INSIDE PITCH
Not
only did Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia have Cincinnati's number, he had that of Reds
right-hander Bronson Arroyo, too.
Garcia, 8-2 against the Reds in his
career, stopped them on two runs for 6 2/3 innings Monday night in a 4-2
Cardinals win that put their magic number at one for a National League wild-card
berth.
Garcia trailed only once, briefly, in
the game when he allowed a Reds run in the top of the third. A home run in the
Cardinals' third canceled that Cincinnati lead, and the Cardinals would add on
two runs in the inning. The homer was by Garcia himself, his first of the
season, second of his career and extended his batting mark against Arroyo to
5-for-5.
"I knew that. I'm not going to lie to
you," said Garcia.
As the defending World Series
Cardinals have roared down the stretch, winning 11 of their last 14 games, so,
too, has Garcia after missing two months because of shoulder issues. He is 3-0
over his last four starts.
After the Cardinals won their game,
they repaired to their lunch room to watch for some two hours as the Los Angeles Dodgers stayed alive in the wild-card race with a 3-2 win over San Francisco.
But how fitting it is, then, that the
Cardinals will send longtime ace right-hander Chris Carpenter to the mound on
Tuesday night to try to wrap up the berth. Carpenter, remarkably recovered from
July 19 surgery to alleviate a nerve condition affecting his neck and right
shoulder, will be seeking his first win of the season.
NOTES,
QUOTES
RHP Jason Motte, the
fourth Cardinals reliever to have 40 saves, recorded his 41st of the season with
a perfect, two-strikeout ninth inning. But Motte, who got the last out of the
2011 World Series, was more interested in team goals. "We're one step closer (to
the playoffs)," he said.
2B Daniel Descalso,
though hitting in the .220s, stroked his club-leading seventh triple to drive in
C Yadier Molina from first in the sixth inning. "I think I can run a little
bit," said Descalso. "When I hit a ball in the gap, I'm thinking 'triple' 'til
they tell me to stop."
LHP Jaime Garcia is 3-0
with a 2.10 earned run in his last four starts. Garcia allowed just two runs
over 6 2/3 innings on Monday, and manager Mike Matheny said, "He looked good
right from the beginning. When you see Yadi (catcher Yadier Molina) have trouble
catching him, you know the ball is moving all over the
place."
3B David Freese, making
his second straight start after missing nearly a week with a right ankle sprain,
had his first hit since returning but also committed a throwing
error.
RHP Mitchell Boggs, the
eighth-inning man, completed his eighth consecutive scoreless appearance. Boggs,
a veteran of last year's World Series run, said, "You play all season for the
opportunity to extend your season."
By the
Numbers:
.406 - 1B Allen Craig's
batting average with men in scoring position after a run-scoring double in the
third inning.
Quote to Note:
"We knew that if we
played as capable as we can play, we're as good as anybody in the
league."
- RHP Mitchell Boggs, on
the Cardinals making a late season run for the second consecutive season.
MEDICAL
WATCH
LF Matt Holliday (bruised
left elbow) was hit by a pitch and had to leave the game in the sixth inning
Sept. 28. X-rays were negative and Holliday returned to the lineup Sept.
30.
RHP Jake Westbrook
(strained right oblique) was injured Sept. 8, and he probably is out for the
rest of the regular season. He encountered discomfort in a bullpen session Sept.
22 in Chicago
and had to stop throwing. "If I do get the opportunity to pitch (in
postseason)," he said, "I think it would have to be out of the
bullpen."
3B David Freese (sprained
right ankle) missed his fifth straight game Sept. 29 but returned Sept.
30.
1B Lance Berkman (sore
right knee) underwent additional surgery Sept. 14 and was thought to be out for
the season, but he said he still wants to try to play.
SS Rafael Furcal (torn
ligament in right elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 31 and is
out for the season. He might need Tommy John surgery, but he got a platelet-rich
plasma injection on Sept. 4 in the hopes of avoiding having to go under the
knife, but as of Sept. 19 he still hadn't been able to do any baseball
activities. Furcal plans to meet with doctors the week of Oct. 1 to see whether
he can begin a throwing program.
RHP Kyle McClellan (torn
labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 18 due to a
strained right elbow, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 30. He
threw on flat ground for the first time July 3, but he subsequently felt
shoulder pain. He had season-ending shoulder surgery July 10. McClellan will
begin a throwing program in early November.
Link to boxscore: St. Louis 4, Cincinnati 2