SB Nation New York - Cardinals Collapse In Ninth, Mets Pull Out 8-6 Winhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2011-09-22T20:46:49-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/22026552011-09-22T20:46:49-04:002011-09-22T20:46:49-04:00Mets Rally For Six Ninth Inning Runs, Dash Cardinals Playoff Hopes With 8-6 Win
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<p><font><font size="2">St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - <span>Willie Harris</span> capped a big ninth-inning rally with a two-run single, as the New York Mets beat the Cardinals, 8-6, hampering St. Louis' chances of reaching the postseason.</font></font></p>
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<p><font><font size="2">The Cardinals, who allowed six runs in the ninth inning, fell two games back of the wild card-leading <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> and five behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee with six games to go. Atlanta and Milwaukee were idle Thursday.</font></font></p>
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<p>St. Louis has three games at home this weekend against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> before finishing the season with three in Houston.</p>
<p>In a contest that was delayed 2-hours, 19-minutes at the start by rain and holding a 6-2 lead in the ninth, the Cardinals sent Jason Motte to the mound to close out the game. Harris walked, <span>Nick Evans</span> reached first on <span>Rafael Furcal</span>'s fielding error and pinch-hitter Jason Pridie walked to load the bases with one out. Pinch-hitter Justin Turner also walked to force in a run.</p>
<p><span>Marc Rzepczynski</span> (0-3) came in from the bullpen and was greeted by <span>Jose Reyes</span>' broken bat RBI single over the head of second baseman <span>Ryan Theriot</span>. <span>Fernando Salas</span> took over on the mound to face <span>Ruben Tejada</span>, who hit a two-run double to left past a diving Shane Robinson. Angel Pagan was intentionally walked to load the bases again. After a <span>David Wright</span> strikeout, Harris stepped to the plate again and hit a two-run single to right for an 8-6 Mets lead.</p>
<p>Bobby Parnell pitched a perfect home ninth to snap St. Louis' four-game winning streak, as the Mets avoided a three-game sweep.</p>
<p>Allen Craig's two-run homer in the first inning gave the Cardinals an early lead.</p>
<p>The Mets got one run back in the fifth. <span>Josh Thole</span> and <span>Mike Baxter</span> singled and Reyes walked to load the bases with two outs. Tejada also walked to force in a run.</p>
<p>St. Louis promptly responded with two runs in the home fifth to increase its margin. With two outs, Albert Pujols hit a solo homer to left. <span>Lance Berkman</span>, who signed a one-year contract earlier Thursday, David Freese and <span>Yadier Molina</span> hit three straight singles to plate another run for a 4-1 edge.</p>
<p>The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead. <span>Josh Stinson</span> gave up a one-out double to Freese, who scored on Molina's double. Daniel Herrera took over on the mound with a runner on third and two outs. Pinch-hitter <span>Tyler Greene</span> greeted him with an RBI single to left.</p>
<p>The Mets started their comeback with a run in the eighth. <span>Octavio Dotel</span> gave up a one-out single to Tejada, who went to second on center fielder <span>Adron Chambers</span>' fielding error. Tejada advanced to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on a passed ball to make it 6-2.</p>
<p><span>Manny Acosta</span> (4-1) tossed a perfect eighth for the Mets to pick up the win.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The Mets and Cardinals split six games this season...New York was without outfielders <span>Jason Bay</span> (illness) and <span>Lucas Duda</span> (dizziness)...The Mets went 3-3 on their final road trip of the season. New York went 43-38 on the road this year...New York starter Chris Capuano gave up four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings...Jake Westbrook allowed one run on three hits in a six-inning start for the Cardinals. </p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 9.22.2011 </span> </th> <th> 1 </th> <th> 2 </th> <th> 3 </th> <th> 4 </th> <th> 5 </th> <th> 6 </th> <th> 7 </th> <th> 8 </th> <th> 9 </th> <th>R</th> <th>H</th> <th>E</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
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<td>6</td>
<td class="highlight">8</td>
<td class="highlight">7</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">St. Louis Cardinals</a> </span></td>
<td>2</td>
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<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
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<td>2</td>
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<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">6</td>
<td class="highlight">12</td>
<td class="highlight">3</td>
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<td colspan="13">WP: Manny Acosta (4 - 1) <br> SV: <span>Bobby Parnell</span> (6) <br> LP: Marc Rzepczynski (0 - 3)</td>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/22/2443461/mets-cardinals-score-ninth-inning-rally-braves-wild-card-raceRyan Jones2011-09-22T11:51:41-04:002011-09-22T11:51:41-04:00Mets At Cardinals: Chris Capuano Looks To Put A Dent In Cards' Playoff Hopes
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<p>(Sports Network) – Within minutes, the momentum in the National League Wild Card race seemed to shift towards the Cardinals. St. Louis gets a chance to keep the tide in their favor this afternoon with the finale of a three-game series with the New York Mets.</p>
<p>Moments after the wild card-leading Braves lost to the Marlins, David Freese hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning that sparked the Cardinals to a 6-5 victory. The win pulled St. Louis to within 1 1/2 games of Atlanta and 4 1/2 back of NL Central-leading Milwaukee with seven contests to play, and the Cards can pick up a half-game in both races today with the Braves and Brewers both idle.</p>
<p>Freese also hit a two-run triple in the game and his game-changing blast over the right-field wall went just above a sign the prophetically read, “Now that’s positive energy.”</p>
<p>“It’s the biggest hit of my career,” Freese said. “Getting that win is huge.”</p>
<p>Jaime Garcia was awarded his 13th win of the season after giving up four unearned runs over 7 2/3 innings as the Cardinals won for the fourth straight time. They have also won 12 of their last 14 and can pick up their first sweep of the Mets this afternoon since a three-game set at home on April 21-23, 2009.</p>
<p>Jake Westbrook was on the mound in the Cardinals last loss and he’ll look to get on track today after lasting just 3 1/3 innings and 71 pitches in a setback to the Phillies on Saturday. The right-hander was charged with a pair of runs — one earned —on five hits and five walks.</p>
<p>Westbrook fell to 12-9 with a 4.58 earned run average on the season and has split two career starts versus the Mets. That includes a win on July 21 for the 34-year-old after he gave up two runs over eight innings.</p>
<p>New York lost for the ninth time in 11 games and failed to hold a 4-3 lead down the stretch. Reliever Pedro Beato fell behind the count to Freese before giving up the longball.</p>
<p>“I was trying not to walk him in that situation, and I left a pitch out over the middle of the plate and he took a good swing at it,” Beato said.</p>
<p>Already without Jason Bay for a second straight game due to illness, fellow outfielder Lucas Duda left Wednesday’s game due to dizziness two innings after running into the wall in right trying to make a catch. He will undergo further tests today, but it is believed he did not suffer a concussion. Still, Mets manager Terry Collins doesn’t expect to play him today.</p>
<p>That will leave New York one more bat short in an attempt to get Chris Capuano his 12th victory of the season, which would be the second-highest total of his career behind only an 18-win season in 2005. He went 11-12 the following season with the Brewers and holds the same record through 31 games this year along with a 4.47 <span class="caps">ERA</span> after a victory over the Braves on Friday.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old southpaw won for just the second time in nine starts after limiting Atlanta to a pair of runs on six hits and two walks over five innings.</p>
<p>Capuano is 5-5 with a 5.18 <span class="caps">ERA</span> in his career against the Cardinals.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/22/2442356/mets-at-cardinalsJimmy Hascup2011-09-22T02:18:33-04:002011-09-22T02:18:33-04:00Mets-Cardinals Score: New York Can't Overcome David Freese's Three-Run, Seventh-Inning Home Run
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<p>St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – The Cardinals’ playoff chances were helped by a Braves loss, then got even better when David Freese’s three-run homer in the seventh inning gave St. Louis a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets.</p>
<p>Atlanta’s setback to the Marlins and Freese’s go-ahead blast came within minutes of each other, and inched the Cardinals within 1 1/2 games of the NL wild card front-runners. St. Louis can make up the half-game in the finale of this three-game series on Thursday.</p>
<p>“It’s the biggest hit of my career,” Freese said. “Getting that win is huge.”</p>
<p>Freese had a two-run triple prior to his heroics in the seventh, which made a winner of Jaime Garcia (13-7), who gave up four unearned runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings of work.</p>
<p>New York’s Chris Schwinden, on the eve of his 25th birthday, was in line for his first big league win after tossing six quality innings.</p>
<p>But the Mets couldn’t hold a 4-3 lead down the stretch to lose for the ninth time in 11 games.</p>
<p>Miguel Batista relieved Schwinden and retired the first two hitters before Albert Pujols kept the seventh alive with a single. Daniel Herrera (0-1) came in for one batter and gave up a single to Lance Berkman before Freese stepped up against Pedro Beato.</p>
<p>Beato, down 3-1 in the count, threw a 90-m.p.h. fastball right down the middle, and Freese took it the other way and over the right field wall, just above a sign the prophetically read, “Now that’s positive energy.”</p>
<p>“I was trying not to walk him in that situation, and I left a pitch out over the middle of the plate and he took a good swing at it,” Beato said.</p>
<p>A suddenly resurgent Busch Stadium crowd was briefly quieted when Jason Motte surrendered a two-out, solo homer to Willie Harris in the ninth, but the reliever struck out pinch-hitter Josh Thole to secure his eighth save and St. Louis’ seventh win in eight games.</p>
<p>Freese drove in a pair with a triple into the right-field corner in the first inning, and Allen Craig knocked in another run an inning later.</p>
<p>Pujols and Berkman each came up empty with the bases loaded later in the second, and the Mets pushed four across in the third, two coming in when Rafael Furcal booted a routine ground ball up the middle.</p>
<p>Josh Satin added a pinch-hit, two-run double later in the frame, and it stayed 4-3 until the deciding seventh.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/22/2441834/mets-cardinals-score-new-york-cant-overcome-david-freeses-three-runJimmy Hascup2011-09-21T16:52:40-04:002011-09-21T16:52:40-04:00Mets At Cardinals: Chris Schwinden Looks For First Major League Win
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<p>(Sports Network) – Third-year lefty Jaime Garcia becomes the latest St. Louis pitcher with a chance to keep the club in the playoff hunt when the Cardinals host the New York Mets in the middle contest of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.</p>
<p>Ryan Theriot and Adron Chambers came up big in pinch-hit situations in the seventh on Tuesday, as the streaking Cardinals scored six two-out runs in the frame to upend the Mets, 11-6.</p>
<p>Theriot doubled in a pair and Chambers hit a bases-loaded triple for St. Louis, which has won six of seven to stay in the NL wild card hunt. The front- running Atlanta Braves also won on Tuesday, keeping St. Louis 2 1/2 games behind.</p>
<p>Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and another driven in, while Lance Berkman added two hits and two <span class="caps">RBI</span> to offset Edwin Jackson’s rough start.</p>
<p>Angel Pagan had three hits and an <span class="caps">RBI</span> to lead New York, which did St. Louis a favor over the weekend by taking two of three in Atlanta.</p>
<p>Garcia, a 25-year-old, debuted with the Cardinals in 2009 and made one start in 10 appearances, then became a full-time starter a year later while posting a 13-8 record in 28 outings.</p>
<p>He’s 12-7 in 30 starts so far in 2011, with wins No. 11 and 12 coming against Cincinnati and Atlanta, respectively, on Sept. 3 and 10.</p>
<p>He got a no-decision in the Cardinals’ 4-2 defeat of Philadelphia in his most recent assignment on Sept. 16 and St. Louis is 6-4 in his last 10.</p>
<p>Garcia has no decisions in two career starts against New York.</p>
<p>For the Mets, rookie Chris Schwinden makes the third start of his career.</p>
<p>He is winless in his first two, having lost to Atlanta and Washington while allowing 12 hits and six earned runs in 10 innings.</p>
<p>The 6-foot-3, 165-pounder, who’ll turn 25 on Thursday, has walked three batters and struck out seven.</p>
<p>He spent the early part of the 2011 season in Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Buffalo, going 8-8 in 28 appearances with a 3.87 earned run average in 148 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>These two clubs have split four meetings so far this year.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/21/2440911/mets-at-cardinals-chris-schwinden-looks-for-first-major-league-winJimmy Hascup2011-09-21T00:06:35-04:002011-09-21T00:06:35-04:00Mets-Cardinals Score: Seventh-Inning Bullpen Implosion Costs Mets In 11-6 Loss
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<p><font><font size="2">St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - <span>Ryan Theriot</span> and <span>Adron Chambers</span> came up big in pinch-hit situations in the seventh, as the playoff-seeking Cardinals scored six two-out runs in the frame to upend the Mets, 11-6.</font></font></p>
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<p><font><font size="2">Theriot doubled in a pair and Chambers hit a bases-loaded triple for St. Louis, which has won six of seven to stay in the NL wild card hunt. The front- running <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> also won on Tuesday, keeping St. Louis 2 1/2 games behind.</font></font></p>
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<p>"I'm just happy I was able to come up here and help out," said Chambers. "I bet any of these guys in here would love to be in that situation, to get the big hit and get the win."</p>
<p>Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and another driven in, while Lance Berkman added two hits and two RBI to offset Edwin Jackson's rough start.</p>
<p>Angel Pagan had three hits and an RBI to lead New York, which did St. Louis a favor over the weekend by taking two of three in Atlanta.</p>
<p>"It's the same thing we've been watching all year," said New York manager Terry Collins. "We battle back and then we give it right back."</p>
<p>The opener of this three-game set was decided by the bullpens after Jackson and Mike Pelfrey each gave up five runs. Jackson only last five frames and yielded nine hits and four walks, while Pelfrey lasted six despite allowing 10 hits.</p>
<p>With the score tied, 5-5, in the top of the seventh, <span>Kyle McClellan</span> put the first two hitters on, retired the next two, then walked <span>Jose Reyes</span> and Pagan in succession to force in the go-ahead run.</p>
<p><span>Octavio Dotel</span> (2-2) struck out David Wright to leave the bases loaded, and the Cardinals put together a two-out rally off <span>Josh Stinson</span> (0-2) in the home half to jump in front.</p>
<p>Pujols and Berkman each singled before <span>David Freese</span> walked to load the bases. Tim Byrdak relieved Stinson, and Theriot greeted him with a gapper to left for a 7-6 lead.</p>
<p>Chambers, in his fourth career at-bat, stepped up against D.J. Carrasco following an intentional walk to <span>Yadier Molina</span> and laced a line drive into the right-field corner to clear the bags.</p>
<p>Nick Punto added an RBI single to cap the six-run frame, and the Cardinals held on from there.</p>
<p>Lucas Duda doubled in Reyes in the first inning, and the Mets tacked on three more in the third. Reyes started the inning with a walk and moved to third when Jackson threw away Pagan's bunt back to the mound.</p>
<p>A pair of groundouts from Wright and <span>Willie Harris</span> each brought in a run, and <span>Josh Thole</span> singled in another later in the frame.</p>
<p>Jackson shook off the rough inning by helping himself in the bottom half with a leadoff single. The starter then raced around from first on a double into the left-field corner by Rafael Furcal, who later scored on a Pujols groundout. David Freese's RBI double two batters later cut the deficit to 4-3.</p>
<p>Pelfrey knocked in a run in the fifth, but gave up a game-tying, two-run single up the middle to Berkman in the bottom half.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Pujols has seven multi-hit games in September, raising his batting average from .286 to .304. He needs to knock in three more runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the 11th time in his 11-year career..The Mets went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13. </p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 9.20.2011 </span> </th> <th> 1 </th> <th> 2 </th> <th> 3 </th> <th> 4 </th> <th> 5 </th> <th> 6 </th> <th> 7 </th> <th> 8 </th> <th> 9 </th> <th>R</th> <th>H</th> <th>E</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> </span></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">6</td>
<td class="highlight">10</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">St. Louis Cardinals</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>X</td>
<td class="highlight">11</td>
<td class="highlight">16</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
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<td colspan="13">WP: Octavio Dotel (2 - 2) <br> LP: Josh Stinson (0 - 2)</td>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/21/2439487/mets-cardinals-score-seventh-inning-bullpen-implosion-costs-mets-inJimmy Hascup2011-09-20T16:55:51-04:002011-09-20T16:55:51-04:00Mets At Cardinals: New York Hopes To End Cardinals' Playoff Hopes
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<p>(Sports Network) - St. Louis righty Edwin Jackson gets his first career start against the New York Mets tonight as the late-streaking Cardinals continue a playoff push in the opener of a three-game set at Busch Stadium.</p>
<p>The Cardinals come into the series after taking three of four from the Philadelphia Phillies to move within 2 1/2 games of the Atlanta Braves for the lead in the National League wild card chase.</p>
<p>The Braves lost their second in a row and seventh in 10 games on Monday in Florida.</p>
<p>Jackson, who began the season with the Chicago White Sox, came to the Cardinals in a trade deadline deal and has been solid in 10 starts. He's won five of seven decisions in the NL, including three in a row over five starts since Aug. 20.</p>
<p>He was a 3-2 winner at Pittsburgh in his most recent outing Sept. 14, allowing two earned runs and walking none with five strikeouts.</p>
<p>The 28-year-old, born in what was then West Germany, is 60-60 in 120 career decisions over 200 big-league appearances - but he's never faced the Mets.</p>
<p>New York counters with right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who's dropped off from 15 wins last season. The former first-round draft pick is winless in four starts since Aug. 24, when he downed Philadelphia, 7-4 with six innings of three-run ball.</p>
<p>He's 0-2 since, including a tough-luck 2-0 loss to Washington in his last start Sept. 14, when he allowed two unearned runs in seven innings.</p>
<p>Pelfrey is 2-0 with a save in three career meetings with St. Louis, posting a stingy 1.20 earned run average in 15 innings.</p>
<p>On Monday in Philadelphia, Kyle Lohse outdueled Roy Halladay, and Lance Berkman drove in a pair of runs for the Cardinals in a 4-3 victory over the Phillies.</p>
<p>Lohse (14-8) worked 7 1/3 innings, scattering seven hits and one unearned run with five strikeouts, while Halladay (18-6) gave up four runs on six hits in eight full frames.</p>
<p>Nick Punto and Albert Pujols knocked in a run each for the Cardinals. Rafael Furcal added three hits and scored once.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in Atlanta on Sunday the Mets helped the Cards' cause, as Ruben Tejada's RBI single in the eighth inning put New York ahead for good in a 7-5 victory over the Braves in the rubber match of a three-game series.</p>
<p>Tejada had two hits and knocked in four runs as the Mets won for the second time in three games.</p>
<p>Tim Byrdak (2-0) got the win in relief of starter Dillon Gee, who lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and five walks.</p>
<p>Byrdak signed a one-year contract with the Mets after the game.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/9/20/2438610/mets-at-braves-new-york-hopes-to-end-cardinals-playoff-hopesJimmy Hascup