Cards Notes: Best Still To Come
Renteria is improving and says that is to be expected
By Charles Odum / Special to MLB.com
April 23, 2003
If it appears that Edgar Renteria is better than ever this season, he says that is only to be expected.
Despite the fact he is playing in his eighth season in the Major Leagues, Renteria offered the following reminder Wednesday: "I'm only 27. I'm still improving, and I think I can improve more."
The clear leader in the National League with 12 multi-hit games -- three more than any other player entering Wednesday's games -- Renteria also ranked among the league leaders with his .359 batting average, 28 hits, 48 total bases, eight doubles and 12 extra-base hits.
The strong start comes after perhaps Renteria's most complete season in 2002 -- a .305 batting average with 11 homers, a career-best 83 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He won his first Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger award last season and now is continuing to add to his statistical case as the league's best shortstop.
A career .283 hitter, Renteria has become accustomed to success but says, "This is my best start. Right now, I feel comfortable."
One product of Albert Pujols being out of the lineup for three weeks with an elbow injury is Renteria has moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup as Jim Edmonds has assumed Pujols' cleanup spot.
"I'm no real No. 3 hitter," Renteria said. "Whatever the skipper needs, I'll be there."
Rotation change: In order to keep Brett Tomko on his regular four days' rest, manager Tony La Russa altered the pitching rotation for the weekend series at Florida.
Jason Simontacchi has been pushed back from Friday to Saturday. Tomko will start Friday. As planned, Garrett Stephenson will pitch Sunday.
Ready in a pinch: It is difficult for some veterans to adjust to pinch-hitting. Pujols, only 23, looked comfortable in his ninth-inning at-bat Tuesday night. Pujols' single broke a 0-for-22 skid for St. Louis pinch-hitters. Orlando Palmeiro's pinch-hit triple in the season-opener was the team's only other pinch hit of the year.
Having Pujols available as a pinch-hitter is the only silver lining in the otherwise somber reality for La Russa that one of the game's top young hitters won't be in the lineup for three weeks as he recovers from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
"(Pujols) has been exceptional since his first game of his rookie season," La Russa said. "If you see him swing a bat, there isn't anything that's unusual about him having success (as a pinch-hitter)."
From the farm: Steve Stemle of Triple-A Memphis came within one pitch of a perfect game Tuesday night, allowing one hit in nine innings of a 1-0, 10-inning win over Colorado Springs. Gabe Molina got the win in relief.
Meanwhile, right-hander Danny Haren, the Cards' second-round draft pick in 2001, improved to 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA for Double-A Tennessee with a 3-2 win over West Tennessee on Tuesday night. Haren allowed only one earned run in eight innings and retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced.
Haren has 20 strikeouts in 26 innings for the Smokies of the Southern League. Mike Lyons earned his eighth save.
Worth noting: With his second-inning double off Greg Maddux on Wednesday night, Scott Rolen snapped an 0-for-16 string that had dropped his batting average to .258. ... Edmonds went 0-for-4 Tuesday to drop his career average at Turner Field to .077 (3-for-39). ... Chris Carpenter is scheduled to throw again Saturday at extended spring training after throwing 60 pitches in two simulated innings Monday. Carpenter is recovering from shoulder surgery last September and could be activated in early June.
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