St Louis Cardinals News

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ One swing at a time, Albert Pujols closed in on another career milestone. Pinch-hitting success had the St. Louis Cardinals' star, hobbled by a strained left calf muscle, one RBI away from becoming the first player to get 100 RBIs in his first seven seasons entering Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pujols had missed five straight starts entering the team's season-ending seven-game trip, but went 2-for-2 with a bases-loaded walk and four ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk at the time of his fatal accident and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving. Police Chief Joe Mokwa also said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old Hancock was speaking on a cellphone at about the time of the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis. ``Mr. Hancock was legally ...

Rather than overpay for any of the remaining free-agent pitchers, the St. Louis Cardinals would prefer to go with what they have. ``I think our alternatives are very good,'' general manager Walt Jocketty said Wednesday. ``You don't always have to have big names and pay a lot of money to get quality pitching and quality players. I think people have to keep that in mind.'' The World Series champions remained ...

The St. Louis Cardinals cashed in at the World Series, earning more money than any other team in history. St. Louis split US$20.02 million for beating the Detroit Tigers. A full share of that was worth $362,173, the commissioner's office said Thursday. That was nearly $40,000 more than what White Sox players received last year. Teams are allowed to divide the shares as they see fit. The Cardinals gave 48 ...

Scott Spiezio and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a US$4.5 million, two-year contract on Thursday, keeping one of the team's top reserves with the World Series champions. The deal includes a club option for 2009. The Cardinals also agreed to a one-year contract with pitcher Randy Keisler. The left-hander gets $425,000 if he makes the major league roster, and $110,000 in the minors. The 34-year-old Spiezio revived his career ...

The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals will host the New York Mets in the 2007 major league opener on Sunday night, April 1. The game, a rematch of this year's NL championship series, will be televised nationally in the U.S. at 8:05 p.m. EDT, the Cardinals said Monday. After an off day on April 2, the series concludes with games April 3 and 4.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has gone Hollywood. The New York Times best-seller ``3 Nights in August,'' based on a 2003 series against the Chicago Cubs and delving into La Russa's managing style, may soon be made into a screenplay. Producers Kevin Pollak and Kevin Frakes, inspired by the book, were in town during the World Series to witness the culmination of perhaps La Russa's finest managing job. They spent ...

The last two weeks of the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals were running on fumes and lucky to make the post-season. After a gutsy pitching performance by Jeff Suppan, some timely Cardinals hits and one big slip on wet grass by Tigers centre fielder Curtis Granderson, St. Louis is on the verge of its first World Series championship since 1982. ``We're just trying to keep our focus, and our ...

Was it dirt? A smudge from a resin bag? A magic elixir? Don't ask the St. Louis Cardinals what that stuff was on Kenny Rogers' pitching hand. They didn't get a good look at it, and even when he wiped it off, they still barely hit the baseballs he was throwing. Virtually untouchable this October, Rogers smothered the Cardinals on two hits over eight shutout innings, leading Detroit to a ...

Anthony Reyes won't be overlooked now. He entered with the fewest regular-season wins of any World Series Game 1 starter. He walked off the mound with the biggest victory of his life. ``Now I can sit back and kind of relax and appreciate what I just did,'' Reyes said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers 7-2 Saturday night. ``I was a little nervous, not too much. ``Everyone told me stay focused, one pitch at a ...

Albert Pujols showed up at the World Series hitting what baseball people like to call a ``quiet'' .324. That made it sound as if the St. Louis slugger walked all the way to Motown on his tippy-toes, but no. In this case, quiet meant Pujols was putting up respectable numbers in the post-season boxscores, but not enough, finally, on the scoreboard. Not enough, anyway, for a guy widely regarded as the most dangerous hitter in the game. That ...

A position-by-position look at the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers going into the World Series, starting Saturday night at Comerica Park: ___ First Base Cardinals: Albert Pujols. He has a great shot to win his second straight MVP award after another monster season. Pujols is at his best in the clutch, with 19 of his 49 homers providing the go-ahead hit, and he batted .397 with runners in scoring position. Bothered by a sore hamstring, he hit .324 ...

The first long drive to left field wound up in the webbing of Endy Chavez's glove as he crashed against the wall. The second one sailed clear over his head. And that's what sent Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series. Molina's tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning and another Game 7 gem by Jeff Suppan helped St. Louis overcome Chavez's astounding grab, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 victory over the New York ...

The New York Mets are handing the ball _ and their season _ to Oliver Perez in Game 7. That's right, Oliver Perez, who was demoted to the minors by lowly Pittsburgh less than four months ago. The erratic lefty who went 3-13 with a 6.55 ERA in the big leagues this year. The guy who couldn't seem to throw a strike earlier this season. And he'll be pitching on ...

With the New York Mets on the brink of elimination, John Maine pitched a game to remember. The rookie dominated the St. Louis Cardinals with the poise of a veteran, Jose Reyes sparked the offence with a leadoff home run and the Mets rock 'n' rolled at boisterous Shea Stadium to beat St. Louis 4-2 on Wednesday night and force the NL championship series to a decisive seventh game. Reyes had three hits and two stolen bases, ...

A rough start and finish to Game 5 of the NLCS could not keep David Eckstein, nursing a sprained shoulder and two bruised fingers on his right hand, out of the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup for Game 6 on Wednesday night. Eckstein slightly sprained his left shoulder making a diving stop at shortstop on Jose Reyes' infield hit on the first pitch of Tuesday night's game. After getting some medical attention on the field, he remained in ...

Jason Isringhausen felt a little bit like a proud papa watching Adam Wainwright get four outs to save Game 5 of the NL championship series. The St. Louis Cardinals' closer is out for the season after hip surgery last month, and has been serving as a mentor for Wainwright, a 24-year-old rookie who's taken over his role. Wainwright caught Jose Valentin for a called third strike to end the eighth and strand runners at second and third, ...

The day before the NL championship series started, St. Louis Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty joked about his team's underdog status. ``I don't even know why we're playing,'' Jocketty said. ``According to some people.'' Now, the team that limped to the NL Central title is on the brink of its second World Series appearance in three seasons. A 4-2 victory over the New York Mets in Game 5 on Tuesday night gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead and ...

A big swing by Albert Pujols and another playoff gem from a rejuvenated Jeff Weaver put the St. Louis Cardinals on the cusp of the World Series. Pujols' homer helped the Cardinals get to Tom Glavine at last, and Weaver shut down the New York Mets for a 4-2 victory Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven NL championship series. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter can close it out Wednesday night in Game 6 at Shea ...

Albert Pujols is trying to protect his injured right hamstring by playing conservatively during the NL championship series. It hasn't been easy. ``I'm fine, I'm dealing with it,'' Pujols told The Associated Press before Game 5 on Tuesday night. ``But when I cross that line I don't want to make it a big deal, you know what I mean? ``I'm just going to be careful, and that's what's tough.'' Manager Tony La Russa said Pujols, the NL MVP ...

If it appears that Albert Pujols jogs to first base on occasion, there's a good reason. The St. Louis Cardinals' star has been nursing a right hamstring injury for several weeks and is under orders to run under control. Manager Tony La Russa said the injury also has affected Pujols' ability to drive the ball. ``He doesn't have that big power push,'' La Russa said. ``He's not going to be ...

Carlos Beltran sent the ball soaring over the wall. So did David Wright. And Carlos Delgado. And then Beltran did it a second time. With four home runs, the Mets tied the NL championship series, making sure it will end back home in New York. ``It's all even now. It's, `Who wants it more?''' Wright said after the Mets battered the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen in a 12-5 victory Sunday ...

Albert Pujols is one of the best players in the major leagues. Lately, he's been one of the haughtiest, too. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa doesn't condone Pujols' occasional arrogance. But he said it's part of the package with his star, who has a good chance to win his second straight NL MVP award. ``You get those guys after the competition and they're not accountable,'' La Russa said. ``They don't want to give credit, they're (mad) that ...

Scott Rolen, who's 1-for-14 in the post-season while dealing with a sore left shoulder, was not in the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup for Game 2 of the NL championship series on Friday night. Scott Spiezio replaced Rolen, who was 0-for-3 with a walk in Game 1, both at third base and in the fifth spot in the order. Spiezio also filled in for Rolen in Game 4 of the division ...

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter will start Game 2 of the NL championship series against the Mets on Friday instead of the third game, with St. Louis manager Tony La Russa making the switch a day after the opener was rained out. Carpenter, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, was 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in the Cardinals' first-round win over San Diego and is 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA ...

Scott Rolen was on the bench for the St. Louis Cardinals' first-round clincher. He expects to be in the lineup throughout the National League championship series. Rolen said Tuesday he did not ask out of the lineup before Game 4 against the San Diego Padres due to fatigue and soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder. He said he simply informed Tony La Russa about his condition after consulting with ...

Dave Roberts stood in the San Diego clubhouse shaking his head, unable to explain why the Padres failed to come up with any clutch hits in their first round loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. ``I wish I knew,'' said the Padres left fielder, who hit .438 in the series. ``That's the difference, obviously, in the series. When they had to make pitches, they made pitches.'' For the second straight ...

Just like last year, the St. Louis Cardinals breezed by the San Diego Padres and into the NL championship series. Chris Carpenter recovered from a shaky start for his second victory of the series, Juan Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking triple and the Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 Sunday night to win their best-of-five first-round NL playoff 3-1. St. Louis nearly wasted a seven-game lead in the final two ...

The Cardinals started ace Chris Carpenter in Game 4 against the Padres, deciding not to save him for either the NL championship series opener at New York or a possible fifth game at San Diego. Manager Tony La Russa had held back Carpenter on the last scheduled day of the regular season, opting to save Carpenter for a possible makeup game against San Francisco, a tiebreaker with Houston or the post-season opener. ``It's a different set of circumstances. ...

Now Chris Carpenter has the chance to put the St. Louis Cardinals back into the NL championship series. Following Saturday's 3-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, St. Louis still had a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NL playoff and the opportunity to close out the first-round series at home Sunday. ``Carpenter's a Cy Young candidate,'' shortstop David Eckstein said. ``We feel very confident.'' As usual, Carpenter, the one-time Toronto Blue Jay, was sparse with his words and ...