CBSSports.com wire reports
March 31, 2011

ST. LOUIS — Doing the little things paid off for the San Diego Padres. One big swing, too.

Cameron Maybin tied it with a two-out homer in the ninth inning, then grounded a single that led to the go-ahead run in the 11th Thursday in a 5-3 opening win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres managed just two hits the first seven innings but scored two runs, and finally capitalized on shortstop Ryan Theriot’s fielding error.

“We fight, we claw, we hang around,” Maybin said. “We find a way to do it.”

Cardinals star Albert Pujols shared a big hug with manager Tony La Russa during player introductions, then endured an awful start to what could be his 11th and final season in St. Louis.

Pujols grounded into a career-worst three double plays while going 0 for 5 while five men on base. The three-time NL MVP cut off contract negotiations at the start of spring training and could be a free agent this fall.

“Definitely we had our chances,” Pujols said. “A couple times we had men in scoring position and I didn’t do my job.”

Matt Holliday homered in the eighth and had three hits for St. Louis. The Cardinals played extra innings on opening day for the first time since a 4-2, 10-inning home loss to the Mets in 1992. The last Padres’ opener that went extras was in 1996 during a 5-4 loss at Chicago.

It was 3-all when Chase Headley singled off Bryan Augustein (0-1) with two outs in the 11th. Maybin followed with a single through the right side and Theriot bobbled right fielder Jon Jay’s bounced relay back to the infield.

“You always want to be on your toes and see where the runner is,” Theriot said. “It kicked away from me a little bit and the guy was able to score. It’s a heads-up baserunning play.”

Headley kept running and made a headfirst slide to beat the throw home. Nick Hundley added an RBI single for the Padres.

“That’s how we have to play,” Headley said. “We’re a team built to pitch, play defense, get timely hits and run the bases hard. We won a lot of games that way last year. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.

Pat Neshek (1-0) worked around two walks in the 10th and Heath Bell needed only 10 pitches for the save.

After paying tribute to six Hall of Famers including Stan Musial, the Cardinals let the game get away from them.

Maybin’s solo home run came off a curveball from Ryan Franklin, who went 27 for 29 in save situations last season.

“A guy like him, he definitely likes to get ahead,” Maybin said. “It was probably his version of a get-me-over pitch.”

Holliday hit a low liner that skimmed over the wall in right-center in the eighth, a solo homer that put St. Louis ahead 3-2.

Chris Carpenter made his fifth opening day start for St. Louis and worked seven stingy innings, allowing two runs on only two hits. Tim Stauffer, standing in for injured Mat Latos, allowed two runs on nine hits in six innings for San Diego.

The Cardinals outhit San Diego 10-2 the first six innings but hit into three double plays, two by Pujols, and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Three times they put the first two men on, but totaled one run.

The Padres erased their second one-run deficit on Hundley’s two-out, RBI double in the fifth. The Cardinals almost made it out of the inning the previous at-bat when Maybin struck out with Ryan Ludwick running on a full count.

Ludwick looked like an easy out at second, but he rattled the ball out of second baseman Skip Schumaker’s glove, what Schumaker called a “perfect knockdown,” for a stolen base.

New Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman, a regular outfielder for the first time since 2004, had two hits and didn’t touch the ball in eight innings in the field.

Notes:

• Jim Edmonds, who ditched a comeback bid in February after signing a minor league contract with the Cardinals, threw out the first pitch.
• Latos, who’s on the 15-day DL, threw a bullpen session as scheduled prior to the game.
• Cardinals INF Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 22 with a sports hernia. He’s with the team and could play by May.

Albert Pujols cut off contract negotiations at the start of spring training. His bat was equally silent on opening day.

The three-time NL MVP Pujols grounded into a career-worst three double plays while going 0 for 5 in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-3, 11-inning loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday.

Just a coincidence, he insisted, that free agency looms this fall.

“I don’t think about that, man. I flip the page and play the game,” Pujols said. “It’s about playing baseball right now. Not about what I said a month ago, or what the fans are saying.”

Pujols shared a big hug with Tony La Russa during player introductions, and as the manager anticipated, heard nothing but cheers from a sellout red-clad crowd. Then he endured an awful start to what could be his 11th and final season in St. Louis.

“Hitting into three ground-ball double plays, that kills a rally a lot,” Pujols said. “It’s the first game of the year and you have 161 games left.

“I’m glad this is over. Now, we need to refresh and come back on Saturday and hopefully even up the series and try to win the series on Sunday.”

Cameron Maybin tied it with a two-out homer in the ninth inning and grounded a single that led to the go-ahead run in the 11th. The Padres managed just two hits the first seven innings but scored two runs, and finally capitalized on shortstop Ryan Theriot’s fielding error.

“We fight, we claw, we hang around,” Maybin said. “We find a way to do it.”

“Definitely we had our chances,” Pujols said. “A couple times we had men in scoring position and I didn’t do my job.”

Matt Holliday homered in the eighth and had three hits for St. Louis. The Cardinals played extra innings on opening day for the first time since a 4-2, 10-inning home loss to the Mets in 1992. The last Padres’ opener that went extras was in 1996 during a 5-4 loss at Chicago.

It was 3-all when Chase Headley singled off Bryan Augenstein (0-1) with two outs in the 11th. Maybin followed with a single through the right side and Theriot bobbled right fielder Jon Jay’s bounced relay back to the infield.

“You always want to be on your toes and see where the runner is,” Theriot said. “It kicked away from me a little bit and the guy was able to score. It’s a heads-up baserunning play.”

Headley kept running and made a headfirst slide to beat the throw home. Nick Hundley added an RBI single for the Padres.

“That’s how we have to play,” Headley said. “We’re a team built to pitch, play defense, get timely hits and run the bases hard. We won a lot of games that way last year. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.

Pat Neshek (1-0) worked around two walks in the 10th and Heath Bell needed only 10 pitches for the save.

After paying tribute to six Hall of Famers including Stan Musial, the Cardinals let the game get away from them.

Maybin’s solo home run came off a curveball from Ryan Franklin, who went 27 for 29 in save situations last season.

“A guy like him, he definitely likes to get ahead,” Maybin said. “It was probably his version of a get-me-over pitch.”

Holliday hit a low liner that skimmed over the wall in right-center in the eighth, a solo homer that put St. Louis ahead 3-2.

Chris Carpenter made his fifth opening day start for St. Louis and worked seven stingy innings, allowing two runs on only two hits. Tim Stauffer, standing in for injured Mat Latos, allowed two runs on nine hits in six innings for San Diego.

The Cardinals outhit San Diego 10-2 the first six innings but hit into three double plays, two by Pujols, and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Three times they put the first two men on, but totaled one run.

The Padres erased their second one-run deficit on Hundley’s two-out, RBI double in the fifth. The Cardinals almost made it out of the inning the previous at-bat when Maybin struck out with Ryan Ludwick running on a full count.

Ludwick looked like an easy out at second, but he rattled the ball out of second baseman Skip Schumaker’s glove, what Schumaker called a “perfect knockdown,” for a stolen base.

New Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman, a regular outfielder for the first time since 2004, had two hits and didn’t touch the ball in eight innings in the field.

NOTES: Jim Edmonds, who ditched a comeback bid in February after signing a minor league contract with the Cardinals, threw out the first pitch. … Latos, who’s on the 15-day DL, threw a bullpen session as scheduled prior to the game. … Cardinals INF Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 22 with a sports hernia. He’s with the team and could play by May.

Read more: State, Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis, Opening Day Cheers For Pujols, Pro, MLB

(AP) —  St. Louis Cardinals fans sent a clear message to Albert Pujols on Thursday: Please stay.

The three-time National League MVP received a warm ovation when introduced before the game, and again when he came to bat in the bottom of the first inning during the season-opener against the SanDiego Padres at Busch Stadium.
 .
It didn’t help. Pujols popped up, stranding Rasmus, though Matt Holliday followed with a single to score the runner.

It was the first regular-season game for the 31-year-old slugger since Pujols cut off contract negotiations with the Cardinals on the first day of spring training.

Neither side plans to negotiate during the season so it appears Pujols will become a free agent, opening the possibility he could leave St. Louis.

Pujols has spent his entire 10-year career with the Cardinals.

He has never hit below .300, never failed to exceed 30 homers and 100 RBIs.

Neither side has said how much Pujols is seeking in his next contract, but some believe he could get $30 million a year for up to 10 years.

 

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Doing the little things paid off for the San Diego Padres. One big swing, too.

Cameron Maybin tied it with a two-out homer in the ninth inning, then grounded a single that led to the go-ahead run in the 11th Thursday in a 5-3 opening win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres managed just two hits the first seven innings but scored two runs, and finally capitalized on shortstop Ryan Theriot’s fielding error.

“We fight, we claw, we hang around,” Maybin said. “We find a way to do it.”

Cardinals star Albert Pujols shared a big hug with manager Tony La Russa during player introductions, then endured an awful start to what could be his 11th and final season in St. Louis.

Pujols grounded into a career-worst three double plays while going 0 for 5 while five men on base. The three-time NL MVP cut off contract negotiations at the start of spring training and could be a free agent this fall.

“Definitely we had our chances,” Pujols said. “A couple times we had men in scoring position and I didn’t do my job.”

Matt Holliday homered in the eighth and had three hits for St. Louis. The Cardinals played extra innings on opening day for the first time since a 4-2, 10-inning home loss to the Mets in 1992. The last Padres’ opener that went extras was in 1996 during a 5-4 loss at Chicago.

It was 3-all when Chase Headley singled off Bryan Augustein (0-1) with two outs in the 11th. Maybin followed with a single through the right side and Theriot bobbled right fielder Jon Jay’s bounced relay back to the infield.

“You always want to be on your toes and see where the runner is,” Theriot said. “It kicked away from me a little bit and the guy was able to score. It’s a heads-up baserunning play.”

Headley kept running and made a headfirst slide to beat the throw home. Nick Hundley added an RBI single for the Padres.

“That’s how we have to play,” Headley said. “We’re a team built to pitch, play defense, get timely hits and run the bases hard. We won a lot of games that way last year. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.

Pat Neshek (1-0) worked around two walks in the 10th and Heath Bell needed only 10 pitches for the save.

After paying tribute to six Hall of Famers including Stan Musial, the Cardinals let the game get away from them.

Maybin’s solo home run came off a curveball from Ryan Franklin, who went 27 for 29 in save situations last season.

“A guy like him, he definitely likes to get ahead,” Maybin said. “It was probably his version of a get-me-over pitch.”

Holliday hit a low liner that skimmed over the wall in right-center in the eighth, a solo homer that put St. Louis ahead 3-2.

Chris Carpenter made his fifth opening day start for St. Louis and worked seven stingy innings, allowing two runs on only two hits. Tim Stauffer, standing in for injured Mat Latos, allowed two runs on nine hits in six innings for San Diego.

The Cardinals outhit San Diego 10-2 the first six innings but hit into three double plays, two by Pujols, and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Three times they put the first two men on, but totaled one run.

The Padres erased their second one-run deficit on Hundley’s two-out, RBI double in the fifth. The Cardinals almost made it out of the inning the previous at-bat when Maybin struck out with Ryan Ludwick running on a full count.

Ludwick looked like an easy out at second, but he rattled the ball out of second baseman Skip Schumaker’s glove, what Schumaker called a “perfect knockdown,” for a stolen base.

New Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman, a regular outfielder for the first time since 2004, had two hits and didn’t touch the ball in eight innings in the field.

SHORT HOPS: Jim Edmonds, who ditched a comeback bid in February after signing a minor league contract with the Cardinals, threw out the first pitch. … Latos, who’s on the 15-day DL, threw a bullpen session as scheduled prior to the game. … Cardinals INF Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 22 with a sports hernia. He’s with the team and could play by May.

 

Read More: Ryan Franklin (P – STL), Matt Holliday (LF – STL), Ryan Theriot (SS – STL), Lance Berkman (RF – STL), Colby Rasmus (CF – STL), St. Louis Cardinals

A late Matt Holliday home run broke a 2-2 deadlock and brought the St. Louis Cardinals to the precipice of an opening day win against the San Diego Padres, but closer Ryan Franklin blew his first save opportunity of the year and new shortstop Ryan Theriot was part of a crucial defensive gaffe on the way to a 5-3 loss. Colby Rasmus tripled in the losing effort; Lance Berkman picked up two hits in his Cardinals debut.

Chris Carpenter, taking the opening day start, allowed two runs in seven solid innings, striking out four and walking two. He was pulled in favor of Miguel Batista, whose place in the bullpen is apparently a little higher up the food chain than we in the internet punditry business had guessed or hoped. After Trever Miller helped the Cardinals escape from that strange eighth inning decision, Ryan Franklin’s first-pitch curveball with two outs in the ninth hit the wrong part of Cameron Maybin’s bat and then the wrong part of the outfield batter’s eye, unceremoniously retying the game.

The game’s other new Cardinal was Brian Tallet, who pitched a scoreless 10th while earning two strikeouts.

By Dan Moore – Managing Editor

Read More: St. Louis Cardinals

Follow , and Like SB Nation St. Louis on Facebook.

Mar 31, 2011 - The St. Louis Cardinals return to action after an excruciatingly long offseason on Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, which, I am pleased to discover, came especially early this year. Game time is 3:15; if you can’t hit Busch Stadium in time for all the pomp and circumstance, St. Louisans will find it on Fox Sports Midwest at the usual place, while ESPN will carry it in some markets as part of their Opening Day Baseball Extravaganza. Chris Carpenter gets the start against the San Diego Padres; Jim Edmonds, whose lingering foot injury kept him from what would have been a truly fantastic comeback in St. Louis, will throw the first pitch, and hopefully lay out for the first dive.

FSM watchers will get, according to the P-D, a get-pumped-about-the-season feature about baseball in St. Louis, among other pregame material, starting at 11:00. I hope you weren’t planning on going to work, or anything, though if you must you’ll at least be able to get the radio signal again—the Cardinals are back on 1120 KMOX, after years in what appeared to be a radio station broadcasting from Myanmar.