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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Rick Ankiel didn't look like a struggling
rookie to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"He's probably the best-looking young pitcher in baseball, at
least in our league," Pittsburgh manager Gene Lamont said after
Ankiel helped the Cardinals to a 5-2 victory Wednesday night.
"When he starts throwing that curveball and change across,"
Lamont said, "they'll start talking about him like they did
about Kerry Wood."
Ankiel (8-7) won for the second time in 11 appearances, allowing
two runs on six hits in seven innings. He had been 1-4 since June
20, mostly due to control problems that forced him out of games
early.
"I think I just threw more strikes," Ankiel said. "I think I
attacked the strike zone more and fortunately we made some good
plays."
Ankiel also got back at the Pirates, who knocked him out in the
third inning May 19 at Pittsburgh. In that game, he allowed seven
runs in 2 2-3 innings, his shortest start of the season.
"I think beating any team feels good," Ankiel said.
The Pirates saw a completely different pitcher.
"This is the best we've seen him," Lamont said. "Against us
before, he's been real wild. He's improved a lot, I think, as the
season has gone on."
Ankiel, at 20 the youngest pitcher in the major leagues, matched
his season high with his seven-inning outing. He gave up home runs
to Keith Osik and Enrique Wilson in his final inning.
"I just left two balls up, and they capitalized," Ankiel said.
Dave Veres got four outs for his 22nd save in 27 chances,
stranding Aramis Ramirez, who had tripled in the eighth, when Osik
popped out to shortstop. Jason Christiansen perhaps got a bigger
out in the inning when he struck out the previous batter, pinch
hitter John Vander Wal.
Jim Edmonds hit his 34th homer in the first off Todd Ritchie
(6-7), beating his previous career best, set in 1995. Edmonds'
three-run shot Monday was his first in 57 at-bats but he struggled
in batting practice Wednesday and angrily tossed his bats on the
clubhouse floor.
"I think I'm a better hitter than what I'm showing," Edmonds
said. "But I keep pushing. I had a bad batting practice. I've been
having bad BPs since April 1."
Consecutive doubles by Will Clark and Fernando Tatis followed by
a triple by Will Clark made it 3-0 in the fourth.
Osik hit his third homer leading off the seventh and Wilson hit
his fifth with two outs.
Clark, who had three hits, hit his fifth homer to the opposite
field off Scott Sauerbeck in the eighth. The ball barely cleared
the wall for his first homer since he connected in his first four
starts for the Cardinals from Aug. 2 to 6.
"Thank goodness I hit it where I hit it, that's all I can
say," Clark said. "Did I think I hit it out? When I run to first
base I want to touch first base first, then I'll look and see where
it's at."
Edgar Renteria added an RBI single off Rich Loiselle later in
the inning.
Ritchie lasted six innings, allowing three runs and seven hits,
in his third start since coming off the disabled list from a
strained muscle under his armpit.
"He just made a couple of bad pitches when he was ahead in the
count," said Osik, the Pirates' catcher. "He battled for us.
That's all we can ask of him."
Game notes
The NL Central-leading Cardinals have won six of eight. ...
Fernando Vina extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games
with a triple in the third. It was a routine fly ball but LF Brian
Giles and CF Adrian Brown collided. ... Edmonds has reached in 100
of his 115 starts. ... The Cardinals have outscored opponents
122-73 in the first inning. ... Giles, who had been 17-for-35
during a 10-game hitting streak with 12 extra-base hits, was
0-for-3 with two walks. ... Brown had two hits and is 13-for-30 his
last seven games. ... The Pirates completed a 3-6 trip and dropped
to 22-41 on the road. They've won only five of their last 16 games
overall.
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