Renteria's Two-Run Double Gives Cards Win Over Giants
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
July 23, 2002
Eight innings and almost four hours of self- induced torture gave way to a happy ending for the Cardinals Monday night.
Shortstop Edgar Renteria broke open a freshly tied game with a two-run double to give the Cardinals a come-from-ahead 5-3 win over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 40,607 at sold-out Pacific Bell Park.
Given a 2-0 lead on Jim Edmonds' two-run home run in the fifth inning, the Cardinals again suffered a late-inning lapse before rallying against Giants relievers Tim Worrell and Robb Nen in the ninth.
The Cardinals loaded the bases against Worrell with Placido Polanco's leadoff double and two walks. Then, Nen surrendered Renteria's one-out double off the right field brick facade. The two runs set up closer Jason Isringhausen for his 23rd save while allowing the Cardinals (54-42) to avert their fourth loss of the season when leading after seven innings. It also allowed the Cardinals to reclaim a 4 1/2 game advantage over the second-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central.
Renteria's game-winning hit broke his team's string of nine hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position while cementing his climb above .300.
The Giants played without left fielder Barry Bonds and second baseman Jeff Kent, both of whom didn't start due to leg problems but did pinch hit late in the game. Bonds came up with two out in the ninth as the tying run, but struck out against Isringhausen to end the game.
The early absence of Bonds and Kent further exposed a lineup already less productive against righthanded pitching. The Giants entered the game hitting .258 against righthanders, .285 versus lefthanders. Bonds and Kent are the only regulars batting more than .265 against lefties.
The Giants suffered an additional loss when right fielder Reggie Sanders left after the fifth inning because of a tight right hamstring, sending Shawon Dunston and his .245 slugging percentage into the cleanup role. Still, San Francisco forced a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning when third baseman David Bell hammered a two-run homer against lefthanded reliever Steve Kline, who primed the rally with a one-out walk of J.T. Snow.
That manager Tony La Russa allowed Kline to face Bell says much about the current difficulties of righthander Dave Veres, whom his manager considered an MVP of the first half. Veres has been buffeted for 10 earned runs and three home runs in 4 1/3 innings since the All-Star break.
Veres, who allowed five home runs before the break, has surrendered a home run in each of his last three appearances. He never stirred Monday.
Seldom has 28-year-old Cardinals rookie pitcher Jason Simontacchi appeared as vulnerable as Monday night. Simontacchi somehow survived 17 outs without allowing an earned run despite allowing 12 baserunners, five on walks. He hadn't walked more than three in 12 previous starts.
Raised less than an hour from San Francisco, Simontacchi pitched Monday before more than 50 family members and friends, some of whom waved signs from behind the plate. He thrilled them with escape after escape, thanks to a pair of double-play grounders and the Giants giving away two outs on the bases.
Right fielder Eli Marrero and catcher Mike Matheny held the lead for Simontacchi in the sixth when Matheny smothered Marrero's short-hop throw on Tsuyashi Shinjo's single and blocked baserunner J.T. Snow off the plate. Snow attempted to bulldoze Matheny but was unable to jar the ball loose.
Simontacchi wasn't alone in averting disaster. Possibly auditioning as a trade target, Hernandez escaped a dangerous third inning by becoming the latest righthanded pitcher to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Albert Pujols to face lefthanded-hitting first baseman Tino Martinez.
Simontacchi's single was followed by Fernando Vina's two-strike double -the second of his three hits before the sixth inning - to put runners at second and third with none out. The Cardinals lost Simontacchi at the plate when he ran on contact on Placido Polanco's grounder to third. Edmonds grounded to the mound for the second out as both runners moved into scoring position.
Pitching coach Dave Righetti went to the mound to suggest Pujols be intentionally walked. After Hernandez' first two pitches missed, Pujols was passed to load the bases.
Twice before the ploy had led to inning-ending double plays from Martinez. This time, Martinez sliced a line drive to the opposite field; however, left fielder Tsuyoshi made a sliding catch to stop him.
The Cardinals finally broke through in the fifth following Vina's leadoff single. With one out, Edmonds launched a towering fly ball to center field, which is not the deepest part of Pac Bell Park. When center fielder Tom Goodwin ran out of room, the Cardinals had a 2-0 lead on Edmon ds' 19th home run.
The Giants closed to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning with an unearned run. Hernandez, who entered with a .270 average, six RBIs and only five strikeouts in 37 at-bats, led off with a single. Goodwin replaced him at first on a fielder's choice. Second baseman Ramon Martinez then doubled to left field.
Hustling to prevent the Giants' leadoff hitter from scoring, Pujols had the ball roll up his arm for an error that allowed Martinez to score.
The Cardinals reclaimed the two-run lead on Martinez's legs. Following his leadoff single, Martinez took advantage of Hernandez's refusal to check him and stole his first National League base, the 19th of his career. Martinez gained third base on Edgar Renteria's fly ball to deep right field. Completing a manufactured run, Martinez beat shortstop Rich Aurilia's throw home when Matheny chopped what initially seemed a possible double play ball.
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