Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
| Subscribe Now Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
|
 |
 |
|
Weather  Calendar Obituaries Classifieds Jobs Autos Homes Rentals Coupons Ad Center Gift Finder |
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
|
Home News Sports
Free Time Life Money Nation/World Opinion Blogs/Columns Archives Site Map |
| Sports ExtraFriday, August 31, 2007 11:00 PM CDT |
 Comments (1) |  E-mail this page |  Print this page |  Enlarge type |  Reduce type |  Search archives |  RSS feeds |  Add to My Yahoo! |
Ankiel’s grand slam lifts Cardinals to 8-5 win over Reds
ST. LOUIS -- Rick Ankiel hit a go-ahead grand slam, adding another chapter to the former pitcher’s comeback as a power-hitting outfielder. Ankiel’s sixth-inning drive and Yadier Molina’s two-run homer powered St. Louis over the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 Friday night as Tony La Russa passed Red Schoendienst as the winningest manager in Cardinals history. St. Louis again closed within two games of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, winning for the 13th time in its last 17 home games. Cardinals outfielder Juan Encarnacion was taken to a hospital after being struck on the left eye by a foul ball while waiting in the on-deck circle in the sixth inning. Encarnacion had been preparing to pinch hit when Aaron Miles fouled off an 0-1 pitch from Gary Majewski (0-2). La Russa got his 1,042nd game in 12 seasons with the Cardinals. He is third on the career list with 2,362 overall, trailing only Connie Mack (3,776) and John McGraw (2,840). Josh Hamilton hit his first career leadoff homer and Edwin Encarnacion hit an inside-the-park homer in the second for the Reds, who lost for only the third time in 11 games. Ankiel, now 28, gave up on pitching in 2005 after bouts of wildness and injury. He has hit five homers since being recalled by the Cardinals on Aug. 9. St. Louis trailed 4-3 when he drove a 1-1 pitch from Eddie Guardado into the seats in right-center with one out in the sixth. Randy Flores (2-0) allowed one hit and a walk in two innings, striking out two. St. Louis’ bullpen allowed only two hits in eight scoreless innings. The Cardinals are 15-10 since La Russa began hitting the pitcher eighth on Aug. 4, and that slot was productive on Friday. Reliever Ryan Franklin singled in the seventh for his first hit and RBI of the year in only second his second at-bat. Starter Adam Wainwright singled as a pinch hitter in the fourth, and So Taguchi doubled as a pinch hitter in the sixth and scored on Ankiel’s homer. St. Louis rallied after Anthony Reyes, pushed back due to ineffectiveness and starting for the first time in a week, managed only three outs. Brandon Phillips added an RBI triple and Adam Dunn had a run-scoring double in the first for a 3-0 lead. Edwin Encarnacion led off the second with his first career inside-the-park homer, capitalizing when left fielder Chris Duncan crashed into the wall near the foul line while missing on a leaping attempt. It was the Reds’ first inside-the-park homer since Felipe Lopez on May 6 last year at Arizona, and the first at new Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006. The last opponent to do it against the Cardinals was Ken Griffey Jr. who hit a game-winning homer off Andy Benes on Aug. 20, 2001. Notes: Griffey hit his first triple since June 24, 2003, at old Busch Stadium. ... Guardado has allowed 11 runs and 14 hits in 6 2-3 innings since returning from the DL on Aug. 7. ... The Cardinals have hit three grand slams this season. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
|
Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.
Tony La Booza wrote on Sep 1, 2007 10:53 AM:
Please read the rules before posting comments.
You must be logged in to leave comments.
If you don't have a member ID, please register.