Tweet
Cardinals can't wait for big bats to win
06/08/2008 12:44 AM ETBy Gene Duffey / Special to MLB.com
HOUSTON -- The Cardinals continue to prove they can win without getting much offense from two of their biggest bats, Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel. Ankiel is back in St. Louis with an infection in his right knee, and Pujols went 0-for-3 in Saturday's 8-4 win over Houston, although he was walked twice intentionally.
"You can't rely on one or two guys," said third baseman Troy Glaus, who doubled and homered in four at-bats on Saturday. "Offensively, it takes nine guys every single night."
Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, who is hitting .225 this year, contributed a pair of singles on Saturday, including one in the Cardinals' seven-run second inning.
Pujols, who returned to the starting lineup on Friday night after being sidelined by a calf injury, is 0-for-7 in the series.
"You can't rely on one guy, because they'll stop pitching to him," Glaus said.
Glaus' homer was his seventh and fourth in the past eight games.
"We've been working in the cages, trying to get it right," Glaus said. "I was getting hits [early in the season], doing OK but not driving it."
The warmer weather has helped Glaus.
"It's been cold in St. Louis until the last week," Glaus said. "No one likes to hit when it's 48 degrees and drizzling."
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Kyle Lohse (6-2, 3.87 ERA)
Lohse endured an early-May slump, but it's definitely in the past now. He's working on a hot streak these days. Over Lohse's past four starts, he's allowed a total of four earned runs, with one home run and one walk. He's also been very efficient, averaging 14 pitches per inning in that time. It will be interesting to see how he recovers from his last start, in which he pitched only five official innings but sat out two lengthy rain delays and threw a great deal on the side.
HOU: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (2-1, 2.38 ERA)
Rodriguez earned his first win since April 13 after shutting out the Pirates on five hits over six innings. He regained control of his curveball, which had given him problems in his prior outing, which was also his first start after a five-week stay on the disabled list. Rodriguez faced the Cardinals earlier this season at Minute Maid Park, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings and taking a no-decision in an eventual Houston win.
Tidbits
The Cardinals are attempting to win their fourth series from Houston this year, all by 2-1 margins. ... Before leaving Saturday's game with a sprained finger after five-plus innings, Adam Wainwright had a string of 13 consecutive starts with a least 5 2/3 innings. ... The seven runs St. Louis scored in the second inning on Saturday against Houston were the most scored in one inning this season, eclipsing the six runs the Cards scored April 18 vs. San Francisco. ... The Cardinals are off on Monday, then play three in Cincinnati before retuning home to face Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes
On television
• KSDK 5
On radio
• KTRS 550
Up next
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Cardinals (Todd Wellemeyer, 7-1, 2.93) at Reds (Homer Bailey, 0-1, 2.84), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Cardinals (Braden Looper, 7-5, 4.86) at Reds (Johnny Cueto, 5-5, 5.06), 6:10 p.m. CT
06/08/2008 12:44 AM ETBy Gene Duffey / Special to MLB.com
HOUSTON -- The Cardinals continue to prove they can win without getting much offense from two of their biggest bats, Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel. Ankiel is back in St. Louis with an infection in his right knee, and Pujols went 0-for-3 in Saturday's 8-4 win over Houston, although he was walked twice intentionally.
"You can't rely on one or two guys," said third baseman Troy Glaus, who doubled and homered in four at-bats on Saturday. "Offensively, it takes nine guys every single night."
Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, who is hitting .225 this year, contributed a pair of singles on Saturday, including one in the Cardinals' seven-run second inning.
Pujols, who returned to the starting lineup on Friday night after being sidelined by a calf injury, is 0-for-7 in the series.
"You can't rely on one guy, because they'll stop pitching to him," Glaus said.
Glaus' homer was his seventh and fourth in the past eight games.
"We've been working in the cages, trying to get it right," Glaus said. "I was getting hits [early in the season], doing OK but not driving it."
The warmer weather has helped Glaus.
"It's been cold in St. Louis until the last week," Glaus said. "No one likes to hit when it's 48 degrees and drizzling."
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Kyle Lohse (6-2, 3.87 ERA)
Lohse endured an early-May slump, but it's definitely in the past now. He's working on a hot streak these days. Over Lohse's past four starts, he's allowed a total of four earned runs, with one home run and one walk. He's also been very efficient, averaging 14 pitches per inning in that time. It will be interesting to see how he recovers from his last start, in which he pitched only five official innings but sat out two lengthy rain delays and threw a great deal on the side.
HOU: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (2-1, 2.38 ERA)
Rodriguez earned his first win since April 13 after shutting out the Pirates on five hits over six innings. He regained control of his curveball, which had given him problems in his prior outing, which was also his first start after a five-week stay on the disabled list. Rodriguez faced the Cardinals earlier this season at Minute Maid Park, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings and taking a no-decision in an eventual Houston win.
Tidbits
The Cardinals are attempting to win their fourth series from Houston this year, all by 2-1 margins. ... Before leaving Saturday's game with a sprained finger after five-plus innings, Adam Wainwright had a string of 13 consecutive starts with a least 5 2/3 innings. ... The seven runs St. Louis scored in the second inning on Saturday against Houston were the most scored in one inning this season, eclipsing the six runs the Cards scored April 18 vs. San Francisco. ... The Cardinals are off on Monday, then play three in Cincinnati before retuning home to face Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person. On the Internet
MLB.TV Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes
On television
• KSDK 5
On radio
• KTRS 550
Up next
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Cardinals (Todd Wellemeyer, 7-1, 2.93) at Reds (Homer Bailey, 0-1, 2.84), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Cardinals (Braden Looper, 7-5, 4.86) at Reds (Johnny Cueto, 5-5, 5.06), 6:10 p.m. CT
Comment