Cardinals 8 Astros 6
WP: J. Isringhausen (2-0)
LP: D. Wheeler (0-2)
Biggio 0-1 (2978)
Pujols explains the greatness of Pujols in the AP recapDubose doesn’t look temporary.GZ, you’re on your own. I didn’t look. Third pitch of the game, a hanging curve ball, got lined into the Crawford Boxes; the Pissant Eckstein’s revenge for getting plunked in the elbow yesterday. Later in the first, Pujols hit a 420 foot flyball dead to center. Pence ran up and caught it, easy like Glenn Barker.
Pretty much all the Astros could manage against Braden Looper were groundballs. A dizzying flury of groundballs.
Jennings didn’t pitch poorly, but the Cardinals would periodically score a run, such as in the 5th when Encarnacion homered off the leftfield façade; followed immediately by two doubles in quick succession to score another run.
More runs in the 6th for the Cardinals. Scott missed a diving attempt at a Spiezio liner. After the miss, Scott leapt up and first thing he does, does he sprint madly after the ball? No, first thing he does is fling off his cap. Jumped up, grabbed his hat and flung it. No idea what that was about. Pujols then knocks another fly to the Hill, Pence again makes the catch. But the 4th run does score when Edmonds’ liner drops right in front of Scott. No cap flinging this time.
The pinch hitter Palmeiro gave the team a good shake in the bottom of the 6th, he starts the inning singling a 3-2 pitch up the middle. Advancing to 3rd on two outs he scores when Pence drops a curve that stayed up into short center.
More scoring in the 7th. Scott doubles down the 1b line, then Ensberg drives a single to right, Scott, hat unflung, runs home. That chased Looper. Flores, a lefthander comes on to face lefthanded Munson. He immediately singles. Everett lays down a squibbler, Flores tries to go to 3rd, but Ensberg is safe. Bases loaded, no outs. Berkman, who had the day off, comes on to pinch hit.
The tension barely had time to build before he grounds the first pitch sharply to 3rd. One run scores on the failed round the horn attempt. Loretta then skips a low and outside fastball into right, but Berkman got forced out at 2nd. The Loretta liner hung up a little and Berkman couldn’t decide whether to stay or go. No matter, the score was now tied.
Not for long. Qualls got the first two outs in the 8th. But a 95 mph fastball tailed back over the plate and Pujols put it over the right field fence.
But never fear, first pitch of the bottom of the 8th, 91 mph straight fastball from Franklin, Pence banged it right at the Conoco pump.
Wheeler breezed through the 9th. Astros did nothing in the bottom of the inning so Wheeler went out again for the 10th. Just like Qualls on Friday,
So Taguchi homers off the Chicken Pole. Then, runner on, Pujols up, with the count 3-1 Wheeler threw a slider on the outside corner. Pujols thought he checked his swing and was going to take his walk. But the home plate ump said no, hit some more. After a couple more foul balls, Wheeler hung a curve. Should’ve taken the walk.
Loretta tried to spark another comeback with a homerun of his own. The game ended with 2 on and Jason Lane flying out to right.
