ST. LOUIS — Choosing his words carefully to avoid a
back-and-back forth with Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Marty
Brennman, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa offered a
compliment with a caveat.

During the broadcast of the Reds-Cubs game on Monday, Brennaman
went on a brief rant that included desciptions of Cardinals starter
Chris Carpenter as “a whiner” and pitching coach Dave Duncan as
“infantile.” La Russa said he had not heard the comments
specifically, but he winced when told what Brennaman had said about
Duncan.

“I think the safest thing to say is that he’s a Hall of Famer
and he should get the respect that inclusion in that place
deserves,” La Russa said. “And he ought to earn it every day from
his Hall of Fame induction forward. He ought to earn it and not
abuse it.”

Brennaman, who is refreshingly candid and evenly critical for a
home town play-by-play man, was inducted into the broadcasters’
wing of the Hall of Fame.

Post-Dispatch scribe Jeff Gordon had the
transcribed comments earlier today on StlToday.com.

He went onto say during the broadcast that La Russa’s opinion
even refuted the team’s grumbling about Francisco Cordero’s
up-and-in pitch on Pujols. A clarification: La Russa’s opinion did
not. The Cardinals were frustrated by the location of the pitch,
not the notion that Cordero would hit Pujols. Players said the next
day that obviously Cordero wasn’t trying to hit Pujols — a
“purpose pitch,” as La Russa called it. Their problem was with
Cordero firing high and tight without command on Pujols. La Russa
agreed with that opinion and even repeated it in his own words
Monday.

When a second wave of media approached La Russa on Tuesday to
ask about Brennaman’s commenst, the manager recast his comment for
a new audience, but kept the general theme.

“He’s a Hall of Famer,” the Cardinals skipper reminded the
media. “He ought to keep earning that respect instead of abusing
it.”

-30-

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was back in uniform Monday, rejoining the club after a six-game absence to rest and receive treatment for a case of shingles.

La Russa, who still has bruising around his right eye, looks noticeably better than he did eight days ago when he left the team to be examined at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.

La Russa, 66, returned to St. Louis to rest and take medication while the Cardinals went 2-4 on a six-game trip to Chicago and Cincinnati.  Cardinals doctors cleared La Russa to return to his normal managerial activities Monday, when the Cardinals opened a four-game homestand with the first of two games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I feel better than I did,” La Russa said. “Everything is better.”

La Russa had a noticeable improvement in his attitude and seemed much more upbeat than in the days leading to his departure. The skipper was on the field during batting practice, making his usual rounds around the field to talk with his players and coaches.

“They said it’s a weird kind of thing because the pain comes from the nerve endings and they can grab you for a while,” La Russa said. “I’m just going to take the improvements and keep going and quit talking about it.”

Bench coach Joe Pettini served as acting manager while La Russa was out.

La Russa had initially declined pain medication because of side effects such as drowsiness. But following suggestions from Cardinals doctors and those at the Mayo Clinic, La Russa agreed to the time off and the pain medicine.

“I just wish I had taken the pain medicine,” La Russa said. “I went through all that agony for nothing. It just prolonged this stuff. I thought it was just a virus and that if I take care of the virus then the pain would leave, but these nerve endings, they get all fired up and that’s where the pain would come.”

Asked if he could manage the first few innings before letting Pettini finish off the game, La Russa smiled and said, “I just revert to a basic strategy — get so far ahead that I can stay out of the way.”

CINCINNATI – Joe Pettini walked into the manager’s office and chose a chair in the corner, not the one behind the desk that St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa would normally use.

It’s one of the few things he’s done different from the guy he’s replacing.

The Cardinals’ bench coach became their acting manager when La Russa went home to recover from the shingles. Pettini led the Cardinals to a pair of wins during a three-game series in Chicago, and was in charge for a weekend series in Cincinnati matching the NL Central’s top two teams.

“To me, it’s a blast,” Pettini said Friday, a few hours before the first pitch. “It gets a little nerve-racking at times because I haven’t been doing it in a while. The St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds, 1-2 in the division: This is baseball. This is competing. It’s what it’s all about, really.”

The 56-year-old coach managed for eight seasons in the farm system, most recently at Triple-A Louisville in 1995. He’s been the bench coach for the past 10 seasons, giving him a chance to learn how La Russa handles a lineup and pitching staff.

Mostly, he’s trying to copy him until he gets back.

“I’ve been around him so much,” Pettini said. “I think a lot of it has rubbed off. I used to be more aggressive, especially baserunning-wise. With the offense we have, you watch Tony. Sometimes I’m thinking we can steal third here or maybe we can steal second. He understands we’ve got (Albert) Pujols, (Lance) Berkman, (Matt) Holliday coming up. You really don’t need to push it.

“Yeah, a lot if it’s rubbed off.”

The toughest part for Pettini has been getting comfortable being in charge of everything. He talks to La Russa on the phone each day to check up and trade thoughts.

“Probably the toughest thing for me at first was to be able to stay up on everything and have it come easily,” he said. “It takes time, doing it for a while.

“It’s getting a little easier. It’s not going to come out right away, but I’m doing the best I can.”

He gets to match in-game decisions with Dusty Baker this weekend. They shook hands at home plate after taking out their lineup cards.

“He doesn’t have a long enough track record to have any tendencies,” Baker said. “There’s a good chance he knows what I’m going to do better than I know what he’s going to do. He’s been over there watching me for years.”

Baker and the Reds overtook the Cardinals last season, winning the NL Central title. Cincinnati beat up on the rest of the division but had trouble with St. Louis, which won 12 of their 18 games and four of their five series. The Cardinals took two of three in St. Louis last month.

St. Louis arrived in town leading Cincinnati by 1 1/2 games. Baker dismissed a suggestion that the Reds need to gain confidence by beating the Cardinals.

“I don’t think in those terms,” he said. “I mean, it’s important that we finish ahead of the Cardinals, regardless of who beats who. That’s what’s important. I know everybody makes a big deal out of it.

“You’ve got to forget what happened last year. Let’s ask this question if the same thing persists three months from now. You’ve got to get out of the past, you’ve got to get out of history and get to the now.”

There’s a little history still simmering between the teams.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips sparked a brawl last season by calling the Cardinals “whiners,” using demeaning language that riled St. Louis. Right-hander Johnny Cueto was suspended for seven games for kicking catcher Jason LaRue and pitcher Chris Carpenter during the scrum.

Phillips was diplomatic on Friday, saying it’s just another series. He also played down the suggestion that the Reds need to beat the Cardinals.

“They kicked our butts last year, and we still made the playoffs,” Phillips said. “Don’t get me wrong — beating them would be great, a beautiful thing. But making the playoffs is much better.”

Cueto is scheduled to start on Saturday, the first time he’ll face the Cardinals since the game involving the brawl.

“I don’t think our guys have anything more than going out there and trying to beat him,” Pettini said. “What happened last year, I think, still leaves a mark a little bit. They remember it and think about it, but we’ve got to go out and play the series just like we did in Chicago.”

CHICAGO — Manager Tony La Russa will miss the St. Louis Cardinals’ game Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field while remaining in Scottsdale, Ariz., to undergo additional examinations for an infection that has bothered him for more than a month.

The news was confirmed by the Cardinals in a release.

La Russa, 66, has been suffering from what was thought to be a severe case of conjunctivitis since the club’s opening road trip of the season. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, La Russa recently has been diagnosed with shingles.

La Russa went to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale during the club’s off day on Monday for a previously scheduled physical, but he had the condition on the right side of his face examined, too.

It’s not known how long La Russa will be out. Bench coach Joe Pettini, third-base coach Jose Oquendo and pitching coach Dave Duncan will run the club in a joint effort until he returns.  

La Russa’s right eye was nearly swollen shut and virtually the entire right side of his face was covered with rashes when the condition was at its worse. After initially reporting progress a few weeks ago, La Russa admitted this week that he felt “about the same” and wasn’t getting any better.

The manager has spent many hours before games resting on the couch in his office with the lights turned off and the door closed. He has declined any medication, according to the Post-Dispatch, because of side effects such as drowsiness.

Following three games in Chicago, the Cardinals will head to Cincinnati for a big weekend series against their top competition in the National League Central.

ST. LOUIS — Despite being charged with eight errors in his first 27 games, Ryan Theriot will remain at shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa took exception to a question Tuesday about whether there was a possibility Theriot would move to second base.

“What for?” the manager said.

Regular second baseman Skip Schumaker is out for the next two to four weeks, leaving Daniel Descalso, Tyler Greene and Nick Punto to play the position.

Theriot, however, is a natural second baseman, and Greene would represent a defensive upgrade at shortstop.

“It’s a good question, but Theriot’s playing short and Descalso’s playing second today,” La Russa said before the second game of the series against Florida.

Theriot’s eight errors led all major-leaguers entering Tuesday. Three players, also shortstops, had seven errors: Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs, Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals and Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers. Theriot’s .927 fielding percentage was the worst among all shortstops.

La Russa pointed out Theriot’s .306 average and .359 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot of the Cardinals order.

“I look at the whole player,” he said. “He’s played his (butt) off every day; he makes a lot of plays. He kicks a few balls. He’s played his (butt) off offensively. Overall, he’s been a significant plus for us as a player –and he’s made some errors. So that’s the way I look at it.”

Asked whether Theriot’s defensive problems have weighed on him, La Russa remembered Monday when Theriot, after committing a first-inning error, had singles in the first, fourth and ninth. He has 10 multihit games, which is tied for second with three other Cardinals behind Lance Berkman’s 14.

“He got a couple of hits (Monday), didn’t he?” La Russa said. “Then he got a base hit off (Leo) Nunez in the ninth to keep the rally alive and give Colby (Rasmus) a chance.

“He’s a tough (expletive), and you can put that in exactly the right way because that’s what he is. He’s a very tough (expletive).”

La Russa knew that before the Cardinals acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in November for reliever Blake Hawksworth. Theriot previously had been with the Cubs.

“I’ve equated him a lot to David Eckstein,” La Russa said. “He never takes a game off, he never takes an inning off, he never takes an at-bat off. Those kind of guys, over six months, they do a lot of extra things for you.

“That’s why I like our club. I think we have a roster full of guys that don’t take time off.”

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 — Having the counts in their favor did nothing to help three St. Louis Cardinals relievers Saturday.

Miguel Batista, Trever Miller and Ryan Franklin couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to end the eighth inning, and the result was three unearned runs that gave Cincinnati a 5-3 win at Busch Stadium.

With runners at first and second with two outs, Batista hit Jonny Gomes with an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Miller relieved and walked Jay Bruce after being ahead 1-2, forcing in the run that tied the game at 3.

The beleaguered Franklin relieved Miller and got ahead of Miguel Cairo 0-2, but Cairo dropped a two-run single into left to drive in the winning runs.

“We had several mistakes,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “One’s not good, and any time it’s more than one, it gives the other club more of an opportunity. Too many mistakes. It happens.”

The spark for the inning was a one-out error on third baseman David Freese, whose wide throw to first enabled Drew Stubbs to reach second. Batista struck out Brandon Phillips, then intentionally passed Joey Votto to get to Gomes.

“I was just trying to get him out,” Batista said of a fastball that plunked the right-handed-hitting Gomes in the left shoulder. “I had him against the wall. It was a count that you don’t want to leave the ball over the plate. He’s a guy who can put the ball behind the fence if you make a mistake.

“I was trying to make sure I got him out on that pitch and it slipped out of my hand and I ended up hitting him. I think I just got around (the ball) a little bit. I was trying to make sure to get it inside.”

Miller hadn’t worked in a game since last Sunday when his only pitch was whacked for a double by Andre Ethier. Franklin relieved and allowed Matt Kemp’s two-run homer that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 victory.

La Russa said the time off magnified Miller’s challenge Saturday.

“Probably,” he said. “Yeah. That’s a pretty nasty situation to come into anyway.”

Miller didn’t use that as an excuse.

“Very disappointed,” he said. “Big spot. I love to pitch in that situation. It’s a team game. I didn’t do my job tonight. Collectively, as a bullpen we didn’t get it done.”

Franklin, the demoted closer who on Wednesday criticized Cardinals fans for booing him, was cheered as he entered the game. But the cheers again turned to boos after Cairo’s game-winning hit.

“He made one mistake –an 0-2 splitter up,” La Russa said.

Franklin threw a scoreless ninth to keep it 5-3, but the Cardinals went down in order in the ninth against Reds closer Francisco Cordero. The last nine St. Louis hitters were retired after Yadier Molina doubled to start the seventh.

Chris Carpenter was saddled with a no-decision. Carpenter, trying to extend his winning streak against the Reds to 11 games, allowed two runs (earned) on two hits in six innings. His biggest mistake was allowing a game-tying two-run homer to Votto on a 3-0 pitch in the sixth that followed a walk to Phillips.

Carpenter walked three and struck two, throwing a high total of 103 pitches.

“Two at-bats against Phillips and Votto, I lost command of my stuff a little bit,” said Carpenter, still winless in five starts this season. “I’m not concerned about it. I’ll keep going out and doing what I need to do to give my team a chance to win. I’m sure we’re going to be just fine.”

Offensively, the Cardinals misfired on other chances.

Leading 2-0 in the fourth, St. Louis had runners at first and second with one out when La Russa, fearful of the slow-footed Molina hitting into a double play, put the runners in motion on a 3-1 pitch from Travis Wood.

Molina swung through the delivery, and Lance Berkman was an easy out between second and third. Molina then flied out to center.

“Ideally, they either walk Yadier or he hits a rocket in the gap and two runs score,” Berkman said. “That’s a play to avoid a double play. It’s almost like a 3-1 hit-and-run. You don’t want to get picked off second base, (but) you can’t get a very good jump.”

Leading 3-2 in the seventh, the Cardinals got a leadoff double by Molina, who advanced on Nick Punto’s sacrifice.

Tyler Greene was called upon to pinch-hit, and hard-throwing lefty Aroldis Chapman relieved Wood. Greene got ahead in the count, but struck out on a check swing against a wicked slider.

“It’s a tough situation. I’ve never seen the guy before,” Greene said. “I know he throws hard. He made a really good pitch with that slider he threw me. He started that in the middle and it had a sharp break toward my back foot. I tried to hold up, but I didn’t hold up enough.”

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals have bumped Ryan Franklin out of the closer’s role after four blown saves early in the season.

Manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that changing Franklin’s responsibilities might help the 38-year-old right-hander get back on track. He didn’t say who might replace Franklin in the ninth, but the top candidate probably is Mitchell Boggs.

“I think the thing to do is watch the game and see who comes out there,” La Russa said. “We can talk about it afterwards. You treat him like a hitter who’s struggling, change the responsibility a little bit for a little bit.”

Franklin was 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA in six games and one save in five chances entering a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. He was 27 for 29 on save tries last season and an All-Star in 2009, relying on a half-dozen options to compensate for lack of a dominating fastball.

Franklin has already made a cosmetic change, shearing off more than half of a long beard that juts off his chin.

“Whenever the phone rings and they say ‘Franklin get up,’ I get up,” Franklin said. “However they want to put me out there. It doesn’t matter, I’m theirs.

“However they want to treat it, I’m on board.”

Franklin says he’s happy with his pitches but blamed himself for poor pitch selection. He gave up a game-winning, two-run homer to the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp on Sunday.

“My stuff’s fine, everything in the arsenal’s still there,” Franklin said. “I haven’t lost anything.”

Franklin has been unlucky, too, with blown saves on consecutive days in San Francisco. He was one out away when center fielder Colby Rasmus dropped Miguel Tejada’s drive to the warning track after a long run, and a day earlier first baseman Albert Pujols was at first to receive a pickoff throw from catcher Yadier Molina, providing an opening for Pablo Sandoval’s game-tying, ninth-inning single.

“Sure, if you’re human it’s going to affect you, but you can’t let it affect you on the mound,” Franklin said. “What it boils down to is I’ve got blood going through my veins, so sure it affects you. I’m not going to lie.”

The 27-year-old Boggs had a 2.00 ERA in six games covering nine innings with 12 strikeouts and three walks. He’s had five consecutive scoreless appearances.

“If my name gets called I’ll be ready for it, I’ll be ready to go,” Boggs said. “But that’s not something I need to think about and it’s not my decision to make.”

La Russa’s face was swollen and his left eye was nearly shut from what the manager said was a virus he’s had for five days. It didn’t keep him off the field during pregame drills.

“Actually it looks bad, but I’m not in a lot of pain,” La Russa said. “It scares kids. Like bad makeup in a horror movie.”

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

By Alex Fritz – Contributor

Read More: Ryan Theriot (SS – STL), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Miguel Batista (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals

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Apr 8, 2011 - Ages 0-5 You’re a baby. You have no rooting interests or motor skills, but your parents still dress you up in St. Louis Cardinals gear. Even though you can neither feed yourself nor use a toilet, your parents still tell every one that you’re a huge Cardinals fan. Though you do cry whenever Tony La Russa pulls a double switch before the eighth inning.

Ages 5-12 You begin to notice that you own tons of clothes with red birds on them and that people talk about something called the Cardinals a lot. Around the time you start playing t-ball, it dawns on you this is the same thing those guys on TV play. You pick a favorite player and try to emulate him. (This is where it is especially awesome to be a Cardinals fan. Over the last 30 years we’ve had Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, and Albert Pujols around for our kids to emulate. Are there three more fun baseball players for a kid to grow up watching?) You are incredibly happy when the Cardinals win, and incredibly sad when they lose, which is odd because you didn’t even know this team existed a few years ago. But dad says they’d be better if Tony La Russa wasn’t the manager. Also, you learn to keep score.

Ages 13-20 Other things in the world start distracting you. Girls, music, school, pubes! It’s a complicated time. Yeah, there are some ballgames on in the background, but it’s not the same. You’re in college, there are (and should be) higher priorities. Trying to get laid only takes a back seat to hating Tony La Russa.

Ages 21-25 The first trip to Busch Stadium with a legal ID! It doesn’t matter that the beer is $0.50 an ounce, that’s what credit cards are for! After taking a back seat in your life for a few years, baseball (thanks in large part to the beer) is exciting again! The fact that going to a baseball game is, 90% of the time, the most exciting thing one can do in Saint Louis, may dawn on you, but, [BEEP] IT, I’M GOING TO PADDY  O’S!!!! AND [BEEP] YOU, TONY LA LOSERA!!!

Ages 26-30 You are starting a career and perhaps settling down. Going to a baseball game is no longer a proper reason to get wasted. Maybe you start thinking about the game a little more, trying to figure out why this move was made and not that move, why Ryan Theriot is batting leadoff against a righty, why Miguel Batista is being used in a high leverage situation, why Tony La Russa? WHY?

Ages 31-50 You have children now. 

It becomes apparent that baseball is not the most important thing in the world. As babies, although they have no rooting interests or motor skills, you still dress your kids up in Cardinals gear. And even though they can neither feed themselves or use a toilet, you still tell every one that they’re huge Cardinals fans. Later, you have a catch, teach them to keep score, to hate Tony La Russa, and various other bonding experiences.

Ages 51-65 I don’t know. I imagine you own an RV, maybe? With a picture of Tony La Russa’s face inside of a circle with a slash through it on your tire cover.

(NOTE: ARTIST’S RENDERING)

Ages 66-75 Bob Gibson would’ve won 30 games today! You didn’t see Rogers Hornsby wearing necklaces! Whitey Herzog could win with this team, why can’t Tony La Russa! Everything was better back in your day. EVERYTHING. You make sure everyone around you is aware of this fact and write letters to the editor of the Post Dispatch in case they want to see your thoughts in the written form.

Ages 76-? No longer crotchety, your dementia has turned you wise, if not whimsical. Your children and grandchildren stopped avoiding talking to you and now just nod their heads and smile as you reminisce about the time you turned a double play with Tommy Herr to score the last outs of the 1742 Super Bowl! We used onions for balls back then, you know?

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ST. LOUIS — It didn’t take long for manager Tony La Russa to grow weary of answering questions about his St. Louis Cardinals’ moribund offense.

The Cardinals lost 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium, wrapping up their season-opening homestand with a 2-4 record.

St. Louis scored three runs or fewer in all six games, generating a meager 15 runs in 54 innings and batting .231 with eight extra-base hits.

The Cardinals scored in only 12 innings, and produced more than one run an inning just twice. They own a .304 on-base percentage and a .297 slugging percentage heading into their longest road trip of the season.

La Russa, who vowed last year to be friendlier to the media in 2011, stalked out of his live postgame press conference after persistent questions about the offense.

“For everybody listening out there, do you think I’m being unreasonable?” La Russa said. “It’s the first week of the season. I don’t understand this.

“You’re going to tell me that Yadier (Molina) doesn’t drive in big runs? You’re going to tell me Albert (Pujols) can’t hit? You’re going to tell me the second baseman (Skip Schumaker) and shortstop (Ryan Theriot) haven’t hit? David Freese, you don’t think he’s going to hit? You think Matt (Holliday) is going to hit? You think Colby (Rasmus) is going to hit? You think (Lance) Berkman is going to hit?

“The answer is no to all those things? I mean, did you accomplish your goal? Three, four times you ask, so I get excited and get upset. I mean, that’s not fair. That really isn’t.”

The Cardinals were throttled by Pirates right-hander Kevin Correia in the homestand finale. They finished with seven hits against Correia and two relievers, and their only run came with two outs in the ninth when Molina doubled to score Berkman, who had led off with a double.

It was the only inning on the homestand in which the Cardinals had two extra-base hits in the same inning.

“I feel like guys are competing,” Berkman said. “Nobody is up there just flailing away, but we’re just not getting it done. It’s going to click, but it hasn’t yet.”

Allen Craig (.333), Schumaker (.318), Rasmus (.316) and Berkman (.300) have opened the season well, with Craig leading the team in RBIs with four. But Pujols is at .182, and he’s got plenty of company in Theriot (.182), Molina (.167) and Freese (.125). Holliday’s absence in the last five games hasn’t helped.

“It’s a tough thing,” Theriot said. “For me, what I do, is just know it’s going to get better. We’re not going to score one, two and three runs every game. We’re going to score more runs. There will be some games when we won’t. But there are going to be more games when we will than we won’t.

“We’ll stay positive and know it will get better.”

Berkman said it’s easy for people to fall prey to making premature judgments when the calendar still reads April, with 25 weeks left in the season.

“I hate the beginning of the season,” Berkman said, repeating a similar statement he made earlier in the homestand. “I can guarantee you Albert is not going to hit under .200. If anybody wants to lay a bet on that, I’ll take it right now. But in the beginning of the season, everybody is like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’

“If you have a five- or six-game stretch in the middle of the year and you run into guys who are hot on the mound, you’re like, ‘Well they’re pitching pretty well, we’re not swinging the bats great, it’s no big deal.’

“But here, everybody is like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Is this going to be a trend that will continue?’ I think that’s when you have to go to the track record. That’s why they keep statistics. I think you know kind of what you can expect from guys. At the end of the year, I think it will shake itself out.”

La Russa clearly believes that.

“Look at the calendar, for one thing,” La Russa said. “It’s the first week of the season. Second, I look at the talent we have.”

The Cardinals hope to get Holliday back as early as this weekend in San Francisco. Holliday continues to recover from an appendectomy performed Friday.

“We’re missing a big guy in our lineup right now,” Berkman said. “That’s the equivalent of missing Adam (Wainwright) out of our pitching staff. You can’t replace a guy that’s as good as Matt is. When he comes back, it’s going to be a lift.

“We’re going to be fine, but it hasn’t been a good first week from an offensive standpoint.”

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals decided not to put Matt Holliday on the disabled list Saturday, opting to wait a few days to see if the slugger can make a speedy return from an appendectomy.

The left fielder had the surgery Friday but the team believes the condition was caught early and he could be back before the end of a 15-day DL stint.

Manager Tony La Russa said the team would wait until Monday or Tuesday, hinting that Holliday might even stop by Busch Stadium on Saturday.

“They’re saying it went well,” La Russa said. “That’s all I know so far.”

David Freese took Holliday’s cleanup spot against San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, and Allen Craig played in left field. La Russa said he’d likely move Lance Berkman, a switch hitter who’s been more productive batting left-handed in recent seasons, up from fifth to cleanup against right-handed pitchers while Holliday is out.

Albert Pujols said he spoke with Holliday before the laparoscopic procedure and was optimistic he’d be back soon.

“Obviously, his presence is going to be missed,” Pujols said. “When you look at that lineup, you’re expecting Matt to be there, and he won’t be there probably for the next week or so.”

Craig, who was batting sixth, and Jon Jay will get the bulk of the playing time. Craig has long been considered one of the franchise’s best offensive prospects, but has struggled in a bench role.

“I think that’s tough for anybody,” Craig said. “We always want to be in the lineup and be playing every day and it’s easier to make adjustments. But it’s part of my job, and part of the job for all the guys that aren’t playing a lot, to be ready.”

Craig got work at third base in spring training as a backup option for Freese, who is coming off surgery to both ankles last season. Craig doesn’t care where the Cardinals put him.

Craig started at all four corner positions last year, with 23 of his 27 starts in right field, two in left field and one each at first base and third base. La Russa said Berkman would stay in right field.

“It’s good to be good at a bunch of positions,” Craig said. “Then they can put you in the lineup wherever they need you.”

Freese batted cleanup once last year as a rookie, going 0 for 4 at Pittsburgh May 9. La Russa batted Freese fourth in spring games when Holliday had the day off.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP)—The St. Louis Cardinals decided not to put Matt Holliday(notes) on the disabled list Saturday, opting to wait a few days to see if the slugger can make a speedy return from an appendectomy.

The left fielder had the surgery Friday but the team believes the condition was caught early and he could be back before the end of a 15-day DL stint.

Manager Tony La Russa said the team would wait until Monday or Tuesday, hinting that Holliday might even stop by Busch Stadium on Saturday.

“They’re saying it went well,” La Russa said. “That’s all I know so far.”

David Freese(notes) took Holliday’s cleanup spot against San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard(notes), and Allen Craig(notes) played in left field. La Russa said he’d likely move Lance Berkman(notes), a switch hitter who’s been more productive batting left-handed in recent seasons, up from fifth to cleanup against right-handed pitchers while Holliday is out.

Albert Pujols(notes) said he spoke with Holliday before the laparoscopic procedure and was optimistic he’d be back soon.

“Obviously, his presence is going to be missed,” Pujols said. “When you look at that lineup, you’re expecting Matt to be there, and he won’t be there probably for the next week or so.”

Craig, who was batting sixth, and Jon Jay(notes) will get the bulk of the playing time. Craig has long been considered one of the franchise’s best offensive prospects, but has struggled in a bench role.

“I think that’s tough for anybody,” Craig said. “We always want to be in the lineup and be playing every day and it’s easier to make adjustments. But it’s part of my job, and part of the job for all the guys that aren’t playing a lot, to be ready.”

Craig got work at third base in spring training as a backup option for Freese, who is coming off surgery to both ankles last season. Craig doesn’t care where the Cardinals put him.

Craig started at all four corner positions last year, with 23 of his 27 starts in right field, two in left field and one each at first base and third base. La Russa said Berkman would stay in right field.

“It’s good to be good at a bunch of positions,” Craig said. “Then they can put you in the lineup wherever they need you.”

Freese batted cleanup once last year as a rookie, going 0 for 4 at Pittsburgh May 9. La Russa batted Freese fourth in spring games when Holliday had the day off.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Tony La Russa and Jim Riggleman had to be separated when both benches cleared yesterday during a testy spring-training game between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals.

The scuffle broke out after three batters were hit by pitches, but no punches were thrown and St. Louis reliever Miguel Batista was the only player ejected. The Nationals went on to a 7-2 victory.

With his team trailing 4-2 in the seventh inning, Batista plunked Ian Desmond in the back. While making his way to first, Desmond jawed with Cardinals catcher Tony Cruz, who was walking behind him. Upon reaching first base, Desmond turned to the mound and yelled at Batista.

The two were teammates last season with Washington.

“Yeah, it was intentional, but, I mean, Miggy throws like Miss Iowa,” Desmond said with a laugh.

Players from both teams poured onto the field, gathering around first base in front of the St. Louis dugout. La Russa, the Cardinals’ 66-year-old manager, and Riggleman, his counterpart, had to be separated by players during the fray.

“There was no question in my mind that Batista was going to hit somebody,” Riggleman said.

Washington outfielder Nyjer Morgan, known for having a hot temper, also needed to be restrained by a Nationals coach.

Morgan might have drawn the Cardinals’ ire by running into Pujols at first base while trying to beat out a bunt in the fifth. The throw from catcher Gerald Laird tailed into the runner. Pujols caught and held the ball long enough to record the out then dropped his glove, shaking his left wrist. A trainer came out to briefly check on Pujols, who remained in the game.

After the game, Riggleman said he thought Chris Carpenter hit Laynce Nix with a fifth-inning pitch in retaliation for that play.

Carpenter was already in the clubhouse when Batista plunked Desmond. The right-hander returned to the dugout upon hearing that Washington players and coaches blamed him for igniting the fireworks and were questioning why he wasn’t out on the field.

“The most idiotic thing was that it was a spring-training game. It was stupid,” said Carpenter, who allowed four runs and seven hits while walking three in 42/3 innings. “If they think it’s my fault, I’ll go out there. I didn’t hit Laynce Nix on purpose.”

La Russa halted his postgame news conference after about two minutes following what he believed to be one too many questions about the intentions of his pitchers.

Both he and Carpenter said they didn’t mean to hit anyone.

“It’s the same story — it happens to us, it happens to them,” La Russa said. “You get hit, you think it’s intentional. They hit you, it was accidental. It’s been 100 years of this stuff. It’s not going to go any farther. That’s it.”

Washington starter Livan Hernandez plunked Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the fifth and later told reporters that his pitch was intentional. Hernandez left after the fifth — he gave up two runs and six hits.

Batista, who said he was stretching when Nix got hit and was in the bathroom for the retaliation on Rasmus, entered in the seventh and retired Morgan before nailing Desmond.

“Ian is a great kid. I’m glad I didn’t hit him in the wrong spot,” Batista said.

Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

JUPITER, Fla. — Tony La Russa and Jim Riggleman had to be separated when both benches cleared Monday during a testy spring training game between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals.

The scuffle broke out after three batters were hit by pitches, but no punches were thrown and St. Louis reliever Miguel Batista was the only player ejected. The Nationals went on to a 7-2 victory.

With his team trailing 4-2 in the seventh inning, Batista plunked Ian Desmond in the back. While making his way to first, Desmond jawed with Cardinals catcher Tony Cruz, who was walking behind him. Upon reaching first base, Desmond turned to the mound and yelled at Batista.

The two were teammates last season with Washington.

“Yeah, it was intentional, but I mean Miggy throws like Miss Iowa,” Desmond said with a laugh. “We were really trying to keep the fans around. Once (Albert) Pujols came out of the game and (Chris) Carpenter came out of the game we knew they were going to leave so we decided to add a little entertainment.”

Players from both teams poured onto the field, gathering around first base in front of the St. Louis dugout. La Russa, the Cardinals’ 66-year-old manager, and Riggleman, his counterpart, had to be separated by players during the fray.

“There was no question in my mind that Batista was going to hit somebody,” Riggleman said.

Washington outfielder Nyjer Morgan, known for having a hot temper, also needed to be restrained by a Nationals coach.

Morgan may have drawn the Cardinals’ ire by running into Pujols at first base while trying to beat out a bunt in the fifth. The throw from catcher Gerald Laird tailed into the runner. Pujols caught and held the ball long enough to record the out, then dropped his glove, shaking his left wrist. A trainer came out to briefly check on Pujols, who remained in the game.

After the game, Riggleman said he thought Carpenter hit Laynce Nix with a fifth-inning pitch in retaliation for that play.

Carpenter was already in the clubhouse when Batista plunked Desmond. The right-hander returned to the dugout upon hearing that Washington players and coaches blamed him for igniting the fireworks and were questioning why he wasn’t out on the field.

“The most idiotic thing was that it was a spring training game. It was stupid,” said Carpenter, who allowed four runs and seven hits while walking three in 4 2-3 innings. “If they think it’s my fault, I’ll go out there. I didn’t hit Laynce Nix on purpose.”

La Russa halted his postgame news conference after about two minutes following what he believed to be one too many questions about the intentions of his pitchers.

Both he and Carpenter said they didn’t mean to hit anyone.

“It’s the same story – it happens to us, it happens to them,” La Russa said. “You get hit, you think it’s intentional. They hit you, it was accidental. It’s been 100 years of this stuff. It’s not going to go any farther. That’s it.”

Washington starter Livan Hernandez plunked Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the fifth and later told reporters that his pitch was intentional. Hernandez left after the fifth – he gave up two runs and six hits.

Batista, who said he was stretching when Nix got hit and was in the bathroom for the retaliation on Rasmus, entered in the seventh and retired Morgan before nailing Desmond.

“Ian is a great kid. I’m glad I didn’t hit him in the wrong spot,” Batista said. “I’m still trying to understand what happened.”

NOTES: Laird went 3 for 3 with an RBI in his first game since March 17. He had been dealing with a hamstring issue. … The Cardinals have their final off day of spring training on Tuesday. Washington hosts Houston on Tuesday before taking its final day off Wednesday.