Post by Fish Troll on May 26, 2007 10:56:00 GMT -5
Reyes unable to earn first victory
Gives up five runs in 5 2/3 frames; Pujols, Edmonds homer
By Daniel Berk / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- One can chalk up the Cardinals' 5-4 loss to the Nationals on Friday night to a number of things -- bad luck, great defense by the opposition or bad baserunning. Any way you slice it, Cards starter Anthony Reyes is still looking for his first win of the season, after falling to 0-8 in 2007.
Reyes went 5 2/3 innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and saw the same problems creep up -- untimely walks, big innings and deep counts.
"I don't think about the wins [and] losses," Reyes said. "If I did, it would probably really get to me. I just go out there trying to throw strikes and keep us in the game. I don't change anything in the way I'm approaching my starts."
While Reyes put the Cards in an early hole, giving up three runs in the second inning, the team had plenty of chances to pull ahead later, but couldn't thanks to some impressive defense by the Nats.
After getting on the board in the fourth with solo home runs by Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds, the middle of the Cards lineup threatened again in the sixth. Trailing, 5-2, Pujols started the inning with a single. After Juan Encarnacion popped up for the first out, Scott Rolen singled to right field on a check swing to put two runners on with one out.
Edmonds came up and ripped a pitch from Nats relief pitcher Winston Abreu to right field. Right fielder Austin Kearns dove on the warning track, sprawling and catching Edmonds' drive before hitting the wall. He then got up quickly and fired the ball back into the infield to double Rolen off first.
"That was a great play, a game-changing play," Cards manager Tony La Russa said. "You just have to give him credit. He ran a long way for it. That's why he's in the big leagues. That was a great play."
After getting a run across in the seventh to make it 5-3, the Cards had a chance for a big inning in the eighth. Pujols again led off with a single and Encarnacion followed with an opposite-field single to put two runners on with no outs. Rolen followed with a soft single up the middle, scoring Pujols from second. Encarnacion, running from first, held up at second, rather than try to get to third with no outs. Edmonds struck out, and Yadier Molina grounded into a double play to end the threat.
"Juan has to be on third base. That changes the whole inning around," La Russa said. "That's not Cardinal baseball. That was a costly base not to get."
Encarnacion said after the game he wasn't sure if the ball was going to get through the middle infield, so he didn't want to round second base. Once he saw it got through, he didn't want to get caught up between second and third, so he stayed at second.
"I don't know what to say about that," Encarnacion said.
The Cards went 1-2-3 in the ninth to close out a frustrating night for Reyes and the entire team.
After looking sharp in the first, Reyes ran into trouble in the second. After a leadoff walk to Dmitri Young, catcher Brian Schneider hit a two-run home run to right field to give the Nats the early lead. Reyes then gave up back-to-back hits, before Cristian Guzman hit a sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.
In the sixth, Reyes let up two more runs. The inning started when Ryan Church lined a ball to Pujols at first base. Pujols leaped and got a glove on it, but couldn't catch it. He tried picking it up, but was beaten to the bag by Church. Kearns and Young followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Reyes then got a huge break, when he got Schneider to hit into a 3-2-3 double play. On the very next pitch, Nook Logan gapped a double, scoring two runs.
"The guy hits a first-pitch fastball with an open base and the pitcher on deck," La Russa said. "Maybe we should have gone about it in a different way, but just give the hitter credit."
Reyes said he feels healthy and just needs to eliminate the walks. The righty gave up five walks in five innings, one start after not allowing any free passes to the Tigers.
When a reporter asked La Russa after the game what the team could do to get Reyes out of his rut, the skipper had a positive view on it.
"If we would have scored six for him, that's one way," La Russa said. "He had two bad innings they hammered him. But, he's an important part of our rotation."
"I just have to keep pitching and getting better," Reyes said. "I have to throw strikes when it counts."
Daniel Berk is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Gives up five runs in 5 2/3 frames; Pujols, Edmonds homer
By Daniel Berk / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- One can chalk up the Cardinals' 5-4 loss to the Nationals on Friday night to a number of things -- bad luck, great defense by the opposition or bad baserunning. Any way you slice it, Cards starter Anthony Reyes is still looking for his first win of the season, after falling to 0-8 in 2007.
Reyes went 5 2/3 innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and saw the same problems creep up -- untimely walks, big innings and deep counts.
"I don't think about the wins [and] losses," Reyes said. "If I did, it would probably really get to me. I just go out there trying to throw strikes and keep us in the game. I don't change anything in the way I'm approaching my starts."
While Reyes put the Cards in an early hole, giving up three runs in the second inning, the team had plenty of chances to pull ahead later, but couldn't thanks to some impressive defense by the Nats.
After getting on the board in the fourth with solo home runs by Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds, the middle of the Cards lineup threatened again in the sixth. Trailing, 5-2, Pujols started the inning with a single. After Juan Encarnacion popped up for the first out, Scott Rolen singled to right field on a check swing to put two runners on with one out.
Edmonds came up and ripped a pitch from Nats relief pitcher Winston Abreu to right field. Right fielder Austin Kearns dove on the warning track, sprawling and catching Edmonds' drive before hitting the wall. He then got up quickly and fired the ball back into the infield to double Rolen off first.
"That was a great play, a game-changing play," Cards manager Tony La Russa said. "You just have to give him credit. He ran a long way for it. That's why he's in the big leagues. That was a great play."
After getting a run across in the seventh to make it 5-3, the Cards had a chance for a big inning in the eighth. Pujols again led off with a single and Encarnacion followed with an opposite-field single to put two runners on with no outs. Rolen followed with a soft single up the middle, scoring Pujols from second. Encarnacion, running from first, held up at second, rather than try to get to third with no outs. Edmonds struck out, and Yadier Molina grounded into a double play to end the threat.
"Juan has to be on third base. That changes the whole inning around," La Russa said. "That's not Cardinal baseball. That was a costly base not to get."
Encarnacion said after the game he wasn't sure if the ball was going to get through the middle infield, so he didn't want to round second base. Once he saw it got through, he didn't want to get caught up between second and third, so he stayed at second.
"I don't know what to say about that," Encarnacion said.
The Cards went 1-2-3 in the ninth to close out a frustrating night for Reyes and the entire team.
After looking sharp in the first, Reyes ran into trouble in the second. After a leadoff walk to Dmitri Young, catcher Brian Schneider hit a two-run home run to right field to give the Nats the early lead. Reyes then gave up back-to-back hits, before Cristian Guzman hit a sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.
In the sixth, Reyes let up two more runs. The inning started when Ryan Church lined a ball to Pujols at first base. Pujols leaped and got a glove on it, but couldn't catch it. He tried picking it up, but was beaten to the bag by Church. Kearns and Young followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Reyes then got a huge break, when he got Schneider to hit into a 3-2-3 double play. On the very next pitch, Nook Logan gapped a double, scoring two runs.
"The guy hits a first-pitch fastball with an open base and the pitcher on deck," La Russa said. "Maybe we should have gone about it in a different way, but just give the hitter credit."
Reyes said he feels healthy and just needs to eliminate the walks. The righty gave up five walks in five innings, one start after not allowing any free passes to the Tigers.
When a reporter asked La Russa after the game what the team could do to get Reyes out of his rut, the skipper had a positive view on it.
"If we would have scored six for him, that's one way," La Russa said. "He had two bad innings they hammered him. But, he's an important part of our rotation."
"I just have to keep pitching and getting better," Reyes said. "I have to throw strikes when it counts."
Daniel Berk is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070525&content_id=1985570&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl
