GAME THREAD: NL: ST LOUIS (58-62) at CHICAGO CUBS (63-59)

Rolen, Cardinals salvage series in Chicago

<h3>ST LOUIS 6, CHICAGO CUBS 4</h3>CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Cardinals needed this gameand they got it.


Scott Rolen drove in three runs and Albert Pujols homered as theSt. Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs, 6-4, on Mondayin the finale of an abbreviated four-game series.


Rick Ankiel also homered for the Cardinals, who had lost thefirst two games of the series prior to Sunday night's rainouthere. With the victory, St. Louis improved their standing inthe NL Central Division race, moving back to within three gamesof the front-running Cubs. The second-place Milwaukee Brewers,who play later Monday at Arizona, are one-half game behind theCubs.


"If we come in here and play poorly we are done," Cardinalsmanager Tony La Russa said. "(A 4-2 record) on this road tripis solid. What we have done is put ourselves in a position tostart our (six-game homestand Tuesday) having some fun."

The Cardinals wasted no time getting to starter Ted Lilly (13-6)as Brendan Ryan opened the game with a single and advanced tothird on a double by Ankiel.


Lilly had a chance a chance to escape the jam after inducingback-to-back popouts from Pujols and Juan Encarnacion, but ScottRolen drove in both baserunners with a double down the leftfield line.


"My first at-bat is where I really needed to compete," Rolensaid. "I'm glad that I was able to do that. Obviously this isa big win, it's the team we are chasing. We didn't want to losetwo out of three."


After the Cubs erased the deficit in the second inning onback-to-back home runs by Daryle Ward and Mark DeRosa theCardinals regained the two-run edge in their next at-bat.

Lilly issued a one-out walk to Pujols who advanced to third whenEncarnacion doubled moments later. Rolen followed with aseemingly harmless chopper down the third base line, but thebouncer turned into an RBI double to left when third basemanAramis Ramirez was eaten up by the ball. Jim Edmonds followedwith an RBI groundout.


"That's a play that I normally would make," Ramirez said. "Islipped on the wet field, I got a long hop and when I tried tostop, the ball went right by me."


Ramirez made up for his fielding miscue with an RBI single offstarter Joel Pineiro (3-1) in the bottom of the inning to pullChicago within 4-3. The Cubs had a chance for more runs, withrunners on the corners, but Ward grounded into an inning-endingdouble-play.


Pineiro pitched five innings to earn his third consecutive winfor St. Louis, which acquired him July 30 from Boston. Therighthander allowing three runs, seven hits and did not walk abatter while striking out three.


"The key was the defense the guys played behind me on a wetfield," Pineiro said. "Our defense picked me up all day, thehome runs I gave up at least were solo shots."


Pujols continued his hot hitting in the fifth as he connectedfor his 28th home run of the season. It was the third solo homerun of this series for the St. Louis slugger who is 13-for-28in his last seven games.


Reliever Troy Percival replaced Pineiro to start the sixth andDerrek Lee hit the righthander's first pitch into the centerfield bleachers for his 14th home run of the season.

"Were not concerned with home runs, when you win they are greatbut today it didn't work out," Lee said. "All that mattersright now is how we can scratch out wins."


After recording the first out of the inning, Percival gave wayto Randy Flores who promptly allowed a double to Ward, puttingthe tying run in scoring position. La Russa immediatelyreplaced Flores with Ryan Franklin who got DeRosa to ground out,though Ward moved to third base on the play.


Matt Murton drew a walk before Franklin induced a flyout fromJason Kendall to end the threat.


Following the Cardinals' next at-bat, in which Ankiel connectedfor his fourth longball of the year, the teams sat through an87-minute rain delay. The stoppage did little to disruptFranklin, who tossed a scoreless seventh when the game resumed.

"Franklin was outstanding," La Russa said. "To come back outfor us after that rain delay and get three more outs was big.Since he was rested he was going back in, he had to do whateverit took to go back out there."


The Cubs put runners on first and second against closer JasonIsringhausen in the eighth, but DeRosa grounded into a doubleplay to end the frame. Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth toearn his 23rd save of the season.


Lilly, who came in 9-1 in his last 12 starts, had his secondconsecutive rocky outing allowing five runs, seven hits andthree walks while striking out three in six innings. In hislast start on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, he did notget a decision but gave up six runs in five innings during an11-9 loss.


"We went out and scored enough runs to win the game," Lillysaid. "It's a situation I feel I have to take advantage of, theoffense has done it's part and I have to be responsible to goout there and go deeper in the game."