By Joe Kay,



Associated Press

Updated 8:32 PM Saturday, May 14, 2011

CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto got the better of the St. Louis Cardinals team he kicked around the last time they met, taking a shutout into the eighth inning Saturday during Cincinnati’s 7-3 victory that moved the Reds back into first place in the NL Central.

Ramon Hernandez hit solo homers on each of the first two pitches he saw from Kyle McClellan (5-1). Brandon Phillips drove in three runs for the Reds.

The defending NL Central champions moved into first place alone for the first time since April 18.

Cueto (2-0) and Phillips were the central figures in a brawl last Aug. 10 ignited by the second baseman’s inflammatory comments. Cueto slashed two Cardinals with his cleats and got a seven-game suspension. He hadn’t faced them since.

The spicy rematch was all Cueto, who didn’t allow a Cardinal to reach second base until Matt Holliday doubled in the seventh. A pair of errors set up Jon Jay’s three-run homer in the eighth. Cueto gave up three hits and fanned five in 7 2-3 innings.

Cueto also made the best play of the game, whirling his glove behind his back for a no-look stab at Albert Pujols’ grounder up the middle in the seventh. That out brought a big smile to his face, and he patted his glove in response to a standing ovation from the 41,307 fans when he left the game in the eighth.

The last time Cueto faced the Cardinals, he got pinned against the backstop during the brawl and furiously kicked catcher Jason LaRue and pitcher Chris Carpenter, later saying he was only protecting himself. Cueto stayed in the game and lasted only 5 1-3 innings, giving up five runs in St. Louis’ 8-4 win.

Phillips set off the brawl by calling the Cardinals whiners. He hit a solo homer, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly on Saturday.

The win represented a breakthrough for the Reds, who won the division last season despite going 6-12 against the Cardinals and dropping four of their five series. The Reds have won the first two games of the weekend series, leaving them 3-2 against St. Louis this season.

The Reds have won eight of 10 overall, buoyed by the return of starters Homer Bailey and Cueto. Both had been sidelined by shoulder problems since spring training.

Phillips got the Reds going by leading off the second with his fifth homer. He showing no extra emotion while rounding the bases quickly after ending the Cardinals’ streak of eight games without allowing a homer.

Hernandez led off the third with a homer on the first pitch from McClellan. He did the same thing leading off the fifth, connecting on the first pitch for his ninth multihomer game.

McClellan planned to leave as soon as the game ended and return to Missouri, where his wife, Bridget, was scheduled to deliver the couple’s first child on Sunday.

NOTES: The Reds honored former manager Sparky Anderson before the game, playing a tribute to their late skipper on the video board and giving away statues. … Cardinals SS Ryan Theriot was back after missing two games with sore muscles in his right side. … The Reds activated RH reliever Jose Arredondo and optioned RH Mike Leake to Triple-A Louisville. Arredondo hadn’t pitched in the majors since having reconstructive elbow surgery on Feb. 2, 2010.

CINCINNATI — The Reds won the NL Central in 2010, and they have the pennant to prove it. But it’s not as if they wrested the title from the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals won the season series 12-6. In the much-anticipated series after Brandon Phillips questioned the collective manhood and temperament of the Cards, St. Louis swept Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 21-8 in the process.

The Cardinals are back in town tonight for the first time since that series, which, of course, included a benches-clearing brawl.

Big series?

“It’s always a big series when we play the Cardinals,” right fielder Jay Bruce said.

One teammate went a little further, calling tonight’s game, “the game of the Gold Medal match.”

He was being facetious, but there’s no doubt the series means a lot to the Reds. First place in the NL Central is on the line, but there’s the matter of the Reds’ recent record against the Cardinals, who took two of three in the season’s first series in St. Louis in April.

“It’s fun to me,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “This is what baseball’s all about: Competing against somebody who’s good and trying to get better.”

When the Reds were swept in 2010 in Cincinnati, they faced St. Louis’ top three starting pitchers: Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia.

“It’s always important to play well against the Cardinals,” Baker said. “The last two years, we didn’t match up well against the Cardinals. We didn’t match up good with Carpenter. We didn’t match up good with Wainwright. We didn’t match up good with Garcia. That’s what it boiled down to. They were setting their rotation every time.”

Tony LaRussa, the Cardinals manager, will not be in Cincinnati for the series. He is dealing with a case of the shingles. Bench coach Joe Pettini will serve as acting manner.

Baker and LaRussa have faced off 194 times. LaRussa leads 99-95. Baker had a winning record when he was at San Francisco (38-33) and Chicago (37-34), but he is 20-32 since coming to the Reds.

The Cardinals have gotten a huge boost from Lance Berkman, who signed as a free agent in the offseason. Berkman and Albert Pujols are Nos.1 and 2 in opponents’ home runs in Great American Ball Park: Berkman has 21, Pujols has 18.

“I knew Berkman would come back strong,” Baker said. “I said this winter, I’d rather him go someplace else. They’ve got three or four potent bats in that lineup. But good pitching beats good hitting.”

The Reds have been pitching well. The starters are 5-0 with a 1.28 ERA during the past eight games. Largely because of that, the Reds come into the series playing some of their best baseball of the year. They went 4-2 on a road trip to Chicago and Houston.

“We’re starting to play better,” Bruce said. “We just need to keep it up and be consistent. That’s the biggest thing — stay consistent and play solid baseball and we’ll be fine.”

The two games the Reds lost on the road trip were of walk-off fashion.

“I felt like this road trip — Chicago and then Houston — we’ve played well,” center fielder Drew Stubbs said. “I like where we’re at. With the off day, we’ll get some much needed rest and get ready for the Cardinals.”

The series begin a 20-game stretch without an off day.

“It’s against quality teams: the Cardinals, Philly, Cleveland, Atlanta,” Stubbs said. “A lot those teams are in first place or contending for first place. It’s definitely going to be a test for us, having so many games in a row.”

CINCINNATI — The season has yet to reach the quarter pole, but the weekend series between the Reds and the Cardinals is shaping up to be a big one.The top two teams in the National League Central Division open a three-game series at Great American Ballpark Friday night. St. Louis clings to a 1 1/2 game lead over Cincinnati and took two out of three from the Reds at Busch Stadium in late April. That is one reason this series looms large for the Reds.

Cincinnati has lost eight of the last 10 games against the Cardinals dating back to 2010. Reds Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman told us Thursday, “I think at some point you have to establish in your own mind, and you have to establish to some degree in their mind, that you are capable of beating them.” No longer can the Reds worry about the bad blood that culminated in a big brawl behind home plate last August. The Reds have to worry about beating the Cardinals straight up.Last year the Reds lost 12 of the 18 games they played against St. Louis. But because the Cardinals struggled against other teams, the Reds were able to take advantage and win the division. They can’t bank on that happening in 2011.

The Cardinals are in first place and they have done it without one of their ace pitchers, Adam Wainwright. After Wainwright blew out an elbow in spring training, the Cardinals turned to Kyle McClellan to step in. McClellan has surpassed expectations, rolling to a 5-0 record, with the Cardinals picking up wins in each of his seven starts.Meanwhile, star first baseman Albert Pujols is still hitting below a .270 average. Yet the Cardinals have managed to squeeze out a record of 22-16. It is evidence that the 2011 Cardinals will be in this race for the long haul. “I really believe, and nobody will ever admit to it, but I think there’s a mindset on the Cardinals part that they can beat the Reds every time they tee it up,” Brennaman said.

Marty thinks that line of thinking cuts both ways. “I think there’s probably some feeling among the Reds players, what in the heck do we have to do to beat them?” he said. The Reds are expecting plenty of fan support. A weekend series against the Cardinals is normally a recipe for big crowds, and in the past year with the Reds showing some life, it has become even bigger.The Reds also have reason for hope. Outside of Edinson Volquez, the starting pitching has been superb lately. Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey have provided a nice boost in that department.Cincinnati just won four out of six on their road trips to Chicago and Houston. They have won three consecutive series for the first time this season.Now the Reds have a chance to do something else they haven’t done since last season at this time, and that is win a series against the Cardinals.As Brennaman said, “You’ve got to establish the fact that you can beat them, and you have to start doing that (Friday) night.”Probable Starting Pitchers:
Friday 7:10 p.m., B. Arroyo (3-3, 3.68) vs. K. Lohse (4-2, 2.24); Saturday 4:10 p.m., J. Cueto (1-0, 0.00) vs. K. McClellan (5-0, 3.30); Sunday 1:10 p.m., T. Wood (2-3, 5.28) vs C. Carpenter (1-2, 4.32)

Hard-throwing Mitchell Boggs is perfect in his three save chances since the St. Louis Cardinals demoted Ryan Franklin last week.

Heading into a six-game trip that begins Tuesday at Houston, manager Tony La Russa insists nothing has changed in the pecking order. The official line from the top: Franklin’s responsibilities are still being reduced to help get him back on track.

“Just watch the game,” La Russa said. “We’re trying not to use him at the end of games but he’s part of our bullpen.”

La Russa is obviously saving Boggs for the last three outs but won’t anoint the right-hander, who has eight consecutive scoreless appearances since allowing two runs on opening day.

Boggs can be intimidating with a mid-90s fastball and has 15 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. He better fits the typical closer mold than the 38-year-old Franklin, who before this season had been successful pitching to contact in hopes of inducing ground ball outs.

Boggs just keeps his head down and waits for the call.

“I know what my role on this team is and that’s to show up and prepare myself to pitch at any point every single night,” Boggs said after finishing off the Reds in a 3-0 victory on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Boggs was a fifth-round pick in 2006 out of Georgia, and played one season of college football at Chattanooga. Last year was his first full season and he made 61 appearances, mostly in middle relief.

So farm he’s risen to the top of a relief corps that aside from Franklin is off to an impressive start with five ERAs below 2.00.

Jason Motte, the likely backup closer option while the situation is in flux, has a fastball in the high 90s and has six straight scoreless outings. Rookie righty Eduardo Sanchez has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, Fernando Salas has permitted one run in six innings.

Trever Miller, the lone left-hander, leads the team with nine appearances and has a 1.86 ERA, although he walked Jay Bruce with the bases loaded for a blown save Saturday.

“I think we all believe we can be a strength of this team,” Boggs said. “There’s a lot of guys who are really talented, I don’t see why we can’t be a strong point.”

La Russa has always asserted that closer is perhaps the most important job on the team, and Boggs is getting a good sense of the ninth-inning spotlight.

“You realize the game can be over if you do your job,” he said. “You’re trying to go after guys with everything you’ve got.”

Franklin blew four of his first five save chances, a stretch that looks much worse because of two games in which the defense let him down. But he also has a 7.88 ERA, has surrendered four homers in eight innings while allowing 15 base runners.

Franklin shaved off half his distinctive chin beard a week ago to change his luck and sported a clean-shaven look for the finale of a six-game homestand on Sunday. So far, it’s been more of the same for a pitcher who was 27 for 29 last year and an All-Star in 2009.

On an 0-2 count, Franklin gave up a tie-breaking, two-run single in the eighth inning to Miguel Cairo in a 5-3 loss to the Reds on Saturday. After retiring four straight batters in the seventh and eighth in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, Franklin gave up a long homer to Laynce Nix and got booed by the home crowd fans, prompting him to lash out and then apologize by the end of the day.

Notes: Albert Pujols has now played a full season against the Reds for his career, and in 162 games is batting .355 with 44 home runs and 136 RBIs, along with 50 doubles and 22 intentional walks. Teammate Lance Berkman has numbers against the Reds from his years in Houston that rival that production, however, with a .323 average, 49 homers and 137 RBIs in 155 games. … Lefty Jaime Garcia is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA heading into Tuesday’s start against Bud Norris (1-1, 4.91), who’s 5-1 with a 2.27 career against the Cardinals. … After a 1-for-10 series against the Reds, Matt Holliday’s hitting .400, although he doesn’t yet qualify for the league leaders after missing a week following an appendectomy.

ST. LOUIS — With the rain falling and the forecast calling for more behind it, the sixth inning Sunday night felt like the eighth.

So Yadier Molina’s three-run home run off Edinson Volquez felt like a game-winner.

The rain never fell hard enough to stop the game. But Molina’s two-out homer was the game-winner anyway. The Cardinals beat the Reds 3-0 before a crowd of 38,101 on another rainy night at Busch Stadium.

The Reds lost their 11th straight series at Busch. They haven’t won a series here since they swept the Cardinals in three games June 5-7, 2006. The Reds are 2-18-2 in series at Busch since 2003.

Volquez had avoided the big mistake until the pitch to Molina.

Volquez, 2-1, went 5 2/3 innings and allowed the three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out seven.

“He threw ball better than he has in a couple of years – under control, throwing strikes, excellent change-up,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “I thought he was going to get out of the inning. The pitch was supposed to be inside. He got too much of the plate.”

Volquez took full blame. He shook off catcher Ryan Hanigan.

“It was my call,” he said. “Ryan wanted to throw a change-up. I made a mistake – a fastball in.”

It was Molina’s seventh homer against the Reds.

“He’s an aggressive hitter with runners on base,” Volquez said, “especially deep in the game. He’s always trying to hit the ball the other way. I think he was looking for that pitch inside. He put a good swing on it.”

The Reds’ offense got nothing going against right-hander Jake Westbrook, who came into the game 1-2 with a 9.82 ERA, and three relievers.

“They told me he was struggling,” Baker said. “He threw the ball excellent. He was cutting it, sinking it. We didn’t center it too much.”

The Reds had only four hits. They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The Cardinals walked Joey Votto once unintentionally, once intentionally after a Brandon Phillips’ double. Jonny Gomes, in the cleanup role with Scott Rolen out, was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

The Reds scored seven runs in the series. It sounds as if Baker will consider shaking things up.

“I haven’t had time to think about it,” he said. “We just had a tough loss. We’ll go back to the drawing board.”

Phillips and Votto continue to swing hot bats. “Hopefully, we can get some other guys in on the act,” Baker said. “We will.”

Moving Phillips to fourth is a possibility.

Volquez avoided allowing a run in the first for the first time in his five starts. He allowed a two-out single to Albert Pujols. Pujols stole second, but Volquez struck out Matt Holliday.

“It’s a new beginning,” Volquez said.

Volquez gave up leadoff singles in the second and third, but avoided damage.

Through three innings, the Reds only had one base runner. Phillips doubled with one out in the fourth for the Reds’ first hit. Votto followed with a walk, but Gomes and Jay Bruce flied out.

Miguel Cairo led off the fifth with a single, but Ryan Hanigan hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Reds threatened again in the sixth. Phillips doubled again with one out. The Cards intentionally walked Votto but Gomes bounced into a fielder’s choice.
Volquez was rolling by then. He retired 10 of 11 batters from the third to the sixth.

But Matt Holliday doubled into the right field corner with one out. The Reds intentionally walked Lance Berkman and Daniel Descalso popped out to first.

But Molina hit the first pitch of his at-bat out to left-center to make it 3-0. It was Molina’s first home run of the year.

Molina came up in the eighth against Aroldis Chapman. Chapman’s first pitch nearly hit Molina. Home plate umpire John Hirschbeck warned the benches.
Molina grounded into a double play on the next pitch.

Edinson Volquez took the blame for the pitch that ruined his start.

The Cincinnati Reds right-hander said he shook off catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first-pitch fastball that Yadier Molina hit for a three-run homer in the sixth inning of a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night. Though it was his 100th pitch, Volquez said fatigue was not a factor.

“No, no, I was good,” Volquez said. “I just made a mistake. I just threw the wrong pitch. That was my call, too.”

Jake Westbrook threw six innings of three-hit ball in his first career start on three days’ rest for the Cardinals. The outing was the longest of the season for Westbrook (2-2), who entered with a 9.82 ERA and was strafed for seven runs in three innings Wednesday against the Nationals. The early hook after 68 pitches perhaps allowed Westbrook to rebound and help the Cardinals take two of three, break a tie with Cincinnati for first place in the NL Central and go to 11-0-1 in home series against the Reds since 2006.

The Cardinals had two men on with two out, both on pop-ups, before Molina’s homer.

“That pitch was supposed to be inside, but it got a little too much of the plate and Molina is a smart hitter,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Most of the time, in that situation he’s going to shoot you into right field, but that time it looked like he was looking for it in there.”

Baker said Volquez would have been done for the night after the sixth.

“What are you going to do, are you going to take him out right there?” Baker said. “The way he had manipulated his way through the inning, do you give him a chance to get out of that or do you bring somebody else in to take a chance of losing this game?

“That was his game and his pitch count wasn’t that high and he was throwing the ball great, he just barely missed on that location.”

Albert Pujols was removed for precautionary reasons after seven innings with mild tightness in right hamstring.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of doubles for the Reds, who were shut out for the first time and have lost nine of 11.

Volquez (2-1), who warmed up but did not pitch in a rain-delayed game Friday, had all seven of his strikeouts in the first four innings and limited the Cardinals to four hits in the first five before fading. Matt Holliday doubled with one out, followed by an intentional walk to Lance Berkman, and Daniel Descalso fouled out before Molina jumped on a first-pitch fastball for his first homer.

Volquez has allowed seven home runs, one off the league lead.

Phillips doubled with one out in the fourth for the first hit off Westbrook and doubled again in the sixth, both times ignoring boos from fans who can’t forget his role in a brawl last August in Cincinnati. Umpires presumably can’t forget either, with plate umpire John Hirshbeck warning both benches after Aroldis Chapman threw well inside against Molina in the eighth inning.

Volquez replaced Sam LeCure in the series finale, with LeCure the probable pitcher Monday night in Milwaukee.

Westbrook struck out four and walked three while throwing 87 pitches. He’s 8-18 with a 5.00 ERA for his career in April, by far his worst month, even after mastering the Reds. His previous outing, on six days’ rest due to a rainout, was his shortest in nearly four seasons.

Mitchell Boggs worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances since replacing Ryan Franklin at the beginning of a 4-2 homestand and relievers combined for six strikeouts in three innings. The Cardinals have won 10 of 14 overall.

Notes: Tony La Russa is much improved from a virus leaving the right side of his face swollen and eye nearly closed earlier in the homestand. … Molina threw out a runner attempting to steal and homered in the same game for the fifth time in his career, according to STATS LLC. … Reds RHP Homer Bailey (shoulder) worked 5 1-3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing three hits with six strikeouts and a walk, and the team will decide Monday whether he will need another start. … Joey Votto has reached base safely in all 22 games. … Chapman has not allowed an earned run in 10 appearances covering 9 2-3 innings.

The Associated Press

Posted on April 24, 2011 at 10:13 PM

Updated yesterday at 1:45 AM

Scores | Standings | Stats | Roster | Schedule | Transactions | Injuries | Depth 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Working on three days’ rest for the first time in his career, Jake Westbrook was at his best.  

Distancing himself from four shaky starts this month, Westbrook threw six innings of three-hit ball in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3-0 victory Sunday night.  

“I didn’t notice anything at all,” Westbrook said. “I felt great. It was kind of one of those things where coming into the night that didn’t even cross my mind at all. It was just a matter of going out there and being better than I have been.”  

Yadier Molina hit a three-run homer in the sixth off the 100th pitch from Edinson Volquez for the Cardinals, who took two of three and broke a tie with Cincinnati for first place in the NL Central. St. Louis is 11-0-1 in home series against the Reds since June 2006.  

“Well, the numbers don’t lie, but I think this is a different ballclub,” Reds outfielder Jonny Gomes said. “With the new core of guys here, it’s a different ballclub and hopefully we’ll be able to turn that around soon.”  

Molina, in the middle of the teams’ brawl last August after taking exception to Brandon Phillips’ bat tap on his shin guard, seemed to relish a curtain call.  

“I mean, every time you hit a home run, what do you want, to be mad or sad?” Molina said. “No, you’ve got to enjoy it, man, especially here.  

“That’s the way you have to play this game, to have fun.”  

The outing was the longest of the season for Westbrook (2-2), who entered with a 9.82 ERA and was strafed for seven runs in three innings Wednesday against the Nationals. The early hook after 68 pitches perhaps allowed Westbrook to rebound.  

“It was kind of one of those things where unfortunately I didn’t pitch very well so they could get me out of there,” Westbrook said.  

Albert Pujols was removed for precautionary reasons after seven innings with mild tightness in right hamstring, slowing up noticeably halfway down the line on a groundout to end the seventh. While optimistic, he wasn’t ready to guarantee he’d be in the lineup Tuesday when the Cardinals play at Houston to begin a six-game trip. 

“I don’t want to say yes and not be there,” Pujols said. “I’m a little bit sore.” 

Brandon Phillips had a pair of doubles for the Reds, who were shut out for the first time and have lost nine of 11.  

Volquez (2-1), who warmed up but did not pitch in a rain-delayed game Friday, had all seven of his strikeouts in the first four innings and limited the Cardinals to four hits in the first five before fading. Matt Holliday doubled with one out, followed by an intentional walk to Lance Berkman, and Daniel Descalso fouled out before Molina jumped on a first-pitch fastball for his first homer.  

Volquez said he shook off a sign from catcher Ryan Hanigan, who wanted a changeup.  

“I just threw the wrong pitch,” Volquez said. “That was my call, too. We had got him out before with breaking ball, fastball and changeup.”  

Phillips doubled with one out in the fourth for the first hit off Westbrook and doubled again in the sixth, both times ignoring boos from fans who can’t forget his role in the dustup last August. Umpires presumably can’t forget either, with plate umpire John Hirshbeck warning both benches after Aroldis Chapman threw well inside against Molina in the eighth inning.  

Molina didn’t think Chapman was intentionally buzzing him.  

“No, I don’t think so, I don’t think they did it,” Molina said. “But if they did I don’t care, we got the win.”  

Volquez replaced Sam LeCure in the series finale, with LeCure the probable pitcher Monday night in Milwaukee. Manager Dusty Baker confirmed only that LeCure would pitch sometime in the Brewers series.  

Westbrook struck out four and walked three while throwing 87 pitches. He’s 8-18 with a 5.00 ERA for his career in April, by far his worst month, even after mastering the Reds. His previous outing, on six days’ rest due to a rainout, was his shortest in nearly four seasons.  

Mitchell Boggs worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances since replacing Ryan Franklin at the beginning of a 4-2 homestand and relievers combined for six strikeouts in three innings. The Cardinals have won 10 of 14 overall.  

Notes: Tony La Russa is much improved from a virus leaving the right side of his face swollen and eye nearly closed earlier in the homestand. … Molina threw out a runner attempting to steal and homered in the same game for the fifth time in his career, according to STATS LLC. … Reds RHP Homer Bailey (shoulder) worked 5 1-3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing three hits with six strikeouts and a walk, and the team will decide Monday whether he will need another start.  

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

If you truly want to know when the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds started sharpening their rivalry, you’ll have to dig deeper than last season.

Frankly, sparks have been flying for years. They’ve played 2,116 times, so that’s a good indication of protracted friction. The buzz is still there.

Some of the bad blood began bubbling 50 seasons ago and it started boiling over again last season when the teams fought for the NL Central championship. St. Louis went 12-6 against Cincinnati, but the Reds won the division title by five games.

Back in 1961, the Reds won their NL pennant for the first time since 1940, and several Cardinals played a pivotal part in Cincy’s success. For example, Fred Hutchinson, the Reds’ manager, guided the Cardinals to a second-place finish in 1957, their best showing in the 1950s.

Nevertheless, the Cardinals fired him a year later and the Reds figured Hutch would be a nice fit in the Queen City. They were right. Sadly, he died in November of 1964.

Those Reds also raided the Cardinals for some key talent on that 1961 team. Second baseman Don Blasingame, shortstop Eddie Kasko and third baseman Gene Freese were former Cardinals.

Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson ignited Cincinnati’s attack, but Blasingame, Kasko and Freese all were starters. Reds’ relievers Jim Brosnan and Marshall Bridges also pitched for the Cardinals.

One other point: Bill DeWitt Sr. owned the Reds five decades ago.

In 1964, the Cardinals won their first NL championship since 1946, but they finished only a game ahead of the Reds. Had the Philadelphia Phillies lost to Cincinnati on the final day of the regular season, the Cards would have been forced to meet the Reds in a playoff.

Cincinnati wouldn’t contend again until the 1970s, when it built the Big Red Machine that produced league championships in 1975-76. Last year’s division title was Cincy’s first since 1995.

In a memorable 1967 season, the Cards and Reds went at it again. There was a game in July of 1967 when St. Louis jumped on Cincinnati starter Milt Pappas for seven runs in the first inning.

Lou Brock stole a base and that angered the Reds. They thought the Cardinals were trying to rub it in and tempers flared. Reds’ reliever Bob Lee, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder nicknamed Moose, rumbled out of the Cincy bullpen to instigate a fight with Bob Gibson on the mound.

Nothing much came out of it, through less than two weeks later, Gibson suffered a broken leg after Roberto Clemente’s line drive clipped him. Gibson was sidelined for about two months, yet the Cardinals went on to win the NL pennant and World Series.

Lee, also called Horse, lasted one more year with the Reds, then was out of baseball.

I guess the lesson from this is that what goes around, comes around. Sometimes, it comes around more than once, too.

OUT AND ABOUT: St. Louis manager Tony La Russa likes the Cards’ resilience. Remember, they started 2-6 and he was agitated after San Diego and Pittsburgh both won two of three games from them at Busch Stadium.

“I still feel great about this club,” La Russa said. “We never quit plugging and that always gives ourselves a chance to win.”

The Cardinals are developing right before our eyes. One-time reliever Kyle McClellan is a starter and former starter Mitchell Boggs is closing out games. McClellan is 3-0, following a 4-2 win over the Reds on Friday night. Boggs logged his second save this week.

The 27-year-old Boggs has made a major transformation. First, he was a starter and long relief man, going from prospect to suspect at times. Then he went to setup guy and short relief in 2009 before getting a chance to be The Finisher.

“When you get out there in the ninth inning, you just try to make pitches,” Boggs said. “It has been a while since I’ve done that. But when you get out there and get two outs, the crowd gets into it a little bit. So the adrenaline gets going and you want to get the last out.”

Cards’ outfielder Lance Berkman gets the last word on Boggs. “The ball doesn’t know how old you are or how much experience you have,” he said. “If you come out of the bullpen throwing nasty stuff, you are going to give people some trouble.”

Read More: Ryan Franklin (P – STL), Miguel Batista (P – STL), David Freese (3B – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds

The St. Louis Cardinals had significantly less luck in Saturday’s rain delayed game against the Cincinnati Reds, falling 5-3 to their division rivals after the bullpen’s disastrous and rain-lengthened eighth inning. Miguel Batista, Trever Miller, Ryan Franklin, and a critical error by David Freese all contributed to the loss. Albert Pujols hit his seventh home run of the season for the Cardinals in the loss, which gave Chris Carpenter yet another no-decision in the season’s first month.

Batista got the first out on a soft grounder and struck Brandon Phillips out for the second, but in the meantime Drew Stubbs had reached on Freese’s throwing error. Joey Votto was intentionally walked to reach Jonny Gomes, who was hit by a pitch that loaded the bases for Trever Miller. Miller walked Jay Bruce to score the first run, and then Ryan Franklin was placed in an unwinnable situation. Franklin allowed a single to Miguel Cairo to put the Reds ahead for good, and without allowing a single earned run the Cardinals’ older half of the bullpen had engendered more than its usual share of fan rancor.

Aroldis Chapman picked up the win, going two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout. Francisco Cordero picked up his third save of the year for the Reds in the win.

By Grant Brisbee – Editor

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Apr 23, 2011 - In a meeting between heated divisional rivals, even tornado sirens couldn’t keep the game from being completed, and Tony La Russa played a game of human chess at the expense of Dusty Baker and the Cincinnati Reds. The St. Louis Cardinals won at home on Friday night, defeating the Reds, 4-2 after a lengthy rain delay.

With a rain delay imminent, La Russa held back scheduled starter Kyle McClellan and instead gave reliever Miguel Batista the starting assignment. Batista faced one batter and threw six pitches before the delay, which lasted over two hours. Scheduled Reds starter Edinson Volquez warmed up as if the game were going to proceed as normal, and when the delay stretched on, Baker decided not to let his pitcher start the game after he cooled down.

Some folks around the Twittersphere and elsewhere wondered if LaRussa and the Cardinals feigned that the game would start so that the Reds would waste Volquez in the event of a lengthy delay. Before the game, the home team has authority over when a game starts, and only six pitches were thrown with a storm approaching before the umpires delayed the game.

But even if that were the Cardinals’ ploy, Baker and the Reds could have pulled up weather.com on someone’s phone and held Volquez back, anticipating the delay. As is, it seems like an interesting gambit that worked well for the Cards. La Russa expected the lengthy delay, and Baker did not.

When the game did start, the Cardinals jumped out quickly. De facto Reds starter Matt Maloney gave up singles to the first two hitters of the game, and Albert Pujols followed with a sacrifice fly. Pujols contributed an RBI single in the second as well, with the Cardinals adding additional runs in the third and fifth innings

Brandon Phillips backed up his lively pre-series banter with a solo home run in the fifth inning for the Reds’ first run, and Jonny Gomes would add another run in the seventh, but that is all the Cardinals would allow. Cincinnati’s best chance to make noise late in the game was in the eighth inning with two runners on and two outs, but Chris Heisey was caught off first base by Yadier Molina, and the Cardinals nabbed Miguel Cairo to end the inning and the threat.

“Starter” McClellan pitched six innings for what would have been a quality start, allowing two earned runs with two strikeouts. Newly minted closer Mitchell Boggs nailed down the save in the ninth.

But the story of the night was the gamesmanship by La Russa and the Cardinals that allowed their scheduled starter to pitch, while Baker and the Reds wasted their starter in pregame warmups. It’s worth wondering if a different team would be in first place in the NL Central if Volquez had made his scheduled start.

For more on the Reds and Cardinals, please visit team blogs Red Reporter and Viva El Birdos.

Read More: Miguel Batista (P – STL), Edinson Volquez (P – CIN), Kyle McClellan (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds

Read More: Kyle McClellan (P – STL), Mitchell Boggs (P – STL), Ryan Franklin (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds

The St. Louis Cardinals got to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen in the first inning, thanks to some astute managing from Tony La Russa, and made the most of it, scoring four runs in the first five innings to beat the Reds by a score of 4-2. Kyle McClellan came in after the first batter and went six solid innings for the win; Mitchell Boggs came in to get his second save in as many tries since the Cardinals demoted a struggling Ryan Franklin.

Brandon Phillips, engaged in a Twitter war of words with Cardinals fans earlier in the week, went 2-5 with a home run to pace the Reds, who were forced to play without scheduled starter Edinson Volquez after he went through a full warmup prior to a long rain delay.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, sensing that play would be stopped shortly, made an extremely late scratch of his starter, McClellan, going with reliever Miguel Batista at the last minute. Batista only threw six pitches before the rain came down, and when play resumed McClellan was ready. It made all the difference.

Albert Pujols drove in two in the win; Ryan Theriot and Lance Berkman doubled for the Cardinals, who improve to 11-9 and continue to lead the National League Central.

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – Kyle McClellan was pushed out of a starting role due to an incoming storm, but ended up pitching six strong innings after a lengthy delay, helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The weather turned nasty with rain, hail and tornadoes in the St. Louis area causing a delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes in the top of the first inning. Fans were moved to a safe area as tornado sirens blared. It was a dangerous situation throughout St. Louis. Several people were cut by shattered glass at Lambert airport. Trees and power lines were down around the area.

Miguel Batista walked Drew Stubbs to begin the contest, but after the teams came back from the delay, McClellan (3-0) held the Reds to seven hits and a pair of runs. Mitchell Boggs threw the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save.

Albert Pujols drove in two runs for the Cardinals, winners of three in a row and seven of their last nine games. Ryan Theriot went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Matt Maloney (0-1) was charged with eight hits and three runs over two-plus innings.

Brandon Phillips, who was booed throughout the game, homered for the Reds, losers in five of their last six games. The crowd didn’t respond kindly to Phillips in the opener of this three-games series between the NL Central rivals. He made some inflammatory comments about the Cardinals last season, and the teams had a benches-clearing brawl on August 10 at Busch Stadium.

The Reds totaled 10 hits, but went 1-for-13 with men in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.

GAME NOTES:

The Sports Network

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – Kyle McClellan was pushed out of a starting role due to an incoming storm, but ended up pitching six strong innings after a lengthy delay, helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The weather turned nasty with rain, hail and tornadoes in the St. Louis area causing a delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes in the top of the first inning. Fans were moved to a safe area as tornado sirens blared. It was a dangerous situation throughout St. Louis. Several people were cut by shattered glass at Lambert airport. Trees and power lines were down around the area.

Miguel Batista walked Drew Stubbs to begin the contest, but after the teams came back from the delay, McClellan (3-0) held the Reds to seven hits and a pair of runs. Mitchell Boggs threw the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save.

Albert Pujols drove in two runs for the Cardinals, winners of three in a row and seven of their last nine games. Ryan Theriot went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Matt Maloney (0-1) was charged with eight hits and three runs over two-plus innings.

Brandon Phillips, who was booed throughout the game, homered for the Reds, losers in five of their last six games. The crowd didn’t respond kindly to Phillips in the opener of this three-games series between the NL Central rivals. He made some inflammatory comments about the Cardinals last season, and the teams had a benches-clearing brawl on August 10 at Busch Stadium.

The Reds totaled 10 hits, but went 1-for-13 with men in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.

GAME NOTES:

The Sports Network

ST. LOUIS —

Kyle McClellan worked six-plus innings after the St. Louis Cardinals guessed correctly and used a substitute starter before a lengthy rain delay in a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Albert Pujols had two RBIs and Ryan Theriot had three hits and scored twice for the Cardinals against a collection of relievers for the Reds, who burned ace Edinson Volquez after pre-game warmups followed by a delay of 2 hours and 10 minutes and ended up with Matt Maloney (0-1) as a substitute starter.

St. Louis stand-in starter Miguel Batista opened with a four-pitch walk to Drew Stubbs and threw two more pitches to Brandon Phillips before a fierce storm prompted tornado warning sirens at least three times brought the game to a halt.

Phillips homered and Stubbs had two hits and a steal for the Reds, who have lost seven of nine and fell a game behind the Cardinals in the NL Central while dropping out of first place for the first time. Phillips was booed mercilessly before each at-bat and pumped his fist in triumph after singling in the third, but kept his head down while sprinting around the bases after his second homer in the fifth.

Maloney faced 15 hitters in two-plus innings in his first start since July 11, 2010, at Philadelphia. He gave up eight hits and a walk, but left trailing only 3-0 because of some key outs, striking out Yadier Molina with the bases loaded to end the first and stranding two more runners in the second when Matt Holliday popped to center for the third out.

The Reds were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position against McClellan (3-0), who allowed two runs while scattering seven hits and two walks. This was technically the longest career relief outing for McClellan, a setup man last season who has held opponents to only three hits in 29 at-bats with runners in scoring position for the season.

Mitchell Boggs got the last four outs for his second save in two chances, finishing against the top of the Reds’ order. Cincinnati had two men on with two outs in the eighth when catcher Yadier Molina caught Chris Heisey straying well off first with a pickoff throw, ending up with a tag-out of Miguel Cairo at third.

Rookie Eduardo Sanchez relieved McClellan with two on and no outs in the seventh and threw two wild pitches with a walk, but allowed only Jonny Gomes’ sacrifice fly.

The Reds threw out two Cardinals on the basepaths in the fifth, with right fielder Jay Bruce’s perfect relay nipping Holliday at third and catcher Ramon Hernandez easily getting Molina trying to steal to end the inning.

NOTES: RHP Jake Westbrook, 1-2 with a 9.82 ERA after four starts, is set to pitch on three days’ rest Sunday night for the Cardinals. Westbrook gave up seven runs in three innings, his shortest outing since May 2, 2007, in a loss to Nationals on Wednesday. … Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (biceps-triceps) struggled in his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Louisville Thursday, allowing eight runs – five earned – on nine hits in 1 2/3 innings. Cueto is scheduled for another rehab start Tuesday. … The Reds have allowed a major league high 24 runs in the first inning, giving up 11 the last six games with at least one each game.