|
|
|
|
 |
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
| Sport Sections |
|
|
| |
Monday, Aug. 21 8:10pm ET
Stephenson earns 14th victory for St. Louis | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
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 notesBenson'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
St. Louis 7
| |||||