will have six representatives in this year's Midwest League All-Star game. Shortstop Matt Shepherd, catcher Brady Toops, and pitchers Mike Sillman, Kevin Ool, Jaymie Torres and Eric Haberer were named from the Swing. Haberer will not pitch in the game because he has already been promoted to high Class A Palm Beach. Shepherd, Toops, Sillman and Haberer were all Cardinals draft picks in 2004.

Baby 'Birds: Kevin Jarvis allowed one run and struck out six over six innings in Triple-A Memphis' 4-3 win over Omaha. Raul Gonzalez had two hits. ... Aaron Herr and Kevin Estrada each homered, and combined for seven RBIs, in Double-A Springfield's 13-7 win over Arkansas. Chris Lambert was roughed up again, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 3 2/3 innings. ... Class A Palm Beach dropped a doubleheader against Daytona, 3-1 and 4-0. Mike McCoy had a hit and a walk in each game. ... Jarrett Hoffpauir singled, doubled, walked and drove in two runs in Quad Cities' 10-4 win over South Bend. Kyle McClellan pitched four shutout innings for the save.

Herr, the son of former Cardinal Tom Herr, was the player of the day. The second baseman did a little bit of everything. In addition to his home run and four RBIs, he singled, walked twice and scored three runs.

Coming up: Carpenter makes his return to Toronto in the second game of this Interleague series. The one-time Blue Jays Opening Day starter takes the mound for birds of a different color for a 6:07 p.m. CT game, opposed by Chad Gaudin.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Carpenter hurls a one-hit gem

TORONTO -- The native son delivered the lead. The prodigal son made it stand up.
Two men with Canadian connections helped make winners of the Cardinals at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night, with Larry Walker hitting a pair of home runs and Chris Carpenter pitching his finest game of the year. St. Louis defeated Toronto, 7-0, to even this three-game Interleague series at 1-1.

Walker, who hinted strongly on Monday that he will retire at the end of the season, showed what he can still do on a good night. Previously 0-for-10 lifetime in Toronto, the native of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, went deep in the first and again in the fifth, driving in four of the visitors' seven runs. He became just the fourth Canadian-born player to hit a home run at the stadium formerly known as SkyDome.

Carpenter, who spent his first six big league seasons with Toronto, dominated from the start and was never seriously threatened. He didn't allow a hit for 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 in his second complete game and second shutout of the year. The right-hander needed a mere 95 pitches to go the distance.

Though he just missed throwing the 10th Cardinals no-hitter, Carpenter did deliver the first one-hitter of his career and the 19th one-hit complete game in franchise history. The last pitcher to turn in such a gem was Vicente Palacios, who did so on July 19, 1994, against the Astros. Carpenter faced 28 batters, one over the minimum.

"I was thinking about [a no-hitter], no question about it," said Carpenter. "I thought I had a chance. My stuff was good, and I thought that I kept them off balance pretty good. It just seemed like it was one of those nights where some of the mistakes I made, they swung and missed or popped it up, and besides that, I was making good pitches."

After Reed Johnson opened the game with a groundout, Carpenter fanned the next five batters in order. He surrendered a third-inning walk, but erased that runner on a double play, and faced the minimum until Russ Adams broke up the no-no with a two-out double in the sixth.

Carpenter shook off the two problems that have plagued him at times this season: big innings and left-handed batters. Toronto couldn't even get in position to have a big inning -- the Jays never had multiple base runners in the same frame, and never had a runner in scoring position with fewer than two outs.

As for the lefties, it was a southpaw swinger who got the base knock, but a lineup that had five players swinging from the left side never challenged the big right-hander. He threw sinkers and cut fastballs to both sides of the plate, mixing in an excellent curve as well.

Carpenter in command
St. Louis at Toronto, June 14, 2005
Chris Carpenter (9-4) picked up the victory with his second complete-game shutout of the season (April 21) and 15th complete game of his career. He fanned 10 of the 28 batters he faced to increase his season strikeout total to 93 and career strikeout total to 857, through June 14. Carpenter's previous low was two hits allowed in a nine-inning performance (April 15, 1999). His previous low in a complete-game shutout was three hits (Sept. 9, 1997 and July 3, 1999). His line on Tuesday:
IP H R ER BB SO ERA
9.0 1 0 0 1 10 3.17
Key numbers for Carpenter:
Pitches-strikes: 95-68; Groundouts-flyouts: 10-5;
Season strikeouts-walks: 93-27; WHIP: 1.21

"I had my stuff going right from the get-go," said Carpenter. "My sinker was down in the strike zone. My cutter was good. It was a night where my stuff was good, and we made some nice defensive plays. It was just a well-played game."

Taking every game the same way is a way of life for Carpenter, and he insisted that once he was on the mound, this one was like any other. But he did admit that as his return to Toronto approached, the appearance loomed particularly large.

"There's no question I thought about it," he said. "My wife talked about it. I know people were saying stuff about it. But when that day [came], when I went out and walked to the bullpen, I was mentally prepared to go out and pitch. And that's all I concern myself with."

Walker was prepared as well, thanks in part to 30 minutes of extra hitting early on Tuesday afternoon. He enjoyed his first two-homer game in his native country since 2002, when he was playing for Colorado as a visitor against Montreal.

With two outs and no one on in the first, Jays starter Chad Gaudin hit Albert Pujols with a pitch. Walker immediately made Toronto pay with his first homer of the night, and Reggie Sanders followed with a solo shot that made it 3-0.

"It's gratifying, because you know they did it on purpose," said Walker. "It was obvious. It's gratifying, yeah, to hit a home run and get three runs after there were two out in the inning and they drilled the best guy in the game. I think we all felt good about that."

With his second homer -- which traveled 428 feet into the second deck in left field -- Walker passed Aaron Guiel for third on the list of homers by Canadian players at the Rogers Centre. He still trails Matt Stairs (nine) and Corey Koskie (five).

"I was just told I moved into third place on the Canadian home run list in Toronto," he said. "I've got to catch Stairs and Koskie. I've got some work to do. I've got to hit, like, seven home runs tomorrow to catch up to those guys."

St. Louis improved to 41-23 on the season and kept its lead at 6 1/2 games over the Cubs in the National League Central. The Cardinals haven't lost back-to-back games since dropping three straight May 5-7. With a victory on Wednesday, they will have won nine consecutive Interleague series dating back to 2003.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Edmonds scratched with rib contusion

TORONTO -- Jim Edmonds was a late scratch from the Cardinals' lineup on Monday due to a "left rib contusion," and he is considered doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Edmonds has been dealing with the condition since Wednesday, when he injured himself diving for a ball on the wet field at Busch Stadium in a 4-0 loss to Boston. He explained that when he hit the turf, he felt himself "stick" somewhat. He skipped Saturday's game against the Yankees, though that was not a result of the injury.

"It's a weird thing, because usually things don't get worse," said Edmonds. "They get better."

Edmonds participated in a few pregame drills, but his activities were limited. He underwent X-rays during the game but is not expected to undergo an MRI at this time.

"He kind of bruised the muscles right under his left [pectoral muscle]," said Barry Weinberg, the Cardinals' head athletic trainer. "X-rays were negative. We'll take it day by day and see how he feels."

Edmonds was initially listed in Monday's lineup, batting cleanup and playing center. But when his expected spot came up in the batting order in the top of the first inning, Larry Walker came to the plate. Some confusion ensued until the Cardinals confirmed that they had made a last-minute change.

"I think I just kept irritating it, playing every day with it," said Edmonds. "Today I couldn't do anything. It was getting worse as the game was going on yesterday, and I just kept trying to play through it. I woke up today and I couldn't do anything."

Edmonds played on Sunday at home against the Yankees, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and two RBIs. He is hitting .285 with a .397 on-base percentage, .544 slugging percentage, 11 homers, 39 RBIs and 35 runs scored. As of the last balloting update, he was among the leaders to start in the outfield for the National League All-Star team.

Asked about his availability for Tuesday, Edmonds was pessimistic.

"I don't see it happening," he said. "We'll see how it goes."

Taking the seven-time Gold Glover's place in center was rookie Skip Schumaker, who was recently called up from Triple-A Memphis. It was the first Major League start for Schumaker, who made his big league debut on Wednesday, striking out in a pinch-hit at-bat against the Red Sox. That was his only previous at-bat with St. Louis before Monday.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Cardinals' bats stifled in Toronto

TORONTO -- Another lefty, another rough offensive game for the Cardinals.
St. Louis lost, 5-2, to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series. Ted Lilly pitched seven shutout innings for Toronto, becoming the third straight southpaw starter to handcuff the National League's most prolific offense. The Cards failed to score against both David Wells and Randy Johnson last week.

It didn't help that the Cards were playing without four regulars. Scott Rolen remains on the disabled list with a sprained shoulder, and Jim Edmonds was unavailable due to a left rib contusion that kept him out all series.

Starting shortstop and leadoff man David Eckstein got a day off in favor of Abraham Nunez, while Einar Diaz made a rare start at catcher in place of Yadier Molina. Their replacements went a combined 1-for-16 with three double plays.

"I think we had our chances," said Scott Seabol, who played third base in Rolen's stead. "We just were never able to come through with a big hit."

Starter Jason Marquis was far from sharp, but it might not have mattered if he had been. The right-hander allowed 11 baserunners (eight hits, three walks) over five innings, giving up all five runs and not recording a strikeout. Marquis has pitched more than six innings just once in his last six starts, during which time he has 21 walks and 13 strikeouts.

Orlando Hudson's two-run homer in the second put Toronto on top, and Alex Rios made it 3-0 with an RBI single later in the inning. Aaron Hill's two-run double in the fifth capped it. Every Jays run scored with two outs.

"I was just up in the zone," Marquis said. "I fell behind in counts and got in hitters' counts. That's what the hitter wants. Obviously I didn't make pitches and I got knocked out of the game early. It's unfortunate."

Marquis appeared to have regained command through five when he got into trouble again. After a pair of popups to open the fifth, he permitted a double to Shea Hillenbrand and walked Eric Hinske. Hill doubled to right field to score two runs. The ball was touched by a fan and both runners scored.

The Cardinals had few chances against Lilly, but they squandered some of the few opportunities that came their way. John Mabry's leadoff single in the fifth was erased when Diaz grounded into a double play, and Mark Grudzielanek was caught stealing on a pickoff play after a leadoff single in the sixth.

Diaz, who hadn't played in nearly two weeks, made the final out of the inning with a runner on base in the two at-bats in which he didn't double up. Five times the Cardinals got the leadoff runner on base, but none of those baserunners came around to score.

Once Lilly departed, the Cardinals managed to make it interesting. Five straight baserunners against three different relievers cut it to 5-2 in the eighth, bringing up Seabol against Jason Frasor. Seabol hit into a 5-4-3 double play, ending the threat, the inning, and for all practical purposes the Cardinals' chances at a win.

"We had a chance there in the eighth," he said. "Big double-play ball, and that was that. You've got to be selectively aggressive in that situation, and I may have been a little too aggressive."

In their last five games against left-handed starters, the Cardinals have topped two runs just once. They pounded Astros rookie Wandy Rodriguez at Minute Maid Park, but they scuffled against Andy Pettitte in Houston. A team that has feasted on left-handed pitching in recent years seems to be missing Rolen lately, but there's also the fact that the assorted southpaws have thrown the ball well -- Lilly included.

"I think you tip your hat to what Mr. Lilly did out there," Larry Walker said. "His ball was moving pretty good. He threw it where he wanted to. He kept us all off-balance. We had some ugly swings, a lot of guys. You tip your hat. I don't think you say we didn't swing well. We didn't swing well because he pitched good. Simple as that."

The Cardinals have alternated wins and losses over their past eight games and are 9-8 since May 28. They lost two out of three in Toronto, ending a streak of eight straight Interleague series won. St. Louis had won or split seven consecutive series overall.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Eckstein in All-Star mix

TORONTO -- David Eckstein squirms a little in his seat as soon as the topic comes up. One of the most amiable, media-accessible players on the Cardinals, Eckstein seems uncomfortable even before the question is finished.
"Have you heard about the All-Star voting?"

Yes, he's heard. A St. Louis broadcaster told him on Tuesday afternoon that he's right in the mix, just about 11,000 votes behind the Dodgers' Cesar Izturis. Eckstein has never been an All-Star in the big leagues, but his chance may come this season. But it's June, and he has absolutely no desire to talk about it at this point.

"It's early," said Eckstein. "It definitely would be an honor. Without a doubt. But it's the kind of thing that I don't really look at."

Eckstein is enjoying an excellent year at the plate, with a spiffy .380 on-base percentage, 34 runs scored, 20 RBIs and just 16 strikeouts entering Tuesday's game. He had some defensive struggles in May, but he seems to be sorted out lately.

And that interests him more because it's pushing his team to the postseason, not because it may earn him a starting spot in Detroit next month.

"I'm sure my family knows about it," he said. "They've made a comment to me about it. But they know not to talk to me about it. It's one of those things that, if it happens, it happens. The ultimate goal is to win the World Series."

Fans can cast their vote for Eckstein, or any other Cardinals player, online at MLB.com through 10:59 p.m. CT on June 30.

Rolen update: Scott Rolen continues to work out in St. Louis, but the star third baseman is not yet pain-free. That means that a hoped-for return this weekend against Tampa Bay is growing less likely.

"I don't know," said manager Tony La Russa. "[We face] left-handed starters the first two days, but I think if you had to guess, you'd guess no. But today is only Tuesday."

Edmonds still out: Jim Edmonds missed a second straight game on Tuesday because of what the team is calling a left rib contusion, and he expects to sit out at least one more before returning to the lineup.

The Cardinals are off on Thursday, and Edmonds is hoping to play on Friday night against the Devil Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., but that remains to be seen.

"Hopefully, three days will help," said Edmonds. "This isn't some nagging thing. It hurts to breathe."

Edmonds sustained the injury last Wednesday at home against Boston. He played through the pain for several days, but on Monday it was too much.

Cal Eldred / P
Born: 11/24/67
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 240 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Eldred returns: It's not so much that Cal Eldred took the mound on Monday night -- the first time he had done so in a big league game in two months. What's most encouraging is that he is in good enough shape that he was frustrated by his performance. The right-hander permitted a run in the eighth inning in his return from the disabled list. He had been out since early April after contracting a viral infection in the lining of his heart.

"If anybody tells you they don't think about it the next day when they give up a run, they're lying to you," said Eldred. "Whether you win or lose, you're still frustrated.

"My wife said, 'Well, you know, you're not just gonna jump right back in there and be perfect.' She made that point to me, and I said, 'You're right, but I need to be perfect out there as much as I can.' "

Nice year: Russell County High School in Alabama, the school of Cards' first-round draft pick Colby Rasmus, has been named the high school team of the year by Baseball America. Russell County went 38-1 and was ranked No. 1 in the magazine's final high school top 50 poll. Rasmus was a star outfielder on the Warriors, and his brother Cory pitched for the team.

Today in Busch history: On June 14, 1989, Joe Magrane and the Cardinals dominated the Expos. Milt Thompson went 4-for-5 with two doubles, and Pedro Guerrero drove in three runs with three hits. Magrane went the distance, allowing five hits, striking out one and walking two. Thanks to Project Retrosheet (www.retrosheet.org) for the information.

Baby 'Birds: Anthony Reyes got back to his regular form with five clamp-down innings in a 9-5 win over Round Rock on Monday. Reyes picked up the win for Triple-A Memphis with help from Raul Gonzalez, who went 3-for-4, and Brandon Berger, who hit a three-run pinch-hit homer. ... Jordan Pals was drilled for nine runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings as Double-A Springfield lost, 10-3, to Arkansas. ... Tyler Parker and Terry Evans each hit a solo homer in Class A Palm Beach's 7-3 loss to Daytona. ... Class A Quad Cities had an off-day.

Reyes is the player of the day for his excellent outing. Considered the organization's top prospect, he pitched five shutout innings with two hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

Coming up: The Cardinals' first regular-season series in Toronto comes to an end on Wednesday at 6:07 p.m. CT. Jason Marquis takes the mound looking for his ninth win, facing left-hander Ted Lilly.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Nunez fills in for Eck

TORONTO -- Even with a left-handed pitcher on the mound for the other guys, it was time for David Eckstein to get a break. The Cardinals shortstop was held out of the lineup for the second time since May 7 on Wednesday night against the Blue Jays.
Taking Eckstein's spot on defense was Abraham Nunez, a switch-hitter who is much more effective from the left side. Taking over for him in the leadoff position was second baseman Mark Grudzielanek. Strangely, the righty-swinging Eckstein has had more success against right-handed pitching than against southpaws this year.

Nunez has actually held his own against lefties in 2005, though he had just 16 at-bats against them before Wednesday. The bigger issue than platoon matchups, though, was simply the desire to get Eckstein two days off in a row -- with an off-day looming Thursday. Nunez is the backup shortstop, so he played.

"Somebody's got to play there," La Russa said, with no disrespect intended to Nunez.

Indeed, the former Pirate has been a find for the Cardinals all year, hitting .278 with a .350 on-base percentage and four home runs before Wednesday night. He already has walked more times in 2005 than he did in 2004, despite having 56 fewer at-bats -- and he's cut his strikeout rate dramatically. All this while playing capably at three positions in the infield.

"You take him for what he is, and what he is for us has been a good player," La Russa said.

Edmonds still out: Jim Edmonds has made little progress in his recovery from a left rib contusion, and the injury kept him out of the lineup for a third straight day on Wednesday. Edmonds was wearing a large wrap on his midsection in the clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon.

"It's not doing too good," he said.

La Russa indicated that a Friday return might be a bit optimistic for the seven-time Gold Glover. The Cardinals have an off-day Thursday, and Edmonds had hoped that the series opener against the Devil Rays was a reasonable target for getting back on the field.

"He didn't give me anything that was too promising," La Russa said before the game.

Minor moves: Two days after pitching one of his best games of the year, Cardinals prospect Anthony Reyes is going on the disabled list. The right-hander, considered the No. 1 prospect in the organization, has been shelved by Triple-A Memphis due to tendinitis in his right shoulder. Cody McKay will be activated from the disabled list.

In other Memphis news, the Redbirds will be adding a reliever. Left-hander Gabe White, who was designated for assignment when Cal Eldred was activated, has cleared waivers. White will be outrighted to Memphis.

Minor honor: Kevin Ool, a left-hander for Class A Quad Cities, was named the Topps Player of the Month for May in the Midwest League. Ool was one of the players acquired for Mike Myers in the Spring Training trade that sent Myers to Boston. Ool made 13 appearances in May, going 6-0 with two saves and an ERA of 2.76. He is 9-1 with a 1.87 ERA on the season.

Famous friends: La Russa and first base coach Dave McKay got a look at the filming of the upcoming Bruce Willis movie, "16 Blocks," on Wednesday. The film is being shot in Toronto, and it's being directed by Richard Donner, who also helmed "Superman II," "The Goonies" and "Lethal Weapon." One of the producers of the movie is a friend of McKay's and arranged for the tour.

Bits and pieces: Einar Diaz made not only his first start on Wednesday, but his first game appearance at all, since June 2. Yadier Molina had played every inning of the previous 11 games. ... Scott Rolen is still expected to join the Cardinals in St. Petersburg on Friday, but it's unclear when he will be able to play. It is not likely to be during the weekend series. ... Wednesday night's game was the first time in the three-game series that the roof at the Rogers Centre was open, although a light drizzle saw it close after three innings.

Today in Busch history: June 15 tended to be a Bob Gibson kind of day. On June 15, 1968, Gibson was absolutely dominant in a 2-0 win over the Reds, going the distance with four hits and no walks allowed and 13 strikeouts. On June 15, 1966, he outclassed the Pirates, pitching the complete-game shutout in a 1-0 win. Gibson allowed three hits and two walks, striking out eight in that game.

Baby 'Birds: Bill Pulsipher was touched for six runs in six innings in Memphis' 6-2 loss to Round Rock on Tuesday. Chris Duncan singled, doubled and walked. ... Double-A Springfield jumped out early against Arkansas and went on to win, 11-4. Tyler Minges, Juan Diaz and Andy Schutzenhofer all hit home runs in support of Randy Leek. ... Class A Palm Beach continued to struggle, losing 4-1 to Brevard County despite another fine outing from Eric Haberer. Palm Beach has lost six straight and eight out of nine. Haberer went seven-plus innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. ... Rick Ankiel's return to the field was not enough for Quad Cities in a 6-1 loss to Peoria. Ankiel hit a solo homer as the Swing's right fielder, coming back after missing several days with hamstring troubles.

Minges is the player of the day for his big game against Arkansas. The Springfield outfielder singled, tripled and homered, drove in three runs and scored twice. The home run was his 11th of the season, which is tied for third in the Texas League. Minges ranks second in the league with 19 doubles, first with 53 runs scored and second in slugging percentage, with .563.

Coming up: The Cardinals are off on Thursday before returning to their old Spring Training stomping grounds. Friday night brings a 6:15 p.m. CT start against the Devil Rays, with Mark Mulder taking the mound at Tropicana Field.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Mailbag: Who has the right "stuff"?

It's been exactly a month since our last mailbag, long enough for the Cardinals -- well, long enough for them to continue playing over .600 ball and to continue holding a healthy but not invincible division lead.
The June mailbag comes to you from the road, as the Cards just wrapped up a series in Toronto and are headed south for their first regular-season visit to Florida's eastern coast. It should be a fun weekend, and hopefully this will be a fun mailbag.

As always, if you have a question, use the link below to submit it -- and please be sure to include your first name, last initial and hometown, and to use the word "mailbag" in the subject header.

What exactly is "stuff"? I hear managers, players and announcers talking about a pitcher's "stuff" all the time, but I am unsure what it is. -- Luke O., Monroe City, Mo.

It's sort of hard to explain exactly, but it's the kind of thing you know when you see it. Essentially, it's just about everything that's not control or command about a pitch. To some extent, stuff includes velocity. But mostly, it's movement -- does a pitcher's fastball have late movement, or sharp downward bite? Does his slider have a tight break? Does his cutter move late? Does his curveball just dive?

Hi Matthew. I know you like questions from overseas. I am 5,000 miles away, in Slovakia (formerly Czechoslovakia), and am celebrating my 50th year as a Cardinal fan. I have a zillion questions, but I will ask only two.

First question: There has been mention a few times in recent weeks about Larry Walker being acknowledged as one of the game's best baserunners. How do we know that? What are the criteria? Are there statistics, or do ballplayers just make comments?

Second question: Jason Marquis pinch-hit and singled yesterday [June 1] and is currently batting .310. Woody Williams was always a tough out. I grew up with Bob Gibson as a regular pinch-hitter. The Cardinals seem to put some priority on pitchers hitting well, and as a group the pitchers seem to take pride in their accomplishments. So do the Cardinals place more emphasis here than other teams, or is my evidence just anecdotal?

Thanks for the work you do. It's been a lot easier following the Cardinals over the Internet than when I was in Austria five years ago and waiting for an English newspaper. -- Fred R., Nitra, Slovak Republic

First of all, thanks for the kind words, and it's great to know people are reading from so far away. Anyone else out there overseas, I assure you I will try to get your questions in the mailbag.

As to answering your questions, Fred, here goes:

In the context of Walker, and also Scott Rolen, what makes a great baserunner is difficult to quantify. It's a judgment that comes from watching a guy. It helps to be fast, but that's a small part of it. Mostly, it's judgment and awareness. The guy who goes first-to-third on the single, the guy who takes the extra base on the fly ball, things like that. And Walker and Rolen are two of the best, along with Derek Jeter and Edgar Renteria -- there are plenty of others, but those are the first guys who come to my mind.

About pitchers hitting, I think it's something of a point of emphasis, but it's not just the team. Marquis is largely, in my opinion, a product of the Atlanta system that heavily emphasizes hitting and defense in pitchers -- plus he's a tremendous talent. Believe me, I've seen some Cardinals pitchers who aren't good hitters at all. But the friendly competition can't hurt, as these guys definitely feed off each other.

Since Matt Morris is having an excellent season and his contract ends at the end of this year, he will probably ask for a very high salary. Maybe more than the Cardinals can afford or want to pay. Do you think they will trade him at the July 31 trade deadline for an outfielder like Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell, since it is likely the Cardinals will lose Walker and/or Reggie Sanders at the end of the year? Thank you. -- Brian D., Ridgefield, Conn.

Specifically, no, it's not likely at all, largely because Abreu is having an MVP-caliber season, and it would take more than Morris to get him. And Burrell has an albatross of a contract that I'd be shocked to see the Cardinals take on.

But more generally, I think there's some possibility you'll see a major move for an outfielder. I think it's possible that Morris or Jeff Suppan, both of whom could possibly be free agents at the end of the year, could be moved, but not at all likely. The Redbirds won't have much desire to break up a big-league roster that's playing this well.

I'd guess that more likely is a potential trade of a pitching prospect -- the Cards have three good ones in the high minors -- for a young outfielder. But we'll see.

I love the way our season is starting. Obviously those out there who didn't have faith are kicking themselves, but there is always the "what if." Like, what if we would have kept Matheny instead of letting Molina catch? Do you think this was/is a good move or do you think we should've kept Matheny? Who do you like better: Molina or Matheny? -- Aaron D., Louisville, Ky.

I think it was the right move for one reason: the contract Mike Matheny received. If they could have brought Matheny back for a year, I think it would have made sense. But from Mike's perspective, this might be his last chance to get a multi-year deal, and it only makes sense that he pursued it.

Matheny has been better than usual with the bat this season, which makes this question more difficult than I thought it would be. I expected Molina to have quite a bit better offensive season than Matheny, and he may yet by the time the season is out.

Still, the pitchers seem to enjoy working with Molina, his offense is developing very nicely, and there's absolutely no denying his rocket launcher of a right arm.

I read under the Baby 'Birds report dated May 17, 2005, that there is a Minor Leaguer named Aaron Herr playing for Double-A Springfield. Is he any relation to Cardinals favorite and great Tommy Herr? Being a lifelong and third-generation Redbirds fan, I fondly remember the great teams of the '80s with Ozzie and Tommy anchoring the middle infield. -- James N., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Yes, Aaron Herr is Tom's son, and he's an interesting player. When Cal Eldred came back from his rehabilitation assignments in Springfield, one of the first players he mentioned was Herr. Eldred was impressed with the young player's knowledge of the game and on-field smarts.

Abraham Nunez has been a nice surprise off the bench so far this season. Can you tell me a little more about him and what plans the club may have for him in the future? -- Bryant K., Dubuque, Iowa

Have a question about the Cardinals?
E-mail your query to MLB.com Cardinals beat writer Matthew Leach for possible inclusion in a future mailbag column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content.

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Nunez has been quite a find for a lot of reasons: from his surprising year at the plate to his solid defense at three positions to his attitude. If you ask his teammates or his manager, it's probably the latter that stands out most. Nunez goes about it the right way, never complains, is always prepared and has basically the exact approach that Tony La Russa wants from his bench players.

It seemed that Nunez grew frustrated with the situation in Pittsburgh, where the team never turned the corner. In addition, his playing time there dwindled significantly last year. That combination made him happy to come to St. Louis, where he expected he'd have a chance to win games and he knew that as a bench player for La Russa he'd get plenty of playing time.

I wouldn't expect him to continue pushing a .350 on-base percentage and topping a .400 slugging percentage for the rest of the year, but as long as he plays almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, he can be a useful offensive player. And defensively, he's very sound.

As for the future, it remains to be seen -- it may be a question of dollars. The Cardinals love to keep their bench players around, but they're rarely willing to overpay for one.

The picture of the Cardinals' faithful beat writer appears to be a mug shot from his latest trip to the slammer. I always thought that our trusty writer was on the straight-and-narrow, but now I'm not so sure. So, faithful beat writer, what gives? What have you been arrested for and why are they punishing you by putting your mug shot on the site? Haven't you suffered enough? -- Erin R., St. Louis

I can assure you there is no latest trip to the slammer for yours truly, but that photo was not taken on my best day. These are the hazards of covering ball -- you're not always bright and shiny and at your best; you just try to make do. But if it puts the readership at ease, we at StLCardinals.com will work on finding a slightly less grizzly photo to include in the mailbags.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Familiar face returns

ST. LOUIS -- Tony Womack was a Cardinal for only one season, but in that time he left a deep impression on his teammates and his manager. The speedster served as the Cards' leadoff man and second baseman in 2004, when the club won a staggering 105 games.
Womack's return to St. Louis was rather less celebrated than that of his '04 double-play partner, Edgar Renteria (now of the Red Sox), but skipper Tony La Russa was pleased to run into Womack again. Womack met up with several of his old mates on Thursday at Albert Pujols' charity golf tournament.

"I think his consistently high level of energy and tough competitive play," La Russa said when asked about his impressions of Womack. "He walked in and generated a lot of respect. He's a fun guy to be around, too. Very smart. He got a very nice reception yesterday from the people at the tournament."

Womack felt a bit slighted by the Cards this offseason, when they allowed him to depart to New York for a two-year contract.

"The last time I was here, we lost the World Series," Womack said. "We were there, though. It's too bad that we lost, but we had fun.

"In this game, you can't be surprised. I guess they had other plans. Their main focus was to sign Edgar and they put everybody else on hold."

Yankee memories: The Yankees' first visit to Busch Stadium in more than 40 years set La Russa to doing some reminiscing. The St. Louis manager grew up in Tampa as a Yankees fan, and particularly as a fan of Mickey Mantle. So it was something of a treat for La Russa, as an 18-year-old rookie in 1963, to meet Mantle at Yankee Stadium.

La Russa also got to witness one of Mantle's most memorable home runs -- in fact, a ball that Mantle himself reportedly called the hardest-hit ball of his career.

"It was against Bill Fischer and the Kansas City A's at the Stadium," said La Russa. "It was on the rise and it hit the (right-field) façade and bounced back to second base. It was the (11th) inning.

"Ed Lopat, the manager, was bench-jockeying him. The first time, (Mantle) laughed. The second time, he kind of smirked. By the time he got to the (11th) inning, he'd had enough."

The New York Daily News once rated the home run as the No. 15 classic moment in Yankees history.

The comeback train: Cal Eldred pitched two more innings for Double-A Springfield on Thursday night. It was the right-hander's third rehabilitation appearance as he attempts to come back from a viral infection that struck the lining of his heart.

This outing was a little less spotless than his first two, but ultimately successful. Eldred pitched a pair of shutout innings, allowing four hits with no walks and no strikeouts.

Also making his way back, third baseman Scott Rolen continued ramping up his workouts on Friday at Busch Stadium. Rolen may head out on a rehabilitation assignment on Monday when the team goes on a road trip. He would likely either go to Triple-A Memphis or Class A Palm Beach.

Strange place for a throwback? There's not a lot of regular-season Major League history in St. Petersburg, but the Cardinals will nonetheless wear throwback uniforms at Tropicana Field on Saturday, June 18. The Redbirds will don baby-blue outfits hearkening back to their 1982 World Series championship. After the game, they will autograph the uniforms and donate them to Tampa Bay's Rays of Hope foundation.

Today in Busch history: On June 8, 1967, future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson outdueled future Major League manager Larry Dierker in a 5-2 Cardinals win over the Astros. Gibson went the distance, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. He struck out nine and did not issue a walk, and in typical Gibson fashion, he also singled and drove in a run. Thanks to Project Retrosheet (www.retrosheet.org) for the information.

Baby 'Birds: Bo Hart had three hits including a double and scored two runs, but Memphis lost, 6-5, to Omaha in 12 innings. ... Tyler Minges homered and Andy Schutzenhofer went 3-for-4 in Springfield's 4-2 loss to Wichita. ... Rayner Laya's squeeze bunt brought home the game's only run in Palm Beach's 1-0 win over Vero Beach. ... Rick Ankiel returned to the field for a pinch-hit at-bat after missing several days with a sore hamstring, but he couldn't help Class A Quad Cities in its 6-3 loss to South Bend. Matt Shepherd, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Juan Lucena had two hits each.

Easily garnering player of the day laurels is Palm Beach starter Eric Haberer, who pitched seven shutout innings. The left-hander from Southern Illinois University is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three starts since a promotion from Quad Cities to Palm Beach. Haberer, St. Louis' third-round pick in 2004, has not allowed a home run in 76 1/3 innings this season.

Coming up: Saturday brings a matchup of two of the biggest and best left-handers in the game. Mark Mulder takes the mound for St. Louis against Randy Johnson, as the Cardinals and Yankees trot out their respective offseason trade prizes. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. CT.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Cardinals' bats silenced by Big Unit

ST. LOUIS -- There are scuffles, and then there are struggles. Randy Johnson's career against the Cardinals? Five wins, six losses, a 3.87 ERA entering Saturday -- that's scuffling a bit for a future Hall of Famer, but it's not struggling. Mark Mulder against the Yankees? Try a 6.57 lifetime ERA. That's struggling.
Mulder's career-long difficulties against New York surfaced again on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, as the left-hander was sidled with the defeat in the Cards' 5-0 loss to Johnson and the Bronx Bombers.

Mulder wasn't terrible by any stretch, but he was unable to rise to the occasion against Johnson. Facing a Cooperstown-bound starter for the second straight game, Mulder permitted four runs and 11 baserunners in six innings as he fell to his third consecutive loss. Mulder had won seven in a row before his current skid.

On Saturday, he allowed seven base hits, though the vast majority were of the ground-ball variety. More frustrating were the three walks and a hit batter.

"That's more what I was upset about," he said. "It's not the ground-ball hits. That's what I'm trying to get. I've had games before where balls have gone in holes. ... The hit batter and the walks, that's something you can't let happen."

Five days earlier, Mulder went toe-to-toe with Roger Clemens, another of the greatest pitchers of his generation. Handed a three-run first-inning lead, Mulder got just nine outs before being chased. There was no early lead this time, however.

That's because the National League's most prolific offense had nothing for Johnson. The "Big Unit" has had more trouble in his career against St. Louis than against most teams, but when Johnson is sharp, there aren't many teams that are going to hit him hard.

Johnson was sharp on Saturday.

"He wasn't trying to blow it by anybody," said Abraham Nunez. "He was pitching. He was moving the ball in and out, mixing in some good offspeed pitches off the plate. He kept us off balance all day."

Johnson struck out three of the first five batters he saw, and five of the first 10. St. Louis didn't manage any kind of a threat against him until the fourth, when Reggie Sanders singled and stole second with two outs. Mark Grudzielanek singled, and third-base coach Jose Oquendo decided to risk sending Sanders even on a shallow ball to left.

Sanders was easily gunned down, but with the way Johnson was going, it was a defensible risk.

"I thought Cheo [Oquendo] made the exact right call," said manager Tony La Russa. "You've got a left-hander on deck, you've got to push and try to get on the board. The left fielder made a perfect throw."

The Cards picked up just one more baserunner against Johnson, a two-out Grudzielanek single in the seventh. They did threaten against reliever Tom Gordon, putting two men on in the eighth, before Yankees manager Joe Torre called on his hammer. Mariano Rivera got Larry Walker looking as Albert Pujols waited on deck, effectively ending the game.

Even so, the odds had been long for the Cardinals for quite a while before that. Mulder allowed a walk and a single with one out in the first, and then let the runners advance with a wild pitch. He induced a groundout from Alex Rodriguez, but that scored the go-ahead run.

Mulder hit Robinson Cano with a pitch in the second, and in the third he permitted a hit, a walk and an infield single before Derek Jeter was thrown out between third and home to end the inning. He was unable to elude trouble in the fourth, though.

John Flaherty led off with a single, and Cano walked. The rookie had been behind in the count, 0-2, before earning the free pass, and the walk changed the entire complexion of the inning. Johnson's grounder to third put two men in scoring position, setting up Jeter.

"He's trying to make pitches," La Russa said. "That's the bottom line. He just missed, so he walked them, and they scored."

Jeter rapped a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-0, and Hideki Matsui followed with a double for the fourth Yankees run. Mulder allowed only one more baserunner over his final two innings before handing it over to the bullpen, but the damage was done.

"When you look at the game, how many hits did he give up? Seven," said pitching coach Dave Duncan. "Six of them were ground balls. That's what he is. He's a ground-ball pitcher. It was just unfortunate for him. It seemed like they kept getting ground balls that were just barely out of reach of the infielders. All in all, with the exception of the walks, I thought he did his job."

The Cardinals fell to 39-22 on the season, and their lead in the National League Central shrunk to 5 1/2 games over the Cubs. St. Louis is 5-3 in Interleague Play this season.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Cards make Yanks pay for errors

ST. LOUIS -- The guys who are supposed to do it, did it. And they did it when and how they always seem to do it.
The heart of the Cardinals' order came through in a big way early, and starter Jason Marquis pitched an exceptional game, as St. Louis beat the Yankees, 8-1, in the opener of a much-hyped Interleague series. The Cards chalked up two runs in the first, then put the game away with a five-run third.

The Cardinals have dominated their opponents in the early going this season, outscoring opponents by 59 runs over the first three innings of games. That means jumping on the opposition's starter and getting a reputable beginning from your own hurler.

That adds up to wins.

"It's always good if you can score some runs early," said Albert Pujols, "because you can take the pressure a little bit off your starter. If you can take that first step and take the first lead, it's always good. That's what we've been doing."

Through 60 games, the Cardinals have scored 139 runs in the first three innings, allowing 80. That means on the average, they lead by a run after the third in every game. It was 7-0 after three frames on Friday night, and the game was never in doubt after that.

The starting pitchers are a big part of that, but so is the heart of the National League's most potent lineup. Pujols singled, doubled and pounded his 15th home run of the season, scoring three times and driving in two runs. He had a hit in each of the three innings in which St. Louis scored. Pujols has reached base by hit or walk in 15 consecutive games.

Pujols was joined by the rest of the Cardinals' middle-of-the-order thumpers. Jim Edmonds singled, doubled, scored and drove in a run. Larry Walker, batting fifth, singled, walked twice and had a run and an RBI. Reggie Sanders singled twice, scored and drove in a run. All told, the starting 3-6 hitters in St. Louis' lineup reached base 11 times in 17 plate appearances, scored six times and tallied five RBIs.

All this against Chien-Ming Wang, a rookie whom the Cards had never seen before and who had been pitching well -- usually a combination resembling kryptonite against St. Louis' supermen.

"Our video guy, he does a pretty good job preparing the tape," said Pujols. "It's pretty tough when you face the American League, because you don't face the guys. But you pretty much study the tape and hopefully get an idea and get a game plan going, and hopefully it works in the game. It worked out for us today."

Albert Pujols / 1B
Born: 01/16/80
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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The Redbirds also got some help from an uncharacteristically sloppy Yankees club. St. Louis picked up only three base hits in the decisive third, but New York helped out with two errors and three walks, two of them intentional. The Cardinals sent 10 batters to the plate in the third against Wang (3-2).

"They're humans," said Walker. "They're not machines. It's going to happen. It's a game, and they're human and make mistakes as we do. They could come out tomorrow and play absolutely flawless and beat us."

Still, with the Yankees struggling at two games under .500 despite a mammoth payroll, one Cardinal drew a parallel to the 2003 Cardinals. That team, loaded with talent and a heavy preseason favorite, finished in third place with a disappointing 85-77 record.

As shaky as the Yanks were defensively, the Cards were just as sharp behind Marquis. The right-hander was back to his groundballing ways, getting 14 outs in the infield. He improved to 8-3, tying Chris Carpenter for the team lead in wins, and his 3.27 ERA is the best of the team's starters.

Marquis pitched eight innings, allowing a run on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. It was the first time since May 13 that Marquis lasted more than six innings.

"I was able to locate my fastball down in the zone," he said. "The defense made some great plays for me and I just tried to throw strikes, get ahead early and make pitches."

St. Louis is 39-21 on the season and leads the National League Central by 6 1/2 games over the Cubs. The Cards have won 17 of their last 19 regular-season games against American League opponents, dating back to 2003.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Cards sign first-round pick Rasmus

ST. LOUIS -- It was only a matter of putting ink to paper. The Cardinals had deals in place with their top several picks in Tuesday's First-Year Player Draft, and on Saturday they announced that some of those selections have officially signed -- headed by first-rounder (No. 28 overall pick) Colby Rasmus.
The high school outfielder from Alabama was the Cards' first selection in the draft and one of their two first-rounders, along with Georgia Tech shortstop Tyler Greene (No. 30 overall). According to Baseball America, the deal with Rasmus is worth $1 million.

Rasmus, 18, pounded 24 homers as a high school senior and is considered a five-tool player with the ability to stick in center field as he advances through the system. He had a commitment to play college baseball at Auburn University, but his sights were set on playing professionally all along.

Other players signing with St. Louis were high school right-hander Tyler Herron (supplemental first round), high school right-hander Josh Wilson (second round), Central Missouri State righty Nick Webber (second round) and high school catcher Bryan Anderson (fourth round). The Cardinals have signed five of their first eight picks.

"We're extremely happy to get these players under contract and in a timely manner," said Jeff Luhnow, who is the Cardinals' vice president for player procurement. "They are exciting young players, and we are anxious to start their development, beginning this weekend at mini-camp in Jupiter, Fla."

As of Saturday, the Cards' second and third selections were still playing college ball and thus unable to sign. Greene's Yellow Jackets and Mark McCormick's Baylor Bears are both participating in NCAA Super Regionals, playing for a chance to go to the College World Series.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/

Japan sees native son So

ST. LOUIS -- Anyone in Japan who stayed up until 4 a.m. -- or got up at 4 a.m. -- for Saturday's Cardinals-Yankees game probably did so in order to see "Godzilla," Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui. But they also got a look at another homegrown product, So Taguchi.
Taguchi insists he's not concerned that the game, broadcast in the U.S. on FOX, was also carried nationally in Japan.

"I think Japanese TV is just for Matsui," he said. "It's not a big deal for me, I think."

But Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was nonetheless pleased to get Taguchi in the lineup for the afternoon contest. It wasn't a favor, since Taguchi might have been a good fit, anyway, but it was a happy accident. Larry Walker and Jim Edmonds both were held out of the lineup, since it was a day game after a night game with dominating lefty Randy Johnson on the mound for the visitors.

"He's a good enough player where, if there was a way to get him in there today -- I could have played him for Reggie [Sanders] or something if it had been a right-hander -- it's not a stretch at all," La Russa said.

Taguchi took it in stride either way, noting the 14-hour time difference between St. Louis and Japan.

"It's 2 o'clock here," he said with a smile. "That means 4 o'clock in the morning. Sunday morning."

Rolen almost ready to play: If Scott Rolen comes through his workout well on Sunday afternoon, a Minor League rehabilitation assignment may not happen. Rolen will work out this week in St. Louis while the team heads north to Toronto.

If things continue to progress well, Rolen could be activated by the end of the week and meet the team in St. Petersburg for its Interleague series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Ever closer: Cal Eldred said Friday night that he doesn't expect to pitch any more Minor League games before he's activated, and La Russa said Saturday morning that there's a good chance the right-hander is correct. Eldred contracted a viral infection in the lining of his heart in April and has not pitched in the Majors since. He's made three rehab appearances at Springfield.

"He's made enough progress to where we're seriously discussing it," said La Russa. "It's very possible."

Eldred could conceivably be activated as soon as Sunday, but a more likely scenario would be on Monday, when the Cardinals begin their series in Toronto.

Welcome back? Tino Martinez has not been received warmly in his return to St. Louis, which is irritating to both his current and his former manager. Martinez was greeted with loud boos in his pinch-hit at-bat on Friday night, and again when he came to bat for the first time on Saturday. After Friday's game, La Russa, unsolicited, chided Cardinals fans for their treatment of the former St. Louis first baseman.

"I was really disappointed in the reception," La Russa said. "And just like I speak up for Albert [Pujols], I'll tell you that one reason Tino was so respected on this club was that he was always more disappointed, if he didn't play well, than our fans. And our fans should understand.

"He wanted to do it so bad, I think at times it got in the way. Our fans are really well-known for, when a guy puts his heart into it, they cut him an awful lot of slack. And we all knew that he was more bothered when he didn't play well than the fans were. Hopefully, the next time they see him in the series, they'll give him a better reception."

Martinez wasn't expecting a hero's welcome, but nor was he expecting quite such across-the-board disdain from the crowd at Busch Stadium.

"I didn't really think about it," he said. "I know I didn't play very well when I was here, but I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't surprised, but I expected more of a mix of cheers and boos."

Baby 'Birds: Chris Gissell racked up nine of Triple-A Memphis' 13 strikeouts in a 5-3 win over Omaha on Friday. John Rodriguez and Brandon Berger drove in two runs each. ... Double-A Springfield jumped to an early lead and then hung on for a 10-9 win over Wichita. Juan Diaz homered twice, and Aaron Herr hit one out as well. ... Mike McCoy singled, doubled and walked, but the second baseman also had to pitch an inning in Class A Palm Beach's 10-3 loss to Vero Beach. ... Juan Lucena had three hits, but didn't get much help as Class A Quad Cities lost to South Bend, 9-1.

The choice for player of the day is another easy one, thanks to Diaz's huge day. Playing DH for Springfield, Diaz smacked a single and a double to go with his two long balls. He drove in three runs and scored three. Diaz signed with the Cardinals organization as a Minor League free agent earlier this season.

Coming up: The home portion of the Cardinals' 2005 Interleague schedule comes to an end on Sunday afternoon. At 1:15, Matt Morris takes the mound for the Cards against Carl Pavano and the Yankees. The Redbirds hit the road for a three-city trip after the game.

Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/