Renteria, Edmonds Come Up Big In Win
By Dan O'Neill Of the Post-Dispatch
July 06, 2004
Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones you don't make.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa left the ballpark on Monday contemplating a starting lineup for Tuesday's game that would necessitate some alterations to the batting order.
After sleeping on it, La Russa changed his mind, based in large part on leaving All-Star shorstop Edgar Renteria batting in the second slot. "I just didn't want to mess with that right now," La Russa said. "He seems to be getting something going there."
Going, going, gone, that is. The second-place hitting Renteria was in the right place at the right time in the seventh inning when he delivered a two-run homer run that catapulted the Cardinals toward a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before 29,786 at Busch Stadium.
Renteria's fifth homer of the season turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Jim Edmonds, who made a leaping catch to take away a home run by Adam Dunn, homered in the eighth inning to provide breathing room.
The Birds' record swelled to 51-32, moving into a tie with the New York Yankees for the most victories in the major leagues. When the Cubs lost to Milwaukee 4-2 on Tuesday night, the Cards' lead in the National League Central increased to five games.
"It's fun right now, but it's always supposed to be fun," said Edmonds, who has made a series of spectacular defensive plays lately. "You just can't take it for granted. You keep playing the game the way it's supposed to be played."
The late-inning heroics helped starter Matt Morris to his ninth victory, or two less than he had all of last season. Morris had a career earned-run average of 3.28 coming into the season. Due in large part to the 24 home runs he has allowed, Morris' ERA is more than a run higher (4.33) in 2004.
"The whole year has been a battle for me," Morris said. "For me to have nine wins is truly luck. This team, the way these guys play every day and push for me ... I'm just glad I've been able to be in there and salvage what I have."
Morris was clipped early by the Reds as the Cardinals fell behind. But Morris got the kinks out and settled in to pitch well after a one-inning hiccup. Morris worked seven innings, allowing seven hits, but shut out the Reds on three hits over the final five innings.
"Even games like today, I was on the losing end when I'm literally out of the ballgame," Morris said. "Without a doubt the offense picked me up huge today. They stay and play nine innings, every time. I was just trying to stick around."
Morris has given up first-inning runs in seven of 18 starts. He avoided that this time, but the Reds struck for three runs in the second.
The damage could have been worse.
Ken Griffey Jr. led off with a single to right. Dunn followed with a towering blast to center field. Edmonds retreated, leaped and snatched what would have been a two-run homer away with a spectacular athletic play.
"I'm just glad he didn't get it off the barrel," Edmonds said. "He didn't really get it. It hung up so high, it gave me a chance to run under it."
Jason LaRue followed with a single and Jacob Cruz doubled to make it 1-0. After an intentional pass to Tim Hummel, Acevedo, who was hitting .071, banged a fastball to center deep enough to chase home a second run. Ryan Freel followed with a two-out hit to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
"I get real mad out there and start throwing what we call mad balls," Morris said. "And they have no effect. Everything just spins to the middle. In the past, I've been able to recognize that one inning and concentrate and make pitches. This season, it's been a struggle to avoid that one inning."
In the fourth, Scott Rolen's one-out single was followed by a walk to Edmonds. Roger Cedeno, starting in right, lined his second double in as many innings to chase Rolen home and cut the margin to 3-1.
Marlon Anderson's sacrifice fly scored another run for the Cards. Acevedo escaped more debits by intentionally walking Yadier Molina and getting Morris on a tap.
The Reds made more noise in the sixth, with D'Angelo Jimenez's leadoff single. With one out, Jimenez stole second. Dunn was walked. Morris pulled the plug he couldn't find in the second inning when he got LaRue to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals continued the comeback against lefthanded reliever Gabe White in the seventh. After a pinch double by Reggie Sanders and a sacrifice bunt by Tony Womack, Renteria pulled his two-run homer over the wall in left, making it 4-3. Edmonds victimized White again with a solo job in the eighth.
And to make it all work, the bullpen stood tall - again. The Cardinals' pen has allowed just two earned runs over the past 22 1/3 innings. Steve Kline pitched a spotless eighth and, with lefthanded hitting threats due up, he was given the ninth as well. A leadoff single by Griffey turned up the tension. But Kline got Dunn to hit into a slick 3-6-3 double play and retired LaRue on a shallow fly to right to seal his second save and the Cardinals' fifth consecutive victory.
"We believe we can win," Kline said. "That's the big key. It stems from our starting pitchers. Our pitchers go out and pitch seven innings and they only give up three or four runs. On a bad day we might give up five. Our team is still capable of coming back and scoring.
"You have to be able to go out and put zeros up after that. And we've been doing that so far. Let's hope we keep doing it."
Back to 2004 Articles Page