GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NL: PITTSBURGH (19-26) at ST LOUIS (18-25)

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NL AT ST LOUIS - MID INNING UPDATE
PLAY: N McLouth hit for B Rogers.
SITUATION: 0 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 1
ST LOUIS 3 TOP, 9TH

DUE UP FOR PITTSBURGH: N McLouth (.244, 1 HR, 2 RBI)</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
PITTSBURGH 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0
ST LOUIS 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 3 10 0 (FINAL)

BATTERIES: PIT - TOM GORZELANNY, JONAH BAYLISS (6TH), JOHN GRABOW (7TH), BRIAN
ROGERS (7TH) AND RONNY PAULINO

STL - BRADEN LOOPER, RUSS SPRINGER (7TH), TYLER JOHNSON
(7TH), TODD WELLEMEYER (8TH), JASON ISRINGHAUSEN (9TH) AND
YADIER MOLINA

HOME RUNS: PIT - JOSE BAUTISTA (3) OFF BRADEN LOOPER IN THE 6TH, 0 ON

STL - NONE</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
PITTSBURGH 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0
ST LOUIS 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 3 10 0 (FINAL)

BATTERIES: PIT - TOM GORZELANNY, JONAH BAYLISS (6TH), JOHN GRABOW (7TH), BRIAN
ROGERS (7TH) AND RONNY PAULINO

STL - BRADEN LOOPER, RUSS SPRINGER (7TH), TYLER JOHNSON
(7TH), TODD WELLEMEYER (8TH), JASON ISRINGHAUSEN (9TH) AND
YADIER MOLINA


WP - BRADEN LOOPER (6-3)
LP - TOM GORZELANNY (5-3)
SAVE - JASON ISRINGHAUSEN (12)

HOME RUNS: PIT - JOSE BAUTISTA (3) OFF BRADEN LOOPER IN THE 6TH, 0 ON

STL - NONE


TIME: 2:49 ATT: 44,296

PROBABLES: WAS - MICAH BOWIE (0-2, 3.98)
STL - ANTHONY REYES (0-7, 5.84)

PROBABLES: PIT - PAUL MAHOLM (2-6, 5.82)
CIN - AARON HARANG (5-2, 4.78)</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">PITTSBURGH (1) VS ST LOUIS (3) - FINAL

PITTSBURGH ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Bautista 3b 3 1 1 1 1 0 3 .266
C Duffy cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .229
F Sanchez 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .285
A LaRoche 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .196
J Bay lf 3 0 0 0 1 2 2 .278
X Nady rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 .273
R Paulino c 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .221
J Wilson ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .250
T Gorzelanny p 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .091
J Bayliss p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-R Doumit ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .341
J Grabow p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
B Rogers p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
b-N McLouth ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .239

Totals 31 1 5 1 2 4 14

a-hit by pitch for J Bayliss in the 7th; b-fouled out to third for B Rogers in
the 9th.

BATTING: 2B - C Duffy (6, B Looper). HR - J Bautista (3, 6th inning off B
Looper 0 on, 0 Out). RBI - J Bautista (11). Runners left in scoring position, 2
out - A LaRoche 1, X Nady 1, J Bautista 2. GIDP - A LaRoche. Team LOB - 8.

FIELDING: Outfield assists - C Duffy (S Rolen at 2nd base).


ST LOUIS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
D Eckstein ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 5 .269
R Ludwick lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .205
A Pujols 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .275
J Encarnacion rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .273
S Rolen 3b 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 .219
S Taguchi cf 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 .243
Y Molina c 3 1 2 2 0 1 1 .304
A Miles 2b 4 0 3 1 0 0 0 .288
B Looper p 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .188
a-S Spiezio ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 .282
R Springer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
T Johnson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
T Wellemeyer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
J Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Totals 30 3 10 3 3 5 14

a-struck out swinging for B Looper in the 6th.

BATTING: 2B - A Pujols (9, T Gorzelanny); Y Molina (6, T Gorzelanny); D
Eckstein (5, T Gorzelanny). S - S Taguchi. SF - Y Molina. RBI - Y Molina 2
(12), A Miles (7). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - R Ludwick 2, J
Encarnacion 1, D Eckstein 3. Team LOB - 8.

BASERUNNING: SB - S Taguchi (2, 2nd base off T Gorzelanny/R Paulino), S Rolen
(2, 2nd base off B Rogers/R Paulino). CS - S Taguchi (2, 3rd base by T
Gorzelanny).

FIELDING: DP: 1 (A Miles-D Eckstein-A Pujols).


----------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH - 000 001 000 -- 1
ST LOUIS - 020 000 01x -- 3
----------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH ip h r er bb so hr era
T Gorzelanny (L, 5-3) 5 1/3 10 2 2 2 3 0 2.51
J Bayliss 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.61
J Grabow 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.91
B Rogers 1 2/3 0 1 1 1 1 0 4.50

ST LOUIS ip h r er bb so hr era
B Looper (W, 6-3) 6 3 1 1 2 2 1 3.10
R Springer (H, 2) 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.88
T Johnson (H, 2) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.10
T Wellemeyer (H, 1) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.60
J Isringhausen (S, 12) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.45
T Johnson pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

HBP - X Nady (by R Springer); R Doumit (by T Johnson); C Duffy (by T
Johnson). Pitches-strikes: T Gorzelanny 118-78; J Bayliss 8-6; J Grabow 3-2; B
Rogers 18-12; B Looper 85-56; R Springer 11-8; T Johnson 12-6; T Wellemeyer
12-10; J Isringhausen 14-9. Ground balls-fly balls: T Gorzelanny 4-7; J Bayliss
0-1; J Grabow 0-1; B Rogers 2-2; B Looper 9-7; R Springer 0-2; T Johnson 1-0; T
Wellemeyer 1-1; J Isringhausen 1-1. Batters faced: T Gorzelanny 26; J Bayliss
2; J Grabow 1; B Rogers 6; B Looper 22; R Springer 4; T Johnson 3; T Wellemeyer
4; J Isringhausen 3.

UMPIRES: HP--Dale Scott. 1B--Paul Emmel. 2B--Adam Dowdy. 3B--Ron Kulpa.

T--2:49. Att--44,296.
Weather: 84 degrees, sunny. Wind: 20 mph, out to
left.</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NL
PITTSBURGH 1
ST LOUIS 3 FINAL</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PITTSBURGH (1) AT ST LOUIS (3) - HOW THEY SCORED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ST LOUIS 2ND: S Rolen singled to center, S Rolen out stretching at second.
S Taguchi singled to right. Y Molina doubled to left, S Taguchi scored.
A Miles singled to right, Y Molina scored. B Looper flied out to center.
D Eckstein hit a ground rule double to left, A Miles to third. R Ludwick
grounded out to third. (2 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 6TH: J Bautista homered to left. C Duffy flied out to center.
F Sanchez singled to right. A LaRoche grounded into double play, second to
shortstop to first, F Sanchez out at second.(1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 8TH: S Rolen walked. S Rolen stole second. S Taguchi sacrificed
to first, S Rolen to third. Y Molina hit sacrifice fly to center, S Rolen
scored. A Miles flied out to center. (1 Run, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1,
ST LOUIS 3.</div>

 

NL: PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PITTSBURGH (1) AT ST LOUIS (3) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pittsburgh Starting Lineups -- J Bautista 3B, C Duffy CF, F Sanchez 2B,
A LaRoche 1B, J Bay LF, X Nady RF, R Paulino C, J Wilson SS, T Gorzelanny LHP.

St Louis Starting Lineups -- D Eckstein SS, R Ludwick LF, A Pujols 1B,
J Encarnacion RF, S Rolen 3B, S Taguchi CF, Y Molina C, A Miles 2B, B Looper RHP.

Umpires -- Dale Scott (HP), Paul Emmel (1B), Adam Dowdy (2B), Ron Kulpa (3B).


Gametime Weather: 84 degrees, Sunny, wind out to left at 20 mph.


PITTSBURGH 1ST: J Bautista grounded out to shortstop. C Duffy doubled to
deep center. F Sanchez lined out to center. A LaRoche flied out to center.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 0.

ST LOUIS 1ST: D Eckstein flied out to left. R Ludwick flied out to center.
A Pujols doubled to right. J Encarnacion fouled out to catcher. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 0.

PITTSBURGH 2ND: J Bay struck out looking. X Nady flied out to left.
R Paulino grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0,
ST LOUIS 0.

ST LOUIS 2ND: S Rolen singled to center, S Rolen out stretching at second.
S Taguchi singled to right. Y Molina doubled to left, S Taguchi scored.
A Miles singled to right, Y Molina scored. B Looper flied out to center.
D Eckstein hit a ground rule double to left, A Miles to third. R Ludwick
grounded out to third. (2 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 3RD: J Wilson grounded out to second. T Gorzelanny struck out
swinging. J Bautista walked. C Duffy flied out to right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 3RD: A Pujols lined out to center. J Encarnacion grounded out to
second. S Rolen struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0,
ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 4TH: F Sanchez grounded out to shortstop. A LaRoche flied
out to center. J Bay walked. X Nady lined out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 4TH: S Taguchi singled to right. S Taguchi stole second. Y Molina
struck out swinging. S Taguchi caught stealing third, pitcher to third.
A Miles singled to left. B Looper walked, A Miles to second. D Eckstein
struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 5TH: R Paulino grounded out to shortstop. J Wilson grounded out
to shortstop. T Gorzelanny grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 5TH: R Ludwick flied out to right. A Pujols popped out to
shortstop. J Encarnacion grounded out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 0, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 6TH: J Bautista homered to left. C Duffy flied out to center.
F Sanchez singled to right. A LaRoche grounded into double play, second to
shortstop to first, F Sanchez out at second.(1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 6TH: S Rolen walked. S Taguchi grounded into fielder's choice to
first, S Rolen out at second. Y Molina singled to left, S Taguchi to second.
A Miles reached on infield single to shortstop, S Taguchi to third, Y Molina to
second. J Bayliss relieved T Gorzelanny. S Spiezio hit for B Looper. S Spiezio
struck out swinging. D Eckstein flied out to left. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 7TH: R Springer relieved B Looper. J Bay flied out to left.
X Nady hit by pitch. R Paulino flied out to right. J Wilson singled to
center, X Nady to second. R Doumit hit for J Bayliss. T Johnson relieved
R Springer. R Doumit hit by pitch, X Nady to third, J Wilson to second.
J Bautista grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, R Doumit out at second.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 7TH: J Grabow relieved J Bayliss. R Ludwick fouled out to third.
B Rogers relieved J Grabow. A Pujols grounded out to pitcher. J Encarnacion
struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

PITTSBURGH 8TH: C Duffy hit by pitch. T Wellemeyer relieved T Johnson.
F Sanchez flied out to right. A LaRoche singled to right, C Duffy to second.
J Bay struck out swinging. X Nady grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop,
A LaRoche out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1, ST LOUIS 2.

ST LOUIS 8TH: S Rolen walked. S Rolen stole second. S Taguchi sacrificed
to first, S Rolen to third. Y Molina hit sacrifice fly to center, S Rolen
scored. A Miles flied out to center. (1 Run, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1,
ST LOUIS 3.

PITTSBURGH 9TH: J Isringhausen relieved T Wellemeyer. R Paulino struck out
looking. J Wilson grounded out to shortstop. N McLouth hit for B Rogers.
N McLouth fouled out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) PITTSBURGH 1,
ST LOUIS 3.</div>

 

Looper sharp as Cardinals complete sweep of Pirates

<h3>ST LOUIS 3, PITTSBURGH 1</h3>ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Braden Looper continues to make a strongtransition to the starting rotation.

Looper pitched six strong innings as the St. Louis Cardinalscompleted their second series sweep of the season with a 3-1victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

Yadier Molina had two hits - extending his hitting streak to 15games - and drove in a pair of runs for the Cardinals, who hadlost five in a row entering their three-game series with thePirates.

Looper (6-3) surrendered just one run and three hits in sixinnings, striking out two and walking a pair. The careerreliever picked up his second win this season againstPittsburgh, and has held the opposition to three runs or less ineight of his 10 starts.

Three relievers bridged the gap to closer Jason Isringhausen,who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny struggled throughout his start,yielding two runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The promisingyoung lefthander left the game in the six after taking acomebacker off his pitching hand.

Aaron Miles' line drive struck Gorzelanny square on the thumb,causing a contusion. Although X-rays were negative it was notimmediately known if the 24-year-old would miss his next start.

Gorzelanny entered Thursday's contest with a 1-0 record and a0.59 ERA in two starts this season against the Cardinals, butran into trouble in the second frame when he yieldedback-to-back singles to Scott Rolen and So Taguchi to lead offthe inning.

Rolen was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double,but Taguchi came around to score on Molina's double. Milesfollowed with a single to right, and the slow-footed Molina beatthe throw to the plate to open up a 2-0 advantage.

Pittsburgh got a run back in the sixth when Jose Bautista ledoff with a solo homer off Looper - his third blast of theseason.

The Pirates threatened in the seventh, loading the bases againstrelievers Russ Springer and Tyler Johnson, but Bautistagrounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

St. Louis added an insurance run in the eighth when Rolenwalked, stole second and moved to third on Taguchi's sacrificebunt before scoring on Molina's sacrifice fly.

 

Looper sharp as Cardinals complete sweep of Pirates

<h3>ST LOUIS 3, PITTSBURGH 1</h3>ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Braden Looper continues to make a strongtransition to the starting rotation.

Looper pitched six strong innings as the St. Louis Cardinalscompleted their second series sweep of the season with a 3-1victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

Yadier Molina had two hits - extending his hitting streak to 15games - and drove in a pair of runs for the Cardinals, who hadlost five in a row entering their three-game series with thePirates.

"I'm just trying to wait for my pitch and make a good swing,"Molina said. "That is it. That is the basics. I am learning towait for my pitch. If it is not there, I do not swing at it."

"There is nobody in the National League that is playing betterbaseball than our catcher, at that position," St. Louis managerTony La Russa said. "He did catch a one-run game over nineinnings and swung the bat real well."

Looper (6-3) surrendered just one run and three hits in sixinnings, striking out two and walking a pair. The careerreliever picked up his second win this season againstPittsburgh, and has held the opposition to three runs or less ineight of his 10 starts.

"Once we got the two runs, for me that was huge," Looper said."I felt like I was able to come after hitters a little more. Ido not want to say you relax, but at least you know if you giveup a wind-blown solo home run, you are not going to lose. So itdefinitely makes it easier when you score runs. You need toscore to win, so it's good to have them on the board early."

"They have a lefthander with quality stuff," La Russa said. "SoLooper had to shut them down and he did."

Three relievers bridged the gap to closer Jason Isringhausen,who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

"I see a lot more smiles on guys' faces and music in the lockerroom," Isringhausen said. "It is not quiet, so that is a start."

Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny struggled throughout his start,yielding two runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The promisingyoung lefthander left the game in the sixth after taking acomebacker off his pitching hand.

"It is just one of those things where the ball was dropping in,and you can't really control it," Gorzelanny said. "You feellike you make a good pitch, and then it falls in and they scoreruns. It's just how that game works. You just have to tip yourcap to them."

Aaron Miles' line drive struck Gorzelanny square on the thumb,causing a contusion. Although X-rays were negative it was notimmediately known if the 24-year-old would miss his next start.

"We dodged a bullet because of where that bone is right there,"Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "Obviously it was a very scarymoment for us. As we were standing there he was starting to getfairly black and blue."

Gorzelanny entered Thursday's contest with a 1-0 record and a0.59 ERA in two starts this season against the Cardinals, butran into trouble in the second frame when he yieldedback-to-back singles to Scott Rolen and So Taguchi to lead offthe inning.

Rolen was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double,but Taguchi came around to score on Molina's double. Milesfollowed with a single to right, and the slow-footed Molina beatthe throw to the plate to open up a 2-0 advantage.

"It is nice to be hitting the ball a little better," said Rolen,who has hit .270 over his last 13 games after batting .200through his first 27. "But I thought that ball was deeper thanit was and he (Pirate center fielder Chris Duffy) made a goodthrow."

Pittsburgh got a run back in the sixth when Jose Bautista ledoff with a solo homer off Looper - his third blast of theseason.

The Pirates threatened in the seventh, loading the bases againstrelievers Russ Springer and Tyler Johnson, but Bautistagrounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

"We find ourselves in baseball games every day with anopportunity to win," Tracy said after a series in which his teamwent 0-for-12 in two-out RBI situations. "Obviously, if we aregoing to get where we want to be, there are some things thatneed to happen offensively.

"As we continue on here, we just have to keep battling. It isgames out there like today and last night. There are all kindsof opportunities for us if offensively we can get somethinggoing, here and there."

"Sometimes it is good pitching and sometimes it is not very goodhitting, and I think right now I think it is a little bit ofboth," left fielder Jason Bay said. "We have regressed a littlebit."

St. Louis added an insurance run in the eighth when Rolenwalked, stole second and moved to third on Taguchi's sacrificebunt before scoring on Molina's sacrifice fly.

"I just wanted something out over the plate to drive," Molinasaid. "He threw me a slider, cutter, and I made a pretty goodswing and drove it that way.

"You score an insurance run in the eighth inning without a hitthat is winning baseball. And, we have an elite closer. If wetake the lead enough we can get back in this thing."