Redbird Reader

Pujols latest title: U.S. citizen

2007-02-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has earned several titles in his six-year career: Most Valuable Player, Gold Glove winner, National League All-Star. On Feb. 7, he earned another coveted crown - U.S. Citizen. The 27-year-old slugger, a native of the Dominican Republic, made it official when he was sworn in by U.S. District Court judge Richard E. Webber, culminating a nearly yearlong process. True to form, Pujols received a perfect score on the oral and written exam, according to Chester Moyer, the officer in charge of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service's St. Louis branch. The 10-15 minute exam included questions about the American form of government, the function of its three branches, how a judicial proceeding works and the nation's history. "We asked him a few extra questions as a little extra test. He knew everything," Moyer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Upon being told he had answered perfectly, Pujols clinched his fist and beamed, "I did it." - JB

Former Cards pitcher Max Lanier dies

2007-02-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a bit of sad news from Cardinals nation. Max Lanier, who pitched in three consecutive World Series for St. Louis during World War II, died Tuesday Jan. 30 at age 91. Lanier spent 12 seasons with the Cardinals between 1938 and 1951, pitching in the 1942, 1943 and 1944 World Series, posting a 2-1 record in seven games. The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in 1942, lost a rematch the following year and beat the cross-town Browns in 1944. Lanier led the National League with a 1.90 ERA in 1943 with a career record of 108-82. He also had stints with the New York Giants and the Browns in 1952 and 1953. Lanier's son, Hal Lanier, told The Associated Press that Max was buried last weekend with a Cardinals cap. That's just as it should be. Thanks Max. - JB.

Ex-Cardinal named in extortion case

2007-02-06T17:19:00.000-05:00

When the Cardinals brought Adam Kennedy in to take over second baseman duties this offseason, there was a contingent of Redbird fans that asked, "What about Ronnie Belliard?" Belliard, who was brought into the fold via a July 30 trade with Cleveland, struggled at times but was crucial in St. Louis' postseason run to the World Series title. Remember in the National League Division Series against San Diego when Belliard had six hits in 13 at-bats? Well, a recent report putting Belliard at the center of a federal extortion case might have shed some light on why the Cardinals and others have balked on the braided, tongue-wagging wonder. According to Federal authorities, George H. Edwards, tried to get an unnamed athlete to pay $150,000 to keep quiet about a sexual liaison last fall with daughter, Laura L. Edwards, which, he claimed, resulted in a pregnancy. That athlete, according to George's brother Milo Edwards and confirmed by sources in an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was Belliard. Belliard happens to be married with two children.
According to an FBI affidavit, Laura Edwards and "the athlete" (read Belliard) had an "encounter" (read they did it) on Sept. 29 ( when the Cards were fighting for their playoff lives). After George Edwards told the athlete's posse that his daughter was pregnant and wanted money, a sports agent worked out a deal to pay $25,000 for a paternity test, and $125,000 more if the child was the athlete's. George Edwards and a different sports agent met Jan. 5 at a hotel, where the agent gave Edwards $25,000 cash. Edwards told the second agent Jan. 10 that his daughter had a miscarriage. He allegedly said he would not go to the press or file a legal claim, in exchange for the additional $125,000 (and that my friends, is extortion). On Jan. 11, the second agent called George Edwards and agreed to pay the $125,000 if Laura Edwards signed an affidavit promising to never disclose the relationship. On Jan. 16, the agent called Edwards again, demanding Laura's presence at a meeting to exchange the $125,000. That meeting was never held. Investigators recorded several of the phone calls and are currently preceding with the case.
Meanwhile, Belliard, who could be called the victim in all this, remains a free agent who has received very little attention (from Major League clubs that is). Since he is a free agent and no longer on the Cards roster, the organization hasn't commented on the incident - at least not publicly. The signing of Kennedy, however, seems to say it all. Belliard may be the victim of extortion but at the very least he's guilty of infidelity, adultery and a whole lot of bad judgment. - JB

Concussions force Matheny out of game

2007-02-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

It's never easy when your heroes turn out to be human. In the case of former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny, it's even harder to watch such a stoic man be driven from the game because of an injury. After all, Matheny's decision to retire from baseball after 13 big league seasons was made for him. Doctors refused to clear the longtime catcher to play with his current club, the San Francisco Giants, after a concussion sidelined him for the final four months of last season. Suddenly Matheny was faced with hanging up his catching gear. The announcement came as no surprise, except maybe for Matheny himself who never quit anything in his life. Following a series of foul tips he took in the mask, he didn't play for the Giants since May 31, 2006. Doctors even warned that he was more susceptible to even further damage if he received another blow. Matheny has been dealing with fatigue, memory and vision problems ever since. Doctors have told him it could still be six or nine months until he's fully recovered. The 36-year-old Matheny played his last full season in 2005, his first year with San Francisco, and earned his fourth NL Gold Glove award. He owns a .239 career batting average with 67 home runs and 443 RBIs in 1,305 games for Milwaukee (1994-98), Toronto (1999), the Cardinals (2000-04) and the Giants (2005-06). Matheny left the Cardinals for the Giants as a free agent when it appeared young catcher Yadier Molina was ready to take the reins. Yadier has long credited Matheny for teaching him the big league game. Ironically, Yadier's brother Benjie Molina will replace Matheny in San Francisco. Matheny plans to spend time with his wife and their five children and give himself time to heal. Perhaps one day he will return to the Redbirds. He's a fierce competitor who often was the first to show up at the stadium during spring training. Sounds like a future manager to me. - JB

Cards seeing red after Weaver comments

2007-02-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

Jeff Weaver's signing with the Seattle Mariners has taken an ugly turn. At a press conference to introduce the right-hander both Weaver and his agent Scott Boras took one too many shots at Cardinals ownership. Boras cast Weaver as a martyr who passed up big money from other teams while waiting on the Cardinals, and accused management of making an offer that wasn’t competitive. It's a sentiment his client reiterated. "After the season ends, you have certain people telling you that they'd like to have you back and you're a piece of the puzzle, then it's two or three months later and things are still dragging," Weaver said. "You like to feel wanted. And in certain cases when you don't, there's a decision to be made." Weaver's portrayal of being unwelcome has the Cardinals seeing red. Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan insisted that the club merely held to the value it placed on Weaver based on recent inconsistency - a value that was closer to $6 million a year. Even that seems too generous for a pitcher with an 86-101 career record. Remember, Weaver was 8-14 for the Cards and Angels last season. The Cards took him in after the Angels dumped him, fixed his mechanics and gave his career second wind. Weaver was 5-4 with a 5.18 earned-run average in 15 regular-season starts for the Cardinals before going 3-2 in the postseason with a 2.43 ERA. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. insisted the club's unwillingness to match the Mariners' one-year, $8.325 million bid had nothing to do with the organization's financial flexibility. "I think history shows we've been willing to consistently pay top dollar to impact players," DeWitt told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "But we're also not going to pay a player more than we believe he's worth. In the end, that prevents you from doing something that may help your club down the road." At least this is certain: The war of words has proven that Weaver and the Cardinals are traveling on very different paths. - JB.
AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey

Wilson completes Cards' bench

2007-01-29T17:25:00.000-05:00

How happy are the Cardinals with the play of their 2006 bench? So happy that they aren't making a single change in 2007. The club announced Monday that outfielder Preston Wilson has agreed to a one-year contract that guarantees him $1 million for the 2007 season. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the righthanded-hitting outfielder can earn an additional $500,000 in incentives. The 32-year-old is the fifth free-agent bench player to be retained by the Cardinals this offseason, joining fellow outfielder So Taguchi, catcher Gary Bennett, and infielders Scott Spiezio and Aaron Miles. The sixth man on the bench, outfielder John Rodriguez, was already under club control. Wilson, who joined the Cardinals in August as a free agent, will give the Redbirds some needed speed and a steady glove at the corner outfield postions - areas where starters Chris Duncan and Juan Encarnacion have struggled. Wilson's 2006 regular season numbers are decent - he combined for 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 134 games with Houston and St. Louis in 2006 - but he really seemed to find his stride as a Cardinal. Wilson hit .243 down the stretch with eight homers and 17 RBIs in 32 games, and appeared in 13 postseason games, including all five World Series contests. His most memorable contribution? The game-winning RBI double that scored David Eckstein in Game 5 of the NLCS. If only he could pitch. - JB

Former GM 'Bing' Devine dies

2007-01-28T20:21:00.000-05:00

Vaughan "Bing" Devine, the influential Cardinals general manager from 1958-64 and 1968-78, died Saturday at the age of 90. He had worked as a special assignment scout for the club, reporting to general manager Walt Jocketty, since 1999. Devine may be best remembered for one of the greatest trades in baseball history, when he acquired Lou Brock from the Cubs for Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens and Bobby Shantz. The deal helped the Cardinals to the 1964 World Series championship. The core of that team, which also included Devine acquisitions Curt Flood, Dick Groat, Tim McCarver, Bill White and Julian Javier, went on to win another title in 1967 and a pennant in 1968. Another trade by Devine may have had the greatest influence on baseball. On Oct. 7, 1969, he traded star center fielder Flood, along with McCarver, Byron Browne and Joe Hoerner, to the Phillies for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas and Jerry Johnson. Flood refused to go to Philadelphia, challenging baseball's reserve system that bound players to one team. His suit, for better or worse, set the stage for free agency. Flood eventually returned to the game, and Devine and the Cardinals sent him to the Washington Senators in 1970. - JB

Cardinals 'bow out' of Weaver race

2007-01-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

The Seattle Mariners have knocked the Cards out of contention for Jeff Weaver. Various reports have said the 30-year-old right hander has agreed to a one-year contract worth $8.3 million. According to the Seattle Times, the Cardinals "bowed out" as the Mariners' efforts gained steam. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Redbirds offererd a guaranteed base salary below $6 million per season but included numerous incentives based on Weaver's innings pitched. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty and agent Scott Boras negotiated this week, but the Cardinals' proposal failed to meet the agent's demands for up-front money. The final terms of Weaver's pending deal remain unknown but are thought to include $1 million in incentives and will be officially announced after Weaver passes a physical. Weaver will become the third Cardinals starter to defect in free agency joining Jeff Suppan (Brewers) and Jason Marquis (Cubs). - JB

Cardinals await Weaver's decision?

2007-01-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Redbirds might learn this week whether a two-year offer to free-agent pitcher Jeff Weaver is enough to keep the righthander in their starting rotation.General manager Walt Jocketty and Weaver's agent Scott Boras continued negotiations over the weekend, with the club apparently tweaking the contract's average annual value while holding firm on its two-year framework. Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch that he remains hopeful of retaining Weaver as a projected No. 2 starter but conceded the club's modified offer fell a distance from Boras' demands. The average annual value of the Cardinals' bid is believed far below the $8,325,000 Weaver received while splitting last season between the Los Angeles Angels and Cardinals. Weaver, 30, went 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA with the Cards in September, then became the team's only starter to win in each of three playoff rounds - including the World Series clincher over the Detroit Tigers. The Redbirds' rotation currently consists of ace Chris Carpenter, Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes and two others to be drawn from a pool including Braden Looper, Adam Wainwright, Brad Thompson and Ryan Franklin. Whoever serves as fifth starter is expected to hold the spot until Mulder returns from rotator cuff surgery. The club has set a conservative date of July 1 for Mulder's return. - JB

World Champs visit White House

2007-01-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

The Cards met President George W. Bush at the White House to celebrate the club's first World Series title in 24 years. About 20 members of the team made the trip, including manager Tony LaRussa, World Series MVP David Eckstein and ace Chris Carpenter. Pitcher Jeff Suppan, who is now a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, appeared with his former mates, but some big-name players - Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds - were unable to make it. Bush, former owner of the Texas Rangers, told those in attendance that he appreciated the tough path the Cardinals had to get through to win the title. "When you overcome the odds this team overcame, you've got to play as a team," Bush was quoted as saying by MLB.com. "And they did. And I appreciate not only what you did on the field, I appreciate the character you also show off the field. And I appreciate good leadership ... I appreciate the fact that ... La Russa is a fine manager and a fine man." That may just be the smartest thing the President has ever said. - JB

St. Louis gets 2009 All-Star Game

2007-01-24T16:04:00.002-05:00

Busch Stadium just finished hosting a World Series in its innaugural year. In 2009, the venue will host baseball's All-Star Game.Commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement during the the 49th annual dinner hosted by the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "There can't be a better baseball town in America," Selig was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. The decision gives St. Louis its first baseball All-Star Game since 1966, the same year that old Busch Stadium debuted. The 2007 All-Star Game is scheduled for July 10 in San Francisco and the 2008 event is likely to be played at New York's Yankee Stadium, which is slated to be in its final season. - JB

Say it's So! Taguchi back again

2007-01-24T16:04:00.001-05:00

The Cardinals brought So Taguchi — their last arbitration-eligible player — back for a sixth season via a contract that will pay him $925,000 for 2007, with a team option for $1.1 million in 2008. There is a $100,000 buyout if the Cardinals don't have Taguchi in 2008. But why wouldn't they? This is So Taguchi, super sub. Taguchi signed a three-year, $3 million contract with the Cardinals in 2002 after playing 10 seasons in Japan. He had his best regular season in 2005 when he batted .288 with eight homers and 53 runs batted in for 396 at-bats, and slipped to .266 with two homers and 31 RBIs in 2006, when he was paid $875,000. Sure, he only hit two home runs in the 2006 regular season, but he also hit two more in the postseason in his first four at-bats. Remember that shot that snapped a 6-6 tie in the ninth-inning to beat New York Mets relief ace Billy Wagner in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series? The Cardinals do. That's why the 2006 Cards' bench remains largely intact for 2007. Outfielders John Rodriguez (yawn) and Taguchi are back, as are infielders Scott Spiezio and Aaron Miles and catcher Gary Bennett. Rumor has it that the Redbirds still are negotiating with their sixth bench man from last year, outfielder Preston Wilson. - JB

Flores, Cards avoid arbitration

2007-01-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Cardinals have avoided arbitration with Randy Flores. The 31-year-old lefty reliever has agreed to a two-year contract worth a reported $1.8 million. Flores pitched in a career-high 65 games despite some elbow soreness at midseason, but posted a 5.62 ERA. His walk and hit rates also spiked. Flores may not have been as effective in 2006 as he was in his '05 campaign, but the signing secures a key piece of the Cards' bullpen, which is suddenly brimming with lefties. Tyler Johnson emerged as a potent option in the postseason and will be tough not to keep on the roster and Ricardo Rincon is coming back from major arm surgery. - JB

Eckstein, Cardinals to talk extension?

2007-01-24T16:02:00.002-05:00

David Eckstein, the World Series MVP and two-time All-Star, is entering the final year of the three-year deal he signed with the Cardinals before 2005. Assistant general manager John Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team has had preliminary discussions with Eckstein's agent about a new contract. It seems Eckstein will be receptive. He told the Post-Dispatch: "I would like to have the opportunity to explore something. That's something that the Cardinals will have to want to talk about. So we'll see. I love this place. It is very family-oriented, it is very much a family." Mozeliak added that a new deal might be explored during Spring Training. - JB

Cardinals sign Mulder to two-year deal

2007-01-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

Mark Mulder, the left-hander recuperating from late-summer shoulder surgery, agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with St. Louis with a club option for 2009. Mulder, who pitched for the Redbirds the past two seasons, accepted the deal over similar offers from Cleveland and Texas. According to The Associated Press, Mulder gets $5 million this year and $6.5 million in 2008, and the Cardinals have an $11 million option for 2009 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $6,525,000 in bonuses this year, $3.75 million in performance bonuses in 2008, and his 2009 option could increase to an amount matching his 2008 salary. If he earns all the performance bonuses, Mulder would make $11,525,000 this year and $16,775,000 in each of the following two seasons. This is good news, right? Well, not so fast. Mulder's 2006 season was a disaster and it's still unclear when exactly he will be available to pitch after undergoing rotator-cuff surgery in September. Mulder pitched well in April but finished the season 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA. He made only two starts after June and finished with the fewest innings, wins and starts of any season in his career. When he came to the Cards in December 2004, he was billed as a front-of-the-rotation starter. Now, it seems Oakland might have gotten the better deal (Dan Haren, Kiko Calero and Daric Barton). Yes, Mulder put up a solid, if not spectacular, first season as a Cardinal, but it was nowhere close to his season as a 21-game winner and Cy Young runner-up with the A's. "Mulder's return will be a real boost to our rotation," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement issued by the team. "We've seen what he is capable of when healthy. Mark is very determined to return to his All-Star form." Cards fans can only hope that determination transfers to wins. Despite any reservations about his health, it's hard not to look at Mulder's career numbers and get excited about a possible return to form. Mulder, 29, is 103-57 in 199 starts. He sports a career ERA of 4.11, skewed significantly by his rough 2006, and has recorded 25 complete games and 10 shutouts in his seven big-league seasons. - JB

Franklin added to roster

2007-01-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

The Cardinals signed right-hander Ryan Franklin to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Franklin, who will turn 34 in Spring Training, went 6-7 with a 4.54 ERA in 2006, pitching 77 1/3 innings - all in relief. However, he'll likely compete for a starting job with St. Louis. Franklin's last season as a starter was 2005 with the Seattle Mariners, when he was 8-15 with a 5.10 ERA in 32 games (30 starts). Franklin's best season was 2003, when he pitched effectively despite a misleading 11-13 record for Seattle. He put up a 3.57 ERA in 212 innings that season, making 32 starts. The right-hander throws strikes, but he has been prone to the long ball in his career. Franklin was suspended for 10 games in 2005 after testing positive for steroids. He strenuously denied using any illegal substance, and said at the time that he believed the test result derived from over-the-counter supplements he took. He said he immediately ceased taking any and all supplements, and tested negative in subsequent tests. - JB

Ankiel, Cabrera signed to minors

2007-01-24T16:00:00.002-05:00

The Rick Ankiel saga wages on. Ankiel and Jolbert Cabrera agreed to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. Ankiel, the pitcher-turned-outfielder, was non-tendered by the Cardinals, but the club hoped to re-sign him although he missed all of 2006 with a knee injury. Well, they got him, missing yet another chance to cut him loose for good. The 34-year-old Cabrera, meanwhile, is a veteran of seven Major League seasons with Cleveland, the Dodgers and Seattle. The brother of Orlando Cabrera, Jolbert spent the past two seasons playing in Japan. He's a right-handed hitter who has appeared in a Major League game at every position except pitcher and catcher. - JB

McGwire remains proud of career

2007-01-24T16:00:00.001-05:00

Mark McGwire had little to say about being left out of Cooperstown in his first public comments since the Hall of Fame announcement. The former slugger talked briefly to the Cal State Fullerton newspaper, the Daily Titan, about being denied baseball's highest honor in his first time on the ballot. Amid questions about his role in baseball's steroids era, McGwire was picked by 23.5 percent of voters -- far short of the 75 percent needed for induction. "I had an absolutely wonderful career that I am very proud of," McGwire told the Daily Titan as he signed autographs at a charity event benefiting the Orange County Abuse Prevention Center. "I'm not in control of what happens -- I was in control of hitting the ball." McGwire was one of more than two dozen sports personalities on hand for Friday's event called "Luck be a Lady," organized by a committee of players' wives. Among those in attendance were Los Angeles Angels pitcher John Lackey, St. Louis Cardinals infielder Adam Kennedy and Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne. After retiring, McGwire has kept active in charity work, heading the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children. - JB

McGwire falls short of Hall of Fame

2007-01-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

Mark McGwire's chances for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame has been the topic of speculation and polling for weeks. The only count that matters, however, came in at 23.5 percent. McGwire fell far short of the vote total needed for enshrinement in Cooperstown as balloting results were announced. The former A's and Cardinals slugger was named on just 128 of the 545 ballots. This, despite the fact that McGwire finished his career with 583 home runs, which at the time was fifth on the all-time list. He still stands seventh on the career list, and he is first all-time in the category of fewest at-bats per home run. He retired with a .263 batting average, .394 on-base percentage and .588 slugging percentage. McGwire amassed 1,414 RBIs and scored 1,167 runs. He won a Gold Glove in 1990 and was a 12-time All-Star. Despite such numbers, McGwire has become the scapegoat for the steroids era and thus too tarnished for enshrinement even though McGwire retired before baseball's testing program for performance-enhancing drugs began. He has been associated with steroids thanks to former Oakland teammate Jose Canseco's book "Juiced" and McGwire's own befuddled testimony before Congress in the spring of 2005. His refusal to answer questions, including denying steroid usage, remains a disappointment to many of his supporters. McGwire will remain on the ballot, having cleared the 5 percent threshold to keep from being removed from consideration. He still has a long way to go if he is ever to be voted in to the Hall. And that's the true shame. - JB

Edmonds has toe surgery

2007-01-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds underwent surgery to correct what the club called a "hammer toe" condition in the second toe of his left foot. Dr. Bob Anderson performed the surgery in Charlotte, N.C.. According to a release from the team, Edmonds is "expected to make a complete recovery by Opening Day." Edmonds, 36, was bothered by pain in his foot at the end of the regular season and throughout the postseason. He received numerous cortisone injections to ease the pain. After the season ended, the hope was that rest would correct the condition. However, that plan apparently didn't fully take, so Edmonds underwent the procedure to aid his recovery. Edmonds signed a new two-year contract with St. Louis in November, extending his tenure as the dean of the active roster. - JB

Cards to start Spring Training on Feb. 14

2007-01-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

The countdown can now begin. The Cardinals picked the day pitchers and catchers should report to Spring Training. The date to circle is Feb. 14. That's right, Valentine's Day. Workouts for pitchers and catchers start Thursday, Feb. 15. The remaining players report on Monday, Feb. 19, with full squad workouts beginning Feb. 20. The first spring game for St. Louis is a Feb. 26 exhibition contest against Florida Atlantic University. Grapefruit League play begins on Feb. 28 against the Florida Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. - JB

Cards lose Suppan to Brewers

2007-01-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

Jeff Suppan signed the richest contract in franchise history - Brewers frnachise history that is. The Cardinals lost out in the bidding to bring back the NLCS MVP when the 32-year-old right-hander inked a deal for a guaranteed $42 million over the next four years. The Brewers hold an option for a fifth season. Suppan's deal supersedes the club-record four-year, $38.5 million contract that Ben Sheets signed last April. Suppan will join Sheets, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas in Milwaukee's starting rotation. Suppan has made at least 31 regular-season starts in each of his last eight seasons (the past three with the Cards) and averaged 193 innings over that span. The 12-year veteran owns a career record of 106-101 with a 4.60 ERA in 317 games, and his 44 wins over the last three seasons is tied for ninth in the Majors during that time. As a Cardinal, Suppan was 12-2 with a 3.30 ERA in 21 appearances against Milwaukee, including 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his seven career starts at Miller Park. - JB

Miles re-signs for 2007

2007-01-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

Love him or loathe him Aaron Miles will be back in a Cardinals uniform in 2007. Miles will receive a reported $1 million, a nice boost from his pre-arbitration-eligibility $350,000 in 2006. Miles and Hector Luna made up a second-base tandam for much of the year, splitting the loyalties of many Cards fans who just wanted an every day starter. He also backed up David Eckstein at shortstop. When Luna was traded away to Cleveland for temp Ronnie Belliard, not only did the debate end, but so did Miles' tenure as a starter. Although the Cardinals are bringing the former Colorado player back for a second year, it's clear his role will be coming off the bench to back up Eckstein and new second baseman Adam Kennedy - a role that suits him just fine. - JB

End of the Ankiel era?

2007-01-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Favorite Cardinals' pet project Rick Ankiel, a star pitcher for an instant now trying to make it back to the Majors as an outfielder, was non-tendered, by the club. So what does that mean? Well any player not tendered a contract by an arbitrary deadline becomes a free agent. That means Ankiel, following a season in which he did not appear in a single game due to a knee injury, is free to burden, er, sign with another team. So is this the end of the Ankiel era? Not so fast. If the Cardinals bring Ankiel back on a Minor League deal, they would avoid the difficulty of passing him through waivers when he does not make the big-league club - something that has been an issue the past two springs. One player that will definitely not return is Jorge Sosa, who was also non-tendered. The right-hander was acquired in a trade from Atlanta in July but allowed 10 home runs in 30 2/3 innings. The Cardinals did, however, tender contract offers to two worthy players - lefty Randy Flores and outfielder So Taguchi, their only other arbitration-eligible players. That means that both men remain under St. Louis' control for the upcoming season. Contract details must still be worked out with the two players, both of whom are arbitration-eligible for the first time. - JB

Encarnacion has wrist surgery

2007-01-24T13:41:00.000-05:00

Outfielder Juan Encarnacion underwent surgery on his left wrist, but don't get excited just yet. The club does not expect the procedure to be a hindrance in Spring Training. MLB.com and the Cardinals have said that Encarnacion had been bothered by soreness in the wrist during the latter part of the 2006 season and in the playoffs. That may at least partially explain why Encarnacion's power vanished in the final third of the year. He slugged .384 in August and .375 in September, then went 8-for-44 with two extra-base hits in the postseason. Encarnacion had just eight at-bats in the World Series and did not record a base hit. Still a sore wrist does not explain all of Encarnacion's poor play, especially his hesitation in the field. Encarnacion remains the expected starter in right field, with Jim Edmonds and Chris Duncan making up the rest of the starting outfield unit. - JB

Springer agrees to one-year deal

2007-01-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Cardinals added depth to the bullpen, adding free-agent right-hander Russ Springer. The 38-year-old signed a one-year deal worth a reported $1.75 million. Springer briefly pitched for St. Louis in 2003, making the team as a non-roster invitee before missing much of the year with an elbow injury. More recently, he spent the past three seasons pitching for the rival Houston Astros. Springer had strong 2006 season in Houston, posting a 3.47 ERA in 59 2/3 innings. He struck out 46 against just 14 walks in 72 appearances. A year earlier, Springer put up a 4.73 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 21 walks in 59 innings. He has been vulnerable to the long ball, however, allowing 10 homers in 2006 and nine in '05. - JB

Cards keep Carpenter through 2011

2007-01-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

In what has to be the best bargain deal of this offseason, St. Louis announced a contract extension with ace Chris Carpenter that will keep the right-hander around through at least 2011. Carpenter had been under contract through 2007, with a club option for 2008. The new deal guarantees all of his performance incentives in 2007, exercises his option for 2008 and secures 2009, 2010 and 2011 as well. The deal is reportedly worth $65 million in guarantees, and could go to $77 million if the 2012 option kicks in. "I don't know how much [money] is enough," Carpenter told MLB.com. "I'm comfortable here, my family is comfortable here, and I think we have an opportunity to win here. And when you get five years of security and the ability to stay somewhere where you have a chance to win ... all those things come into play for me. This is the place that I wanted to stay. This is the place that I wanted to be." Carpenter, 31, went 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA for St. Louis in 2006, finishing third in the Cy Young balloting. He won the award in 2005 after posting 21 wins. Over three years as a Cardinal, Carpenter is 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA, 13 complete games, seven shutouts and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 4:1. He's a two-time All-Star who is 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA in eight career postseason starts. Carpenter is now signed further into the future than any other Cardinal. Albert Pujols' seven-year deal runs through 2010 with an option for 2011, while Scott Rolen's eight-year contract ends after the 2010 season. - JB

Adam Kennedy to play second base

2007-01-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

Thankfully, it appears the Cardinals recent second-base-by-committee approach has finally been squashed. The Redbirds brought Adam Kennedy back into the fold with a three-year deal, reuniting him with his old Anaheim teammate, David Eckstein. The 30-year-old Kennedy spent the past seven seasons as an Angel, four of those with Eckstein as the man to his right."What a great teammate," Kennedy told MLB.com. "You guys (in St. Louis) know what kind of teammate he is and how he plays the game, and it's an honor to play beside him." Kennedy's numbers were down this year, hitting .273/.334/.384 (average/on-base percentage/slugging) in 139 games for the Angels. Over the previous four seasons, however, he had OBPs of .344 or better and slugging .399 or better in three of those years. His deal is worth a reported $10 million, almost identical to the one Eckstein signed in December 2004. The lefty-swinging infielder was drafted in the first round by the Cardinals in 1997, but sent to Anaheim in the spring of 2000 in the deal that made Jim Edmonds a Cardinal. - JB

Kip Wells added to rotation

2007-01-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Right-hander Kip Wells will take one of the vacant spots in the Cardinals starting rotation. Wells, 29, was most recently a Texas Ranger but is best known from four-plus years pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-hander signed for a reported $4 million plus incentives. Wells missed most of 2006 with a blood clot in his shoulder, finishing the year with a 6.50 ERA in just nine starts. He also was sidelined with a lisfranc strain in his left foot. For his career, Wells is 57-74 with a 4.46 ERA in 197 games (177 starts). In 2002 and 2003, he posted ERAs well under 4.00 as a member of the Pirates. Wells joins Chris Carpenter and Anthony Reyes on a starting staff that still has two vacancies. - JB

Bennett, Marrero to return

2007-01-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

Gary Bennett re-upped for another year backing up Yadier Molina behind the plate, and former Cardinal Eli Marrero agreed to a Minor League deal. Bennett's deal features a mutual option for 2008. No other details of the deals have been reported. Marrero, who came up as a catcher, has been a utility man in recent years but will come to big-league Spring Training primarily as a catcher. Bennett, 34, returns to St. Louis after putting up a .223/.274/.331 line in 2006. Marrero, 33, has played for Atlanta, Kansas City, Baltimore, Colorado and the New York Mets since he was sent to the Braves in a trade with J.D. Drew that brought in Jason Marquis, Adam Wainwright and Ray King. - JB

Bigbie, Cali out; four others added

2007-01-24T12:54:00.001-05:00

Larry Bigbie and Carmen Cali have likely seen the end of their tenures with the Redbirds. Both have been removed from the 40-man roster. Although no one really remembers seeing Bigbie this year, he actually appeared in 17 games for the Cardinals, going 6-for-25 (.240) with a double and an RBI. He was acquired in the deal that also brought Aaron Miles to St. Louis and sent lefty reliever Ray King to Colorado. Cali, who made a total of 16 Major League appearances, all with St. Louis, posted a 9.45 ERA with no decisions, but he never harnessed his control and was demoted to Double-A Springfield after spending time in the Majors in 2004 and 2005. Meanwhile, St. Louis added four players to the roster in advance of December's Rule 5 Draft. Pitchers Blake Hawksworth, Dennis Dove and Troy Cate and outfielder Cody Haerther were all placed on the 40-man roster. - JB

Pujols MVP runner-up after career year

2007-01-24T12:53:00.001-05:00

Albert Pujols had a career year, but it wasn't enough to secure a second National League MVP. The honor instead went to St. Louis native and Phillies star Ryan Howard. Balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America gave Howard a total of 388 to Pujols' 347.For the third time in his six-year career, Pujols finished as the runner-up for NL MVP. The Astros' Lance Berkman (230) and the Mets' Carlos Beltran (211) finished third and fourth, respectively. Pujols put up career-best marks in home runs (49), RBIs (137) and slugging percentage (.671), while falling short of a personal best in on-base percentage (.431). He was by far the biggest offensive threat on a Cardinals team that edged out the Astros for a division title before roaring to the World Series championship. Still, voters were wowed by about the only two numbers where Pujols finished behind Howard, who led not just the NL but the Majors with 58 home runs and 149 RBIs. He also eclipsed Pujols with 108 walks, though he struck out nearly three times as much as Pujols. And while Pujols spent time on the disabled list for the first time in his career, Howard played nearly every day, appearing in 159 games to Pujols' 143. Pujols would have been the first player since Kirk Gibson in 1988 to win the NL MVP in the same year that his team won the World Series. He also would have been only the second Cardinal to win multiple MVP awards, along with Stan Musial. - JB

Spiezio rewarded with new deal

2007-01-24T12:52:00.001-05:00

The Cardinals marketing department better come up with a strategy to sell fans replica soul patches, because utilityman Scott Spiezio will be returning to the club for an encore. Spiezio, signed by St. Louis early in Spring Training this past season, agreed to a new two-year contract with a club option for 2009. According to The Associated Press, Spiezio's deal is worth a guaranteed $4.5 million. He was released by the Mariners before the 2005 season ended, but didn't find a home until 2006. After two dismal seasons in Seattle, Spiezio batted .272 with a .366 on-base percentage and a .496 slugging percentage, which was the best of his career in any season of more than 29 at-bats. Spiezio played first base, third base, a little second base and both outfield corners, picking up 276 at-bats in 119 games. His three-run triple on the second-to-last day of the season was perhaps the biggest hit of the regular season. He added five RBIs in the National League Championship Series, and won his second World Series ring (the first came with the Anaheim Angels) as a Cardinal, joining his father, Ed Spiezio, as a world champion in a St. Louis uniform. - JB

Carpenter third in Cy Young voting

2007-01-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

Arizona's Brandon Webb, who came on strong in his final four starts, took home the National League's Cy Young hardware, with Chris Carpenter finishing third in the balloting behind San Diego's Trevor Hoffman. Carpenter received two first-place votes, 16 second-place votes and five thirds for 63 points. Webb was first on 15 ballots and had 103 points; Hoffman had 12 firsts and 77 points. Webb led the league in victories, one of six pitchers tied at 16 - Carpenter finished with 15. The two groundballers ended the year nearly tied in a large number of categories, but Webb had one more start, more innings and pitched in a tougher ballpark. Carpenter put up a season worthy of the game's top pitching honor. His 3.09 ERA ranked second in the NL. He led the league with three shutouts and a 1.07 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), and ranked among the league leaders in strikeouts (184, sixth), innings (221 2/3, sixth), complete games (five, second) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.28, third). A year ago, Carpenter rolled to 21 wins and the first Cy Young for a Cardinals pitcher since Bob Gibson won it in 1970. Had he been honored a second time, he would have matched Gibson's total. The Hall of Famer won in 1968 and '70. - JB

Cards to face Mets in 2007 opener

2007-01-24T12:22:00.001-05:00

The defending World Series champions will kick off the 2007 season on April 1, at home against the Mets in a rematch of the National League Championship Series.The Sunday night game, set for 8:05 p.m. ET and to be carried on ESPN2, will be the first Major League Baseball regular-season game of '07. - JB

Edmonds, Cards agree to extension

2007-01-24T12:21:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
The Cardinals locked up the dean of their roster and one of their core players, agreeing to a two-year contract extension with center fielder Jim Edmonds. The deal ensures that Edmonds will be a Cardinal through the 2008 season. The announcement comes a day before the club's deadline to exercise or decline a one-year $10 option on the eight-time Gold Glove winner. Edmonds has been a Cardinal since 2000, when he was acquired from the Angels for Adam Kennedy and Kent Bottenfield. He won Gold Gloves in each of his first six seasons in St. Louis, and his 229 home runs in a Cardinals uniform rank fourth on the franchise's all-time list. According to The Associated Press, Edmonds will make $8 million in 2007, $8 million in 2008 and receive an additional $3 million in deferred money, spread out from 2010-2019.

Rolen, Pujols win Gold Gloves

2007-01-24T12:21:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Albert Pujols, long recognized as one of baseball's finest hitters, was honored with his first Gold Glove. Scott Rolen, considered one of the greatest to roam third base, moved closer to immortality with his seventh. Pujols made the move to first base permanently in 2003, and with each season, he has developed further as a defender. The slugger tied for the NL lead among regulars with a .996 fielding percentage, finished second in assists, first in range factor and second in total chances. He's the first Cardinals first baseman since Keith Hernandez in 1982 to win a Gold Glove. On the other infield corner, Rolen is a fixture in Gold Glove voting. He didn't win in 2005, but that was due to an injury-shortened season. The only time in his career that Rolen played more than 120 games and didn't win the Gold Glove was his rookie year of 1997. Despite missing 20 games, Rolen finished second in assists at third base, third in double plays, first in range factor and tied for first in fielding percentage. With Gold Glove No. 7, Rolen breaks a tie and takes sole possession of third place on the all-time list at third base. He had been tied with Buddy Bell and Robin Ventura. The only men with more hardware at the position are Brooks Robinson (16) and Mike Schmidt (10).

Cards win 10th World Series title!

2007-01-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - The Cardinals won their first World Series title since 1982, topping the American League champion Tigers, 4-2, in Game 5 of the 102nd Fall Classic. It is World Series title No. 10 in 17 tries for one of baseball's signature organizations - the most of any National League team. The Cardinals have won the World Series more times than any team but the New York Yankees, breaking a tie at nine with the Athletics organization. Manager Tony La Russa, who coincidentally wears No. 10, joins his mentor, Sparky Anderson, as the only skippers in the history of baseball to win world titles in both leagues. Jeff Weaver gave yet another brilliant playoff performance, twirling eight innings with just four hits and two runs - one earned. David Eckstein's fourth-inning RBI groundout brought home the winning run as the consistently composed Cards kept capitalizing on Tigers mistakes. Three St. Louis runs were at least partly set up by Detroit errors. Eckstein, who went 6-for-9 with four RBIs in Games 4 and 5, was named World Series MVP. Yadier Molina, a hero for much of October, started the first rally with a single. He took second on a sacrifice and third on Weaver's groundout, then scored when third baseman Brandon Inge threw away a grounder from Eckstein. The shortstop was credited with a single and an RBI, but the play likely should have been made. Chris Duncan's error in right field put Magglio Ordonez on second base in the fourth, leading to Jeff Weaver's only slip-up of the night. On the next pitch, Sean Casey hit a two-run homer, giving Detroit the lead. Molina and So Taguchi slapped consecutive one-out singles, and Weaver laid down a sacrifice attempt. But in the running subplot of the entire series, a pitcher's defense killed the Tigers. Detroit starter Justin Verlander attempted to throw out Molina as the lead runner at third, but committed a throwing error that allowed the catcher to score and put men on second and third. With the score tied, Eckstein grounded to short for the deciding run. Scott Rolen poked a two-out RBI single to right in the seventh for an insurance tally. Rookie closer Adam Wainwright struck out Inge to end it, 24 years and a week after Bruce Sutter recorded the 27th out in Game 7 against the Brewers. And thus a team that endured injuries, insults and losing streaks had the last laugh.

Eckstein's RBI double puts away Tigers

2007-01-24T11:58:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis stands on the cusp of the 10th title in franchise history thanks to a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Tigers in Game 4 of the World Series. David Eckstein's four hits included three critical doubles as the Redbirds capitalized on the continuing defensive struggles of the American League champions. Eckstein keyed the Cardinals offensively all night as they rallied from a 3-0 deficit, then bounced back after giving up their first lead of the game. St. Louis now holds a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with a chance to close it out at Busch Stadium. The Cards' unlikely eighth-inning rally began with a walk to Yadier Molina and the score tied at 4. Aaron Miles barely beat out a potential double-play ball, then took second on Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya's wild pitch - on the same play where Juan Encarnacion struck out. Eckstein hit a looping liner into the gap in left-center field. The ball hit left fielder Craig Monroe's glove, but he couldn't corral it. That made a winner of Adam Wainwright, who took a blown save when he permitted Brandon Inge's game-tying double half an inning earlier. He recovered after Inge's double to strike out the next two batters, then pitched a perfect ninth against the 2-3-4 spots in the Detroit lineup.

Carpenter dominant in Fall Classic debut

2007-01-24T11:58:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Chris Carpenter, the only Cardinal besides Bob Gibson to win a Cy Young Award, pitched eight dominating innings in the first World Series start of his career. The right-hander hurled the Cardinals to a 5-0 win over the Tigers in Game 3 of the first Fall Classic game at the new Busch Stadium, giving his team a two-games-to-one lead with home games coming each of the next two nights. Carpenter not only shut out the Tigers during his stint, he completely shut them down. Carpenter needed only 82 pitches to pile up 24 outs. He was bolstered by a two-run double from another big-game Cardinal, Jim Edmonds, and a two-run error by Detroit reliever Joel Zumaya. The Cardinals didn't always make the most of their offensive chances, but those two key plays were more than enough for a vintage Carpenter.

Redbirds baffled by red-hot Rogers

2007-01-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
DETROIT - The Cardinals dropped Game 2 of the World Series by a 3-1 score to the Tigers, sending the 102nd Fall Classic back to St. Louis tied at one game apiece. Detroit's Kenny Rogers pitched on the edges and threw plenty of offspeed pitches, vexing the Redbirds all night. Rogers only had to deal with a man in scoring position once, in the first inning. He issued a two-out walk to Albert Pujols, and Rolen reached on an infield single. But Rogers induced a comebacker from Juan Encarnacion to end the threat. That was the first of 10 straight batters retired by Rogers. He didn't permit another base hit until Yadier Molina's single in the eighth, and Eckstein grounded into a double play to eliminate any drama in that inning. The greatest drama regarding Rogers, in fact, was another matter entirely. When he took the mound for the second inning, the Cardinals alerted home-plate umpire Alfonso Marquez about a discolored spot on the pitcher's left hand. Rogers was required to clean his hand before pitching further. Still, once Rogers' hand was clean, he lost none of his effectiveness. The Cardinals did not threaten until the ninth inning, when Jim Edmonds doubled home a run against Tigers closer Todd Jones. The bases were loaded when Molina grounded out to short to end the game.

Rookie Reyes delivers Game 1 victory

2007-01-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
DETROIT - Anthony Reyes stifled Detroit over eight-plus innings in a 7-2 win over the Tigers in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series. The 25-year-old righty was making the second postseason start and first Fall Classic appearance of his career. Reyes was touched for a run on two hits in the first inning, then set down the next 17 batters in order. He ended up with a four-hit masterpiece, all against a team that ranked eighth in the Majors in runs, sixth in homers and sixth in slugging percentage in the regular season. Reyes was backed by the stars at the heart of the Cardinals order, three players eager to erase memories of St. Louis' 2004 World Series sweep at the hands of the Red Sox. Scott Rolen's first career World Series hit was a homer that got his team on the board. Albert Pujols' first career World Series home run was the key blow in a three-run third inning. And Jim Edmonds added an RBI single in a three-run sixth that put the game away for the visitors. The win ended a two-year, eight-game National League losing streak in the World Series, as well as an eight-game World Series losing streak for manager Tony La Russa.

Molina's homer delivers NL pennant

2007-01-23T15:43:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - Adam Wainwright struck out Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, securing a 3-1 win for St. Louis over the Mets and sending the Cardinals to the World Series against the American League champion Tigers.Yadier Molina hit a game-winning two-run homer off Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth inning, but even then there were dramatics to come. Wainwright had to finish the game by facing Beltran. Molina's homer followed by three innings an agonizing near-miss on the part of Scott Rolen, who was robbed by Mets left fielder Endy Chavez on a stunning catch. The ball went to virtually the same part of the ballpark as Rolen's near-miss, just a bit farther. The long ball by the usually light-hitting catcher more directly followed a tremendous at-bat by Rolen. The third baseman, who struggled for most of the series, recovered from an 0-2 hole to single to left field. Molina, moved up to the seventh spot in the order for Game 7, brought himself and Rolen home with the biggest hit of his career. The Cardinals won their 17th pennant in franchise history. They became the first Major League team since 1975 to win a series after losing Game 6 on the road. Randy Flores picked up the victory for a three-up, three-down showing after Jeff Suppan issued a leadoff walk in the eighth. Suppan did not figure in the decision, but he certainly factored in the victory - and he was rewarded in another way, with series MVP honors. Following up his Game 7 win in the 2004 NLCS, the right-hander pitched seven-plus brilliant innings, allowing a run on two hits - and no base hits after the first inning.

Cards face decisive Game 7 after loss

2007-01-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - Chris Carpenter took the first postseason loss of his career as the Cardinals fell to the Mets, 4-2, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Shea Stadium. The series is even at three games apiece with a winner-take-all seventh game at Shea Stadium. Since the League Championship Series expanded to a best-of-seven format in 1985, only three of 11 teams have won Game 7 after losing Game 6. No team has won Game 7 of an LCS on the road after losing Game 6.

Cards smell pennant after Game 5 win

2007-01-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Six superb innings from Jeff Weaver and home runs from Albert Pujols and Chris Duncan helped send St. Louis to a 4-2 win over the Mets at Busch Stadium in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, giving the Cardinals a three-games-to-two lead. Five days after Tom Glavine shut them down, the Cards got to him. Glavine rolled through the first three innings, but got into trouble after being handed a 2-0 lead in the fourth. The comeback started with Pujols' long solo homer in the bottom of the fourth.Scott Rolen drew a two-out walk and Jim Edmonds singled. Ronnie Belliard followed with an RBI single, and the crowd of 46,496 roared to life. Glavine emerged without further damage in the fourth, but he couldn't escape the fifth. David Eckstein singled and Preston Wilson doubled, giving St. Louis the lead for the first time. After an intentional walk to Pujols, a pair of Mets relievers got three outs without another run scoring, but the damage was done. Duncan's pinch-hit homer off left-hander Pedro Feliciano in the sixth capped the Cardinals scoring.

Cards' bullpen lets Game 4 slip away

2007-01-23T15:33:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Carlos Delgado abused two different Cardinals relievers for five RBIs in two innings as New York beat St. Louis, 12-5, at Busch Stadium in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. The defeat evens the series at two games each, and guarantees that the teams will return to New York for a sixth game. The Cardinals' relief corps had been an absolute thus far in the postseason, allowing just one earned run in 20 2/3 innings. But after Anthony Reyes walked a four-inning high wire, the bullpen was summarily drilled. Cardinals relievers gave up 10 runs in a three-inning span. Brad Thompson permitted three runs, while Josh Hancock faced five batters, with all of them reaching base and scoring.

Cards ride Suppan's arm, bat to victory

2007-01-23T15:32:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Jeff Suppan came up one inning short of a complete game in the statistical sense, but his performance couldn't have been any more complete. Suppan was brilliant in all facets of the game - pitching, hitting and defense - and as a result, the Cardinals now find themselves halfway to the World Series. Behind the steady veteran's big night, the Cardinals beat the Mets, 5-0, at Busch Stadium in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. St. Louis now leads the best-of-seven series, two games to one. Suppan pitched perhaps the game of his career against a potent Mets lineup, and put a cherry on top with a home run. He worked eight innings, allowing three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. The Cardinals chased Mets starter Steve Trachsel before he got an out in the second inning, hanging five runs on him thanks to five hits and five bases on balls. Scott Spiezio had yet another key hit, a two-run triple that plated the game's first runs. Suppan's leadoff homer in the second made it 3-0, and the final two runs against Trachsel came on a wild pitch and a Jim Edmonds groundout.

Cards stun Mets on Taguchi's homer

2007-01-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - So Taguchi's second at-bat of the 2006 postseason ended with his second home run of the 2006 postseason, a tie-breaking shot in the top of the ninth inning that sent the Cardinals to a 9-6 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium. Taguchi had entered the game an inning earlier as a defensive replacement for left fielder Chris Duncan. Taguchi, best known for his defense, hit two home runs in 316 regular-season at-bats this year. In 448 Major League games, he's gone deep a grand total of 16 times. The Cards rallied from deficits of 3-0, 4-2 and 6-4 in the game, and did not lead until Taguchi went yard. The three-run rally made a winner of rookie Josh Kinney, who escaped from a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the eighth. St. Louis relievers pitched four solid innings behind ace Chris Carpenter, who scuffled for five frames. Still, Carpenter's streak continued - St. Louis is 6-0 when he starts a playoff game. Taguchi fell behind Mets closer Billy Wagner - who has tormented St. Louis over the years -- with two quick strikes. But he worked the count full and fouled off two 3-2 pitches in a lengthy at-bat before driving Wagner's ninth offering over the left-field wall. Albert Pujols doubled, Scott Spiezio doubled Pujols home and Juan Encarnacion added an RBI single in a three-run frame.

Beltran continues assault on Cards

2007-01-23T15:31:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - An old nemesis haunted the Cardinals again in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Carlos Beltran, who was a one-man wrecking crew in the 2004 NLCS for Houston, hit a two-run homer off Jeff Weaver in the sixth inning as the Mets beat St. Louis, 2-0, at Shea Stadium. Weaver held New York firmly in check for 5 2/3 innings, but a two-out single by Paul Lo Duca in the sixth set him up for trouble. Beltran was the next batter, and the switch-hitting center fielder drilled a 2-2 pitch 430 feet to right field for the first runs of the series. A double by Carlos Delgado and an intentional walk to David Wright closed out Weaver's night. Tyler Johnson got a grounder to end the inning, but the damage was done. Beltran, 2-for-4 overall, hit .417 (10-for-24) with four home runs against St. Louis in the '04 NLCS.

Reyes on, Marquis off NLCS roster

2007-01-23T14:52:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - The Cardinals made just one change to their roster from the Division Series to this week's National League Championship Series, but it was a significant one. Left off of the NLCS roster was Jason Marquis, with Anthony Reyes taking his place. That means Reyes is the likely starter for Game 4 of the series at Busch Stadium. Neither pitcher got a start in the Division Series, with Marquis kept on the roster as a potential reliever or emergency pinch-hitter or pinch-runner. The NLCS schedule, however, will require the Cards to use a four-man rotation, rather than three. St. Louis will carry seven relief pitchers. It's the second straight year that Marquis will not appear in the starting rotation for the NLCS, but the first time since he's been a Cardinal that the right-hander has actually been left off a playoff roster. Marquis, 28, is a native of the New York area. In 33 starts, Marquis posted 14 wins but also lost 16 and recorded the highest ERA (6.02) of any pitcher who pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.

Cards earn third straight trip to NLCS

2007-01-23T14:51:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Chris Carpenter minimized the damage in a potentially disastrous first inning, then locked down, allowing his teammates to roar back for a 6-2 win over the Padres at Busch Stadium. Carpenter's fourth career postseason victory in as many decisions gave St. Louis a 3-1 series win in the National League Division Series. The Cards fell behind, 2-0, in the first inning as Carpenter labored through 35 pitches to get three outs. But a two-run bottom of the first, followed by a four-run sixth, sent St. Louis to its fifth National League Championship Series in seven years and third straight. Juan Encarnacion's tiebreaking RBI triple in the sixth uncorked a furious rally against former Cardinal Woody Williams and reliever Cla Meredith. Scott Spiezio, playing in place of ailing Scott Rolen, delivered an RBI single to make it 4-2. After Yadier Molina's single loaded the bases, Carpenter reached on a fielder's choice, with Ronnie Belliard scoring on an error on the play. David Eckstein's squeeze bunt made it 6-2, and a crowd of 46,476 began celebrating. Carpenter lasted seven-plus innings, finally chased by a pair of singles to open the eighth. He won for the second time in this series. In Carpenter's five career postseason starts, the Cardinals are 5-0.

Cardinals' bats silent against Young

2007-01-23T14:50:00.002-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - The Redbirds mustered just five hits against Chris Young and an assortment of Padres relievers, dropping Game 3 of the National League Division Series, 3-1, at Busch Stadium. Albert Pujols, who entered the day with a .625 average in the 2006 playoffs and the fourth-highest career batting mark in playoff history, endured one of the worst October games of his career.Pujols struck out twice, left four runners on base and hit into a double play. It was just the second time in 40 postseason contests he has fanned twice, and the first time in the Division Series. His performance encapsulated the afternoon for the Cardinals as the Nos. 2-6 hitters finished 0-for-17 with eight strikeouts. The Cardinals lone run came on a pinch-hit homer by So Taguchi in the bottom of the eighth.

Arms weave advantage for Cards

2007-01-23T14:50:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
SAN DIEGO - Five Cardinals pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout as the Redbirds won, 2-0. They now lead the best-of-five series by an identical margin, with two chances to close things out at home over the weekend. Jeff Weaver battled through five strong innings before handing it over to the bullpen. Weaver allowed two hits, striking out three against three free passes in only his second career playoff start. Weaver's excellent showing followed a similarly impressive game by ace Chris Carpenter in Game 1. The Cards didn't manage much against lefty and longtime playoff hero David Wells, but an odd fourth inning gave them the runs they needed. Preston Wilson opened the inning with a line-drive double to left, and Albert Pujols' single drove Wilson home. Pujols should have been corralled in a rundown between first and second on the play, but he made it to second safely when second baseman Todd Walker peeled off instead of returning to the base. After Scott Rolen's grounder advanced Pujols to third, Jim Edmonds beat out an infield single that scored Pujols and made it 2-0.

Pujols' long ball delivers Game 1 win

2007-01-23T13:08:00.003-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
SAN DIEGO - Albert Pujols' two-run homer in the fourth inning gave the Cardinals a lead they would not relinquish in a 5-1 win over the Padres at PETCO Park. St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the National League Division Series. Pujols and ace Chris Carpenter led the way, but nine different Cardinals had a base hit and seven either drove in a run or scored. Ronnie Belliard contributed a critical defensive play, and two rookie relievers got eight big outs. Pujols provided the game's first runs with a monster 422-foot homer that capped an eight-pitch at-bat. Jim Edmonds had a pair of base knocks, Belliard reached base three times and Yadier Molina added an RBI single.

Padres, Cardinals set for NLDS rematch

2007-01-23T13:08:00.001-05:00

By BARRY BLOOM
MLB.com
SAN DIEGO - Both teams didn't secure playoff spots until the final weekend of the season. The Cardinals, who lost on Sunday, won the National League Central when the Astros also lost. The Padres, who clinched a spot on Saturday, won the West because of a phantom call at second base that ended the game at Arizona on Sunday. Now both teams get to take a deep breath and open their NL Division Series against each other on Tuesday in San Diego. This will be the second consecutive October that these teams will be facing each other in the first round. And Game 1 game figures to be a rematch between Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter and Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, who opened the series last year in St. Louis at old Busch. The Cardinals won that game, 8-5, when Peavy got knocked out in the fifth inning, having allowed eight runs on eight hits. Carpenter left after six innings with an 8-0 lead, having given up just three hits. After the game, it was revealed that Peavy had pitched with cracked ribs that he sustained during the club's NL West-clinching on-field tumult a week earlier.

Cards lose, win NL Central title

2007-01-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Anthony Reyes was roughed up for four runs in two-thirds of an inning as the Cardinals lost, 5-3, to Milwaukee at Busch Stadium in a game that lost much of its drama about two-thirds of the way through. Reyes started on three days' rest in place of ace Chris Carpenter, who was held back in order to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series. That series became a reality for the Cardinals when the Astros lost to the Braves. St. Louis finished 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Houston in the NL Central. Prince Fielder and Geoff Jenkins both went deep against Reyes, and Corey Hart tripled and scored. The rookie was removed after seven batters for Brad Thompson, who held down the fort through the third. Jorge Sosa, Chris Narveson and Braden Looper all pitched in relief for the Cardinals.Rookie right-hander Carlos Villaneuva held the Cardinals down for the second time in less than two weeks. St. Louis got on the scoreboard in the ninth on back-to-back solo homers by Chris Duncan and Albert Pujols. The Cardinals won the NL Central for the third straight time. They will appear in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Cards' magic number drops to 2

2007-01-23T13:05:00.004-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - The Cardinals, in need of a big victory, righted themselves behind a double-digit hit attack and a strong pitching performance. Buoyed by 5 2/3 solid innings from Jeff Weaver and 13 hits from a suddenly potent offense, the Cardinals provided one of their most complete games in weeks, defeating the Brewers, 10-5, at Busch Stadium. Coupled with the Astros' loss to the Braves, the Cardinals increased their National League Central Division lead to 1 1/2 games and dropped their magic number to 2. The Reds won and remained 2 1/2 games back. The victory reduced the possibility of playing a rained-out makeup game against the Giants. Any number of Cardinals' wins and Astros' losses totaling two during the weekend will provide the Redbirds with their third straight division title.

Marquis wilts early in Cards' loss

2007-01-23T13:05:00.003-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Jason Marquis was drilled in two-plus innings and his teammates couldn't solve Doug Davis as the Cardinals lost for the eighth time in nine games, 9-4, to the Brewers. That leaves St. Louis' lead over Houston in the National League Central at a half-game, with the Cards' magic number remaining at four. Both teams have won 81 games. The Reds remain in the hunt in third at 2 1/2 games back. The Cards can no longer wrap up the Central division before Monday without help from Houston. Scott Rolen spurred an eighth-inning comeback against the Milwaukee bullpen with a solo home run. Two singles, a walk and a double added two more runs, but the Cards could get no closer than 9-4.

Pujols saves Cardinals to snap skid

2007-01-23T13:05:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Albert Pujols' three-run home run in the eighth inning gave St. Louis a desperately needed 4-2 win over the Padres at Busch Stadium. Just as remarkably, considering how things have gone lately for the Cardinals, the club made the lead stand in the ninth. Adam Wainwright closed the game out for his second big-league save, the first by a Cardinal in more than three weeks. The victory ended the Cards' seven-game losing streak. Pujols' homer was his 47th of the year and gave him 133 RBIs on the season, both of which are career highs for the reigning National League Most Valuable Player. Wainwright converted his first save chance since Jason Isringhausen was shelved with a hip injury. The last Cardinal to save a game was Isringhausen himself on Sept. 5. The next day, the franchise's all-time saves leader blew a save, and the day after that, he was sidelined.

Loss extends Cards' slide to seven

2007-01-23T13:04:00.003-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter summoned simply couldn't put away Mike Cameron. The Padres center fielder poked a go-ahead, two-run double down the right-field line in the seventh inning, sending San Diego to a 7-5 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Thanks to wins by both of their pursuers, the Cardinals now lead the Astros by 1 1/2 games and the Reds by 2 1/2 in the National League Central. Their magic number stands at five for yet another day. St. Louis has lost seven straight, marking its third skid this year of at least seven games.

Edmonds' return homer goes to waste

2007-01-23T13:04:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Jim Edmonds electrified the home fans with a game-tying pinch-hit home run in his first turn at bat in 30 days, yet the blast was wasted in defeat. The Cards fell, 6-5, to the Padres at Busch Stadium, their sixth straight loss. The defeat, combined with Houston's win at Philadelphia, clipped the Cardinals' lead atop the National League Central division to 2 1/2 games. Cincinnati is 3 1/2 games back in third place. Edmonds, who had not played since Aug. 26 due to post-concussion syndrome, capped a comeback from a 5-1 deficit when he drilled a pinch-homer to center field in the fourth inning. Edmonds' shot chased rookie pitcher Mike Thompson and gave the Cards hope in a game where their No. 2 starter, Jeff Suppan, lasted only 3 2/3 innings. But despite a fine showing by the St. Louis bullpen in relief of Suppan, the game turned against the home team. Mike Piazza's tie-breaking chopper followed Brian Giles' bloop double as the Padres pushed across a run in the seventh for the win.

Cards unable to solve surging Astros

2007-01-23T13:03:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
HOUSTON - A pair of disputed calls helped set up a three-run Aubrey Huff home run as the Cardinals lost to the Astros, 7-3, at Minute Maid Park. St. Louis dropped its fifth straight game, leaving its magic number at five for yet another day. Thanks to a four-game sweep in Houston, the Cards' lead has dwindled to a nerve-wracking 3 1/2 games over the second-place Astros with a week remaining in the regular season.

Cards can't hold off Astros' comeback

2007-01-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
HOUSTON -- Facing its first ninth-inning save situation in the two weeks since Jason Isringhausen was injured, St. Louis watched a three-run lead slip away over the final two innings at Minute Maid Park. Craig Biggio's two-out, RBI single in the ninth capped off the rally, giving the Astros a 6-5 win over the Cardinals for the second night in a row. Braden Looper got the call with a one-run lead to open the ninth after fellow co-closer Adam Wainwright faced seven batters in the seventh and eighth. Three base hits added up to two runs, and Looper was saddled with his third loss and second blown save of the season.

Loss keeps Cards' magic number still

2007-01-23T13:02:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
HOUSTON - After its fourth straight loss, St. Louis may have a dogfight on its hands just to get to the playoffs. The Cards' magic number remained at five following a 7-4 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Tyler Johnson took the loss when Luke Scott hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the ninth. It was Houston's second game-ending hit in as many nights.

Cards' hopes broken by Berkman

2007-01-23T13:02:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
HOUSTON - Chris Carpenter turned in eight innings, notching his fifth complete game of the season, but was undone by Lance Berkman's two-out, two-run, game-winning home run in the eighth inning. St. Louis fell to Houston, 6-5, as the Cards' magic number remained at five with 10 days left in the season. Carpenter may have also seen his Cy Young Award hopes take a blow, as he missed out on a chance at a 16th win and watched his ERA climb. Through 103 pitches, the National League's reigning Cy Young holder was on track for the victory. On a 3-2 pitch, however, Berkman turned a 5-4 Cardinals lead into a 6-5 deficit. It was the slugger's second homer and third extra-base hit of the night.

Cards extend GM Jocketty's contract

2007-01-23T13:01:00.002-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
The club picked up general manager Walt Jocketty's contract option, ensuring that he will be in office through the 2008 season. However, Jocketty will proceed with a different look to his inner circle of advisers. Bruce Manno has been replaced as the Cardinals farm director, with Jeff Luhnow expanding his duties to include that job. Manno has been re-assigned as a special assistant to Jocketty. Jocketty is the third-longest tenured active general manager in the Majors, behind only John Schuerholz in Atlanta and the Twins' Terry Ryan. He took over on Oct. 14, 1994, and in the intervening time has presided over six postseason appearances. Jocketty is the longest-serving GM in the team's history.

Isringhausen surgery goes well

2007-01-23T13:01:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
The Cardinals expressed optimism after Jason Isringhausen underwent surgery on his problematic left hip. Isringhausen had an operation to debride, or clean up, arthritis in his hip as well as to ease an impingement. The second procedure was the more involved, as Dr. J. Thomas Byrd of Nashville, Tenn., performed a "mild re-contouring" of the femoral neck of the joint. The femoral neck is located below the femoral head, which is essentially the ball in the ball-and-socket joint of the hip. Isringhausen will return to St. Louis over the weekend and is expected to join his teammates at Busch Stadium for the beginning of the team's final 2006 regular-season homestand. In a best-case scenario, Isringhausen will be available to do some throwing at the start of Spring Training, but even then, the right-hander would be limited.

Cardinals edged by Brewers in finale

2007-01-23T13:00:00.003-05:00

By JR RADCLIFFE
Special to MLB.comMILWAUKEE - Jeff Suppan continued his dominance of the Milwaukee Brewers, but opposing right fielder Geoff Jenkins, just a .130 hitter against left-handers this season with one home run, had the last laugh with a walk-off blast in the ninth against southpaw Tyler Johnson, leading the Brewers to a 1-0 win over the Cards. Jenkins took a 1-1 pitch from Johnson (0-3) over the right-field wall at Miller Park for his second career walk-off homer, last accomplished in 1998.

Weaver plays winning role in romp

2007-01-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

By JR RADCLIFFE
Special to MLB.com
MILWAUKEE - The Cardinals' Jeff Weaver knocked an RBI double to accompany his six solid innings on the mound as St. Louis inched closer to the National League Central title with a 12-2 win over the Brewers at Miller Park. Ronnie Belliard also scored a career-high four times in support of Weaver (4-4), who improved to 4-1 on the road with his new team. Weaver, who was 3-10 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before being ousted and picked up by the Cards, allowed two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts during his tenure. His two-out double in the sixth scored Yadier Molina from first base and gave St. Louis all the cushion it would need.

Pujols' 46th homer wasted in loss

2007-01-23T12:59:00.002-05:00

By JOE DiGIOVANNI
Special to MLB.com
MILWAUKEE - Albert Pujols tied a career high with his 46th home run, a three-run shot, but Braden Looper lost for the first time since June 30 as the Cardinals dropped a 4-3 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-8 in the first four innings. Pujols was the only St. Louis player to get a hit with a runner at second or third when he homered in the seventh off Chris Capuano to tie the score at 3. In his last seven games, Pujols is batting .538 (14-26) with two homers and 10 RBIs. He was 3-for-5 with a single, double and homer against Milwaukee on Monday night.

Cardinals' finale with Giants called off

2007-01-23T12:59:00.001-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - The Cardinals had another first at the new Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon. In the 74th contest at the new park, the Redbirds saw their first rainout. Still, in a 15- to 20-minute dry spell, the Cardinals did honor Bruce Sutter, retiring his No. 42 with an on-field ceremony. Sutter threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Bob Forsch and spoke for a few minutes to the stadium. A few minutes after the ceremony, the rain started again, halting the game for good. The game will not be rescheduled unless deemed necessary by the Commissioner's Office.

Carpenter notches 100th victory

2007-01-23T12:58:00.002-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Pitching against his good friend and former teammate Matt Morris for the first time, Chris Carpenter worked seven stellar innings and captured his 100th career victory, leading the Cardinals to a 6-1 win over the Giants. Carpenter reached the century mark just a few seasons removed from injuries and an uncertain future. Along with Mark Mulder and Jeff Suppan, he marks the third Cardinals starter to reach 100 this season. The victory also gave the squad its fourth victory in five games, a seventh straight home series win and pushed the division lead to a season-high 6 1/2 games over the Reds. It also lowered the Cardinals' magic number to clinch the National League Central to single digits at nine.

Rolen's career night lifts Cards

2007-01-23T12:58:00.001-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Scott Rolen smacked two homers and drove in a career-high seven runs, upstaging a terrific performance from Chris Duncan and helping the Cardinals capture a 14-4 victory over the Giants at Busch Stadium. Duncan, the National League's reigning Rookie of the Month, matched Rolen's feat of two homers, helping the squad achieve a season high in runs scored. Jeff Suppan, the team's winningest pitcher since the All-Star Break, fashioned another fine performance, tossing seven innings of three-run ball to earn his 12th victory of the year.

Pujols delivers off Lidge to lift Cards

2007-01-23T12:57:00.004-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Albert Pujols delivered a game-ending, two-run double off Houston right-hander Brad Lidge, giving the Cardinals a 6-5 win over the Astros at Busch Stadium. The win likely dealt a crushing blow to the Astros' already fading National League Central hopes. Houston now trails by seven games with 18 to play, including only five head-to-head matchups between the two teams. Officially, Pujols is 2-for-11 against Lidge, but those numbers count only regular-season meetings. The number ignores Pujols' unforgettable game-winning home run against Lidge at Minute Maid Park in last season's National League Championship Series. Lidge got ahead of Pujols, 1-2, before the slugger got around on a fastball and deposited it into the left-field corner. Pinch-runner Skip Schumaker and Scott Spiezio both scored easily as the ball skipped away from Jason Lane. The RBIs were Nos. 119 and 120 on the season for Pujols, marking the fifth time in six years he's driven in 120 or more. He's 10 ribbies shy of his career high.

Marquis' short day too costly

2007-01-23T12:57:00.003-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Pitching on short rest, Jason Marquis endured a short day, recording just three outs as the Cardinals fell to the Astros, 5-1, at Busch Stadium. The right-hander fell to 3-9 since the All-Star break. He's dropped three straight decisions and eight out of 10. Marquis was charged with four runs in the first inning, digging his teammates a deep hole before they took their first swings at Houston ace Roy Oswalt. The Astros banged out five hits against Marquis, who also issued two costly walks - one with the bases loaded.

Carpenter silences Astros to win 14th

2007-01-23T12:57:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Ace Chris Carpenter improved to 14-6 with another brilliant game as St. Louis thumped Houston, 7-0, in the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Ronnie Belliard snapped an 0-for-20 slump emphatically, rapping an RBI single and a three-run triple for the bulk of the Cards' offense. St. Louis scored five runs on just two hits in the fourth inning. All Carpenter needed, however, was Juan Encarnacion's tie-breaking RBI single in the third and some defense behind him. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner bolstered his case for a second straight trophy with his third shutout and fourth complete game of the year.

Cardinals drop mistake-filled finale

2007-01-23T12:56:00.001-05:00

By LINDSEY FRAZIER
MLB.com
PHOENIX - The Cardinals sent reliever Jorge Sosa to the hill in the eighth inning of a tie game. D-Backs manager Bob Melvin countered with pinch-hitter Tony Clark. The D-Backs first baseman didn't waste any time, hammering the first pitch he saw, a fastball that tailed back over the middle of the plate, into the right-field bleachers. The next batter, Eric Byrnes, followed with a homer to left field as St. Louis lost, 9-7, in front of 25,381 at Chase Field.

Marquis strong as Cards fall to D-Backs

2007-01-23T12:55:00.002-05:00

By LINDSEY FRAZIER
MLB.com
PHOENIX - Arizona's Brandon Webb threw a one-hit shutout, as the Diamondbacks defeated the Cardinals, 3-0, in front of 33,619 in a brief 1-hour-54 minute affair at Chase Field. Jason Marquis (14-14) wasn't bad, giving up three runs over seven innings, but there was little he could do about Webb's command and devastating sinker. He gave up a triple to Craig Counsell to lead off the first inning. The Arizona shortstop came around to score on a groundout by Luis Gonzalez. Rookie right-fielder Carlos Quentin blistered a 2-1 sinker into the left-center-field bleachers in the second to pad the Arizona lead. The D-Backs tacked on another run in the fourth, as Chad Tracy was plated on a base hit by Chris Snyder. It was Webb's first career one-hitter and the seventh in club history. It was also his third shutout of the season and his first since May. The only Cardinal who could get any kind of read off Webb was Scott Rolen, who doubled to center field in the fourth.

Reyes' Cards on wrong end of rout

2007-01-23T12:55:00.001-05:00

By JASON GREY
Special to MLB.com
PHOENIX - After posting arguably the best start of his Major League career in his last outing, Anthony Reyes followed with his worst as the Cardinals were routed, 13-1, in the second game of their four-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Reyes hurled 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Pirates last Sunday, allowing just five baserunners and striking out a career-high nine. In this start, he didn't get out of the third inning, getting tagged for seven runs over 2 1/3 frames, allowing seven hits and a walk while striking out two.

Cards win behind Spiezio, Weaver

2007-01-23T12:54:00.003-05:00

By JASON GREY
Special to MLB.com
PHOENIX - Jeff Weaver gutted his way through five effective innings and Scott Spiezio homered twice as the Cardinals won the opener of a four-game series against the Diamondbacks, 6-2, at Chase Field. The win pushed the Cards' National League Central lead to a season-high 6 1/2 games. Weaver had to battle in this one, throwing 84 pitches through his first four innings. He was working behind in the count often and had to escape a couple of jams, including a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the fourth. When it was all said and done, Weaver allowed just two runs in five innings of work and left with a three-run lead. With Scott Rolen taking a second day of rest for his left shoulder, Scott Spiezio stepped up with homers Nos. 10 and 11 on the season, the most he's hit in a year since 2003 as a member of the Angels.

Mulder to undergo surgery

2007-01-23T12:54:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
WASHINGTON - The second opinion on Mark Mulder's shoulder confirmed the first. The Cardinals announced that Mulder will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair fraying in his left rotator cuff. The announcement came the same day that Mulder visited with Dr. David Altchek, a Mets team doctor, in New York. According to the Cardinals, Altchek's diagnosis agreed with that of Cardinals head team physician Dr. George Paletta - that Mulder continues to have impingement in his left shoulder, as well as irritation, inflammation and fraying in his rotator cuff. Altchek is expected to perform the surgery. When Mulder was initially diagnosed in June, he and the club attempted a non-surgical recovery. He missed two months, but when he returned to the mound, he was still clearly not right. After two more starts, he was shelved again. Rehabilitation should take approximately 10-12 weeks, and that Mulder's offseason throwing program will not be affected.

Cards come back, then fall in finale

2007-01-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
WASHINGTON - Jason Isringhausen loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, then permitted a game-ending two-run single to Jose Vidro as the Cardinals lost to the Nationals, 7-6, at RFK Stadium. Making the loss tougher to swallow, the Cardinals weren't even guaranteed there would be a bottom of the ninth inning. They entered the ninth in a 5-4 hole, but Preston Wilson crushed a two-run homer off Washington closer Chad Cordero to give the visitors the advantage.

Sizzling Suppan, Pujols pace Cards

2007-01-23T12:52:00.001-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
WASHINGTON - Game-winning monster home runs from Albert Pujols, like the one the slugger hit on Tuesday night at RFK Stadium, have become routine over the years. Brilliant starts like the one Jeff Suppan turned in, however, are nearly as commonplace for the Cardinals these days. Pujols tomahawked homer No. 44 on the season in the first inning, staking Suppan to a lead he would not relinquish, as the Cardinals beat the Nationals, 2-0. Despite spending nearly three weeks on the disabled list in June, Pujols has pulled within two long balls of his career high - with 25 games remaining in the season. He has a decent shot at joining Mark McGwire as the only players in franchise history to reach 50 homers in a season. Pujols has hit five home runs in three games, after hitting five in his previous 25. Of Pujols' 44 dingers, 18 have given the Cardinals a lead they never surrendered. He has a total of 21 game-winning RBIs on the season. Suppan is enjoying a career run of his own. Over 10 second-half starts, he has a miniscule 2.24 ERA. He's allowed one run or no runs in seven of those games, with the Cards going 7-3. Closer Jason Isringhausen issued two two-out walks in the ninth, but he struck out Felipe Lopez for his 33rd save in 42 chances.

Cardinals almost no-hit in loss

2007-01-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
WASHINGTON - Nationals right-hander Ramon Ortiz breezed through the St. Louis lineup, taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before finishing with 8 2/3 strong innings in a 4-1 Washington win. Aaron Miles' line-drive single to lead off the ninth broke up the no-no. Ortiz got 26 outs on 95 pitches, obscuring a fine performance by Cards starter Jason Marquis (14-13). At one point, the Washington righty went through all nine spots in the St. Louis order on a total of 15 pitches. Following a leadoff walk to Albert Pujols in the fourth, Ortiz needed 34 pitches to get the next 15 outs. Marquis matched Ortiz for six scoreless, if not hitless, innings. But in the bottom of the seventh, Marquis issued a leadoff walk to Nick Johnson, and Austin Kearns followed with a two-run homer that put the home team ahead.

Weaver solid, but Cards blanked

2007-01-22T16:10:00.000-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - A swinging bunt by Xavier Nady and a Cardinals offense that was unable to produce with men on base proved the difference Saturday night in a 1-0 loss to the Pirates. Jeff Weaver worked seven brilliant innings but couldn't come up with the victory as the Cardinals went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Overall, the team left 12 men on, including seven in the first five innings against Bucs starter Shawn Chacon.

Pujols' three homers lift Cards

2007-01-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Albert Pujols blasted three homers for the third time in his career helping the Cardinals defeat the Pirates, 6-3. The three homers - his 40th, 41st and 42nd of the year - led Pujols to the 40-homer milestone for the fourth straight year. He also crossed 100 runs, becoming the first player in Major League history to reach triple figures in that statistic for six straight years.

Carpenter, Cardinals KO Pirates

2007-01-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Chris Carpenter dismantled the Pirates in a 3-1 win, giving St. Louis its fourth victory in a row and bolstering his candidacy for a second straight Cy Young Award. Carpenter (13-6)announced his presence with authority from the start on Friday, striking out three of the first four Pittsburgh batters. His outfielders touched the ball a grand total of six times on the evening, and only twice did he even see a three-ball count. It was also complete game No. 3 this season, and the 23rd of his career. Preston Wilson homered and scored two runs to keep up his hot hitting for the Cards, who signed him after he had been released by the Astros. Batting leadoff for the fourth time, Wilson opened the game for St. Louis by drawing a walk off Zach Duke (8-13). So Taguchi singled to put two men on, and Juan Encarnacion's two-out single scored Wilson to give the home team the lead. Taguchi scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. After the Bucs closed to within one run in the third, Wilson went yard in the bottom half of the inning for a 3-1 advantage.

Cards slip by Marlins

2007-01-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - The Cardinals chipped and jabbed at Dontrelle Willis for seven innings on Thursday night, making the lefty work for every out and finally outlasting him if not beating him. It was worth the effort. A team that has had great difficulty beating left-handed starters had no trouble with a right-handed reliever, hanging four runs on Sergio Mitre in a game-winning eighth-inning rally. St. Louis beat Mitre (1-5) and the Marlins, 5-2, at Busch Stadium, taking a five-game lead in the National League Central as the calendar turns to September. Chris Duncan, kept on the bench to start the game with the lefty Willis pitching for Florida, was inserted immediately when Mitre took the hill. In an instant, Duncan lashed his 15th home run on the first pitch Mitre threw, tying the game only moments after the Marlins had taken a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, the Cardinals had a lead they would not relinquish. Following Duncan's home run, Mitre walked Albert Pujols. The slugger appeared dead to rights on a pickoff attempt, but Mitre's throw skipped away from first baseman Mike Jacobs, and Pujols motored all the way to third. Rolen drove him home with a single to right field and a 3-2 advantage. The Redbirds went on to add two more tallies, on a Ronnie Belliard bloop single and Scott Spiezio's sac fly.

Cards break out to end Marlins' run

2007-01-22T15:52:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis bombarded the Marlins at new Busch on Wednesday, pounding out 20 hits in a 13-6 win. Ten Cardinals either scored or drove in a run, and six Redbirds combined for eight doubles to equal a franchise single-game record. And it all came after the Cards fell in an early hole. Jason Marquis (14-12) and his teammates trailed, 5-1, in the middle of the fourth before the offense unloaded on rookie right-hander Ricky Nolasco (11-9). Scott Rolen dropped three doubles and scored three times. Albert Pujols hit his 39th homer to move to within one long ball of his fourth straight season with 40 or more. Juan Encarnacion collected three hits. Even Marquis picked up a pair of singles and an RBI, and rookie reliever Adam Wainwright doubled and scored.

Mulder endures another rough outing

2007-01-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Mark Mulder endured a second rocky outing in as many games since his return from the disabled list, as the Cardinals lost, 9-1, to the Marlins at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night. The left-hander acknowledged after the game that he still cannot get full extension on his arm when he pitches, indicating a lingering physical problem. Mulder missed two months with impingement in his left shoulder, as well as irritation and inflammation in his left rotator cuff, a condition that led to his inability to extend his arm fully. After six weeks of work, he began a rehabilitation stint that encompassed three starts, followed by a return to the rotation last Wednesday. That game in New York did not go well, either. Over two starts, Mulder has allowed 14 runs in 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss both times. His ERA has climbed to 7.14, a number that in itself suggests that something significant is amiss with the one-time Cy Young Award runnerup.

Bennett heroics caps Cubs sweep

2007-01-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Gary Bennett crushed a two-out, walk-off grand slam off Bob Howry, leading the Cardinals to a 10-6 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium. It was the first time a game ended on a grand slam at the new park. It was his first grand slam of his career and first walk-off shot since May 28, 2003.

Suppan stifles Cubs for 10th victory

2007-01-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Jeff Suppan picked up the reeling Cardinals and a patchwork rotation Friday night, delivering 7 2/3 shutout innings and leading the Cards to a 2-0 victory over the Cubs at Busch Stadium. The victory kept the struggling Redbirds (67-60) from falling to five games over the break-even point for the first time since May 5, and put them a game in front of the surging Reds in the National League Central.

Bennett rescues Cards in ninth

2007-01-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

By CONOR NICHOLL
MLB.com
ST. LOUIS - Chris Carpenter tossed eight innings of one-run ball before exiting with cramps, and Gary Bennett homered in the third inning and cracked the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth, helping the Cards defeat the Cubs, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Preston Wilson set the table for Bennett. One of the Cardinals' newest acquisitions, Wilson singled and stole second with one out in the ninth. With two outs, Bennett -- with his parents on hand -- lined a 2-1 pitch from Roberto Novoa into left-center for the victory.

Cards leave New York without a win

2007-01-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - Thursday night brought the 10th sweep of St. Louis at the hands of an opponent this year, as the Mets finished off a three-game whitewash by beating the Cardinals, 6-2, at Shea Stadium. The Cardinals fell to six games over .500, equaling their lowest point relative to even money since early May. Jason Marquis (13-12) gave a game effort and may have deserved better than five runs over six innings. Still, the right-hander allowed 12 baserunners as he fell to 2-6 since the All-Star break.

Mulder drilled in return from DL

2007-01-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - Mark Mulder, medically cleared to pitch weeks earlier, could not find the pitching form that made him one of the game's winningest hurlers for most of his career. He was tagged for nine runs on nine hits in three-plus innings in his return from the disabled list as the Cardinals lost, 10-8, to the Mets. St. Louis' lead in the National League Central division remained at one game over second-place Cincinnati. The Reds lost, 7-3, to Astros earlier in the day. Very little worked for Mulder, who also permitted nine runs in the last game before he was placed on the DL. He missed nine weeks with an impingement in his left shoulder and irritation and inflammation in his left rotator cuff. Mulder allowed 13 baserunners and four extra-base hits, departing after recording nine outs.

Pujols' seven RBIs not enough vs. Mets

2007-01-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
NEW YORK - The only thing that mattered to the Redbirds on Tuesday was the final score, a punch-in-the-gut 8-7 defeat after St. Louis led by six runs in the fifth inning. Albert Pujols enjoyed the kind of night on which MVP-caliber seasons are built, but Carlos Beltran trumped him with the kind of singular moment on which MVP awards are won. Beltran cranked a first-pitch two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth against Jason Isringhausen, sending 49,166 Mets fans into utter delirium. Beltran was greeted by chants of "M-V-P!" as Shea's stands literally shook. Beltran's shot was the third Mets long ball of the night, after Carlos Delgado cranked a pair off of starter Jeff Weaver. Isringhausen got too much of the plate with a cut fastball to a man who has hurt him and the Cardinals before, and the game was over in a flash. Isringhausen (4-7) was charged with the loss, but if not for a four-run fifth against Weaver, the game would never have been so close. Pujols hit two home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs, giving him 38 homers and 105 RBIs on the year.

Carpenter preserves win for Cards

2007-01-22T15:30:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
CHICAGO - Chris Carpenter has seen a change in his teammates lately, and it's a change for the better. "I've seen a little bit more excitement in the dugout," Carpenter said after the Cardinals' 5-3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday. "Guys are excited to get up at bat and go out and pitch and go out and play defense. Guys aren't sitting around and not talking and being quiet. It's been fun." Carpenter (12-6) pitched a routine game to help St. Louis to its first series win in Chicago this year. He permitted two runs on seven hits, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. The Cardinals jumped to an early lead against rookie Juan Mateo (1-1), played exceptional defense, and turned in a crisp, spirited effort befitting a first-place team.

Late magic eludes Cardinals in loss

2007-01-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
CHICAGO - On Saturday, despite a gut-wrenching 5-4 loss to the Cubs in 10 innings, the Redbirds offered some positives. A club sometimes criticized as too businesslike showed real pluck in coming back from a pair of late deficits before ultimately succumbing. And give Albert Pujols about two more feet on his ninth-inning line drive, and the game never even heads to extras. Phil Nevin's RBI single off Jason Isringhausen in the 10th inning provided the game-winning hit for the home team after the Cards elected to pitch to Nevin rather than Ronny Cedeno. Jacque Jones led off the inning with a double, taking third when pinch-hitter Angel Pagan singled while trying to sacrifice Pagan to third. Henry Blanco struck out, and the Cardinals walked Cedeno intentionally to load the bases. Nevin stroked a single over the head of Scott Spiezio in left field to end the game.

Six homers end Cards' Chicago drought

2007-01-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

By MATTHEW LEACH
MLB.com
CHICAGO - Dramatically reconfigured on the fly this season, the new-look Cardinals offense features a flock of unfamiliar faces but one very familiar trait: home-run power. St. Louis blasted six long balls in an 11-3 pasting of the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, unveiling a lineup that may be flawed in places but features more long-distance threats than at any previous time this season. Newcomer Preston Wilson started in right field and gave the Redbirds home run possibilities at six of the eight regular spots in the batting order. From Chris Duncan in the No. 2 spot through Ronnie Belliard in the seventh position, six positions feature a player with a demonstrated ability to hit the ball over the fence. And that doesn't even count starting pitcher and 2005 Silver Slugger winner Jason Marquis, who got in on the fun with a single and a run scored. Nor center fielder Jim Edmonds, who could return to the lineup over the weekend after a disconcerting bout with post-concussion syndrome. Marquis lasted five innings as he finally picked up win No. 13. He permitted two dingers - but only three hits. Marquis, who had lost four straight starts, won for only the second time in seven decisions since the All-Star break. Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, Tyler Johnson and Josh Hancock combined for four innings of shutout relief to finish it off.

Cards sign Wilson, send Reyes to Memphis

2006-08-18T15:05:00.000-04:00

By St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Outfielder Preston Wilson, released by the Houston Astros earlier this week, signed with the Cardinals today. To make room for Wilson on the 25-man roster, the Cards optioned starting pitcher Anthony Reyes to Triple-A Memphis. Wilson batted .269 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs with the Astros, but disappointed them with a lack of power. The Cardinals hope to improve their lineup against lefthanded pitching. St. Louis was 17-28 against lefthanders entering Friday's game at Chicago. Wilson, who joined the team in time for the game, was batting .312 against lefthanders. The team also has concerns about center fielder Jim Edmonds, who missed the past two games because of post-concussion syndrome. Edmonds had been optimistic about playing Friday, but there was no word about the day's lineup. Wilson made only two starts after July 29 for the Astros, who replaced him in the lineup with Luke Scott. He was designated for assignment Saturday. Reyes lasted 3 1/3 innings in his shortest start Wednesday and is 4-6 with a 4.73 ERA. The roster move left the Cardinals with an 11-man pitching staff and could signal the return of Mark Mulder, despite a so-so third rehab start Thursday.Pitching for Triple-A Memphis, Mulder gave up five runs in four innings at Oklahoma City. The Cardinals have been weak in the outfield most of the year before the emergence of rookie Chris Duncan in the last month. The team plans on Wilson platooning in left field with the lefthanded hitting Duncan, who's batting .338 overall but .222 against lefties in 27 at-bats. Wilson was batting .301 with runners in scoring position and got his 1,000th career hit earlier this season against the Cardinals in Houston. An NL All-Star in 2003, he led the league with 141 RBIs that season for the Rockies. In 2000, Wilson had 31 home runs and 36 steals with the Marlins and has six seasons with 25 or more homers.