Small ball comes up big

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Small ball comes up big
By Joe Strauss
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/10/2005

MILWAUKEE - Allergies turned Jeff Suppan's voice into a croak, a first-inning line drive left his right foot a throbbing reminder of a pivotal kick save, and a fourth-inning one-hopper off his right thigh staggered him.

Second baseman Hector Luna took a hard shot to his right knee while turning a third-inning double play and was down for several long minutes before staying in the game.

Facing Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets, the Cardinals' made-for-small-ball lineup constructed by manager Tony La Russa was missing first baseman Albert Pujols for just the fourth time this season. And it listed only two players with more than 40 starts at their respective positions.

Further suggesting something special may be afoot, the Cardinals again overcame all obstacles to take a 3-0 win Wednesday and a three-game sweep of the Brewers at Miller Park. Limited by Sheets to one hit through six innings, they manufactured a first-inning run with back-to-back bunts. Then they held on as Suppan escaped several early jams and benefited from an opposing manager's slow trigger finger in the seventh inning.

La Russa called it "a really special game," describing it as "like winning a doubleheader. We got to rest a couple guys and the guys who played contributed."

Shortstop David Eckstein, one of two opening-day starters in the lineup, scored the Cardinals' first-inning run following a leadoff double. Then he drove in the game's final two with a two-out single off Sheets in the eighth.

Suppan allowed four hits in seven innings. Al Reyes, Ray King and Jason Isringhausen got the last six outs without incident. The combination was enough to beat Sheets on a day when he retired 19 consecutive hitters at one point and allowed only one runner to third base through seven innings.
"I threw a lot of pitches early," said Suppan, who walked three through three innings. "Fortunately, later in the game they were putting it in play on the same pitches."

Suppan (11-8) took away battle scars as Brewers right fielder Geoff Jenkins' personal pin cushion. With runners at first and third and two outs in the first inning, Jenkins drove the ball to the mound. Suppan kicked at the bullet, deflecting it with his right foot to third baseman Abraham Nunez, who threw in time to first to end the threat.

Three innings later Jenkins one-hopped a ball off Suppan's right thigh. The pitcher recovered to make the play but needed to pause before continuing. Suppan's right foot later was X-rayed, and no fracture was found.

"It's part of the game," Suppan said dryly. "I thought he hit the ball well."

Suppan improved to 10-2 lifetime against the Brewers and is 4-1 overall since the end of June. Wednesday marked his first seven-inning stint since June 13.

"He's been pitching pretty well for several starts. It's a continuation of what he's been doing," La Russa said. "It's just that Sheets was so tough. That's the only way it could work."

In La Russa's 97th lineup in 114 games, Scott Seabol made several strong plays in his first major-league start at first base. Luna received his first start this season at second base. And the team improved to 73-41, the best mark in the National League.

"Everybody here feels a responsibility to keep going what the other guys started," Seabol said. "This opportunity means a lot."

Within Wednesday's lineup, only center fielder Jim Edmonds and Eckstein had made more than 38 starts at their positions. Eckstein became the game's pivotal offensive player.

"Guys are getting an opportunity to go out there and play," Eckstein said. "When you've got guys going out there who don't get to play much, they want to prove they can play here and be successful. This team is a lot of fun. We know we have to go out and play hard. That's what this club does well. It competes really well."

Eckstein won Sunday's game against Atlanta with a ninth-inning grand slam. Less than 24 hours later, his manager was in his ear.

"I hear the little comments," Eckstein said. "He came up the first game of the series and said, 'That was a nice win yesterday, but that was yesterday. We've got to be ready to play.' I hear that every day. He will not let up. You've got guys who will go out there and play like it's the seventh game of the World Series because it's their chance."

Sensing a tight game, La Russa called for left fielder John Rodriguez and right fielder So Taguchi to bunt consecutively after Eckstein led off the game with an opposite-field double. Taguchi's suicide squeeze bunt stunned the Brewers bench.

"At the time you're thinking, 'OK, if it means that much to you, take your run,'" Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "But you know what? It was the game-winning run. Tony has an incredible feel for these situations."

Yost and La Russa form a mutual admiration society. Yost speaks admiringly of the Cardinals' disciplined approach. La Russa thinks Yost is perhaps the game's best young manager, and publicly backed Yost's decision to allow Sheets to bat with one out and runners at first and third in the seventh inning.

Without a lefthanded reliever warm to counter a potential pinch-hit appearance by lefthanded batter Russell Branyan, Sheets sacrificed the trail runner to second base, leaving center fielder Chad Magruder to fly out to end the threat.

"The lefthander would have been Branyan, and (Suppan's) done pretty well against Branyan," La Russa said.

La Russa forced the issue by instructing Suppan to pitch carefully to No. 8 hitter J.J. Hardy, who walked on a full count to create the brutal choice for Yost. Sheets, hitless this season, had cleared seven innings in less than 70 pitches. The Cardinals poured more light on Yost's non-move when they scored two insurance runs against Sheets in the eighth inning.

The loss left Sheets 4-11 lifetime against the Cardinals and 0-3 in three starts this season.

"The guy is pitching a 1-0 game. ... I'm hoping, 'Pinch hit for him, please,'" La Russa said. "I don't care how good the bullpen is. I'd rather face the bullpen than the way that kid was pitching."

Eckstein again became the catalyst for a two-run eighth inning after consecutive infield singles by Seabol and catcher Einar Diaz.

"The leadoff double is huge and the base hit changed the whole complexion of the last two innings," La Russa said. "It wouldn't have been fun trying to hold a one-run lead for the last six outs."

The Cardinals (73-41) left for Chicago and a series rendered almost meaningless by the Cubs' continuing collapse. The standings, as the cliche goes, mean little.

"It's never different," said Edmonds. "It's always a zoo."

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[awefullspellare]

That first paragraph is painful to read!