| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A big game wasn't enough for Jim Edmonds to say
his slump is over.
"I can't explain why I can't get a hit for a month and why
today I probably felt worse than I have in a week and got two
hits," Edmonds said his three-run homer helped the St. Louis
Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4 Monday night.
"I just felt uncomfortable. I was just trying to hit the
ball."
Edmonds had been 2-for-27 in a slump that dropped his average 17
points to .308. His 33rd homer in the fourth off Kris Benson (8-11)
was his first since he hit two on Aug. 2, a stretch of 57 at-bats,
and tied his career best in 1995.
Edmonds also singled in the first as the NL Central leaders won
for the fifth time in six games. He felt a recent stretch of three
days off in a span of four days ending Saturday might have helped.
"What I do when I'm struggling this bad is I don't hit,"
Edmonds said. "I tried not to do anything, just rest up and forget
all my bad habits."
He also said he noticed he's been moving around too much in the
batter's box.
Garrett Stephenson won his 14th game for St. Louis despite
allowing two-run homers to Jason Kendall and Brian Giles. Giles
became the first Pirates player since Willie Stargell in 1972 and
'73 to hit 30 or more in consecutive seasons.
"I think it shows consistency," Giles said. "Too bad we
haven't won more games."
Stephenson (14-7) is 3-0 in his last four starts and tied Darryl
Kile, who pitches Tuesday night, for the team lead in victories. In
seven innings, he gave up four runs on four hits with two
strikeouts and a walk.
"I had great stuff," Stephenson said. "I felt like I could
locate at any time and I happened to give up four runs on a good
day."
Stephenson, 1-for-44 at the plate entering the game, also drove
in a run with a single in the second. Right fielder Alex Ramirez
attempted a shoestring catch and the ball rolled past him to the
wall as Stephenson went to third and a second run scored.
Manager Tony La Russa made good on a promise to give Stephenson
$100 if he got an opposite-field single in a victory.
"I had a $50 and three $20s," La Russa said. "I gave him an
extra $10 for the RBI. I went to shake his hand and he had his hand
out. I said, 'That's a funny way to shake hands.' "
Benson lasted 3 1/3 innings, his second-shortest outing of the
season, and gave up six runs and seven hits. The first pick of the
1996 draft is 0-5 with a 5.48 ERA in eight starts since the
All-Star break.
Benson's last victory was July 8 over the Twins and his last
victory on the road was June 30 at Philadelphia.
"I fell into a little rut last year, losing my last six out of
seven, and it seems like it's going the same way this year,"
Benson said. "Hopefully, we can find something that works and I
can get back on track."
Fernando Vina bunted for a single in the fourth to give him a
13-game hitting streak, tied with Fernando Tatis for the team's
best this year. He's 20-for-55 (.364) during the streak.
J.D. Drew added an RBI single in the four-run fourth and Ray
Lankford hit his 18th homer in the fifth off Bronson Arroyo. Dave
Veres got the last four outs for his 21st save in 26 chances.
Game notes
Benson's shortest outing of the season was 2 2/3 innings
against New York April 16 in which he gave up six runs, three
earned. He had been 2-0 with three runs allowed in 16 innings
against the Cardinals this season. ... Monday was longtime
Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck's 76th birthday. ... Giles has
homered in five of the last eight games and he's 16-for-32 during a
nine-game hitting streak with 11 of the hits for extra bases. ...
Pirates starters are 3-11 with a 7.17 ERA since the second game of
a doubleheader on Aug. 1. ... The Pirates have lost 10 of 14 and
are 2-5 on a 10-day, nine-game trip.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 12
Texas 3
Boston 7
Anaheim 6
Detroit 3
Oakland 1
Baltimore 2
Kansas City 1
Tampa Bay 11
Chi. White Sox 4
Cincinnati 7
Philadelphia 4
Houston 5
Chicago Cubs 4
St. Louis 7
Pittsburgh 4
Atlanta 7
Colorado 4
Milwaukee 16
Arizona 8
San Diego 5
NY Mets 4
Montreal 4
Los Angeles 1
San Francisco 6
Florida 0
|