Cardinals blow lead, beat Cubs in 10 innings

Matt Carpenter hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the 10th inning, and the visiting St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night to open a crucial four-game series.

Harrison Bader drove in a pair of runs for St. Louis, which coughed up a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning before recovering for the victory. It marked the Cardinals' first win in seven contests at Wrigley Field this season.

The Cardinals (86-67) maintained a three-game lead in the National League Central over the Milwaukee Brewers (83-70), who won earlier in the day.

The Cubs (82-71) slipped four games back of St. Louis for first place and one game behind the Brewers for the NL's second wild-card berth with nine games left in the regular season.

Cardinals left-hander Andrew Miller (5-5) earned the win in relief after getting the last two outs in the ninth. He replaced Carlos Martinez, who gave up three runs and recorded only one out.

Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel (0-3) took the loss after surrendering Carpenter's home run with one out. It was Kimbrel's first action since Sept. 1, as he had been sidelined due to a sore right elbow.

Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos pitched a scoreless 10th for his first save.

St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty turned in another masterful performance, holding Chicago to one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out eight as his second-half ERA remained at 1.05 (10 earned runs in 85 1/3 innings).

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks gave up four runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals settled for a 1-0 lead in the third inning after loading the bases with no outs. Dexter Fowler grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that allowed Tommy Edman to score from third base.

Anthony Rizzo homered in his surprise return from a sprained right ankle to even the score at 1 during the bottom of the third.

The Cardinals grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Edman ripped a leadoff triple into the corner in right field, and he scored moments later on Bader's single to center.

A two-run sixth increased the Cardinals' edge to 4-1. A fielding error by Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber allowed Paul Goldschmidt to score on a single by Yadier Molina. Two batters later, Bader doubled to drive in Paul DeJong.

Ben Zobrist, Willson Contreras and Jason Heyward notched one RBI apiece as the Cubs rallied in the ninth.

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong exited in the fifth inning because of a left hamstring injury.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cards' rising star Taveras killed in car crash

LOS ANGELES - St. Louis Cardinals rookie fielder Oscar Taveras died in an automobile crash in his native Dominican Republic, the Major League Baseball club announced Sunday night. He was 22.

Dominican police said the highly-touted prospect was driving in a car with a female, believed to be his girlfriend, when he lost control of the vehicle, killing himself and the passenger.

"We are all stunned and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of the youngest members of the Cardinals family," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said.

"Oscar was an amazing talent with a bright future who was taken from us well before his time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends tonight."

Police spokesman Jacobo Mateo Moquete tweeted that Taveras was traveling between Cabarete and Sosua in Puerto Plata. He said Taveras and the woman were both killed instantly.

"I simply can't believe it," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "I first met Oscar when he was 16 years old and will forever remember him as a wonderful young man who was a gifted athlete with an infectious love for life who lived every day to the fullest."

In 80 games this season, Taveras batted .239 with three home runs and 22 RBI.

Two weeks ago, he hit a home run in the Cardinals' 5-4 win over San Francisco in game two of the National League Championship Series.

His last appearance came in game five on October 16, when he grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the top of the ninth inning. He stayed in the contest to play left field.

Teammates and players expressed shock on social media. "Absolute tragedy," Cardinals teammate Matt Carpenter tweeted.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig issued a statement Sunday night and offered the league's condolences. He said the current World Series was being played with "heavy hearts... in the memory of these two young people."

"Oscar, a young member of the baseball family, was full of promise and at the dawn of a wonderful career in our game, evident in his game-tying home run against the Giants exactly two weeks ago."

Details about funeral arrangements are expected to be released later.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Red Sox beat Cards to even World Series 2-2

ST. LOUIS - A three-run home run by unexpected starter Jonny Gomes lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday that tied the best-of-seven World Series 2-2.

Gomes, inserted into the lineup just before the game when outfielder Shane Victorino was scratched due to tightness in his back, welcomed reliever Seth Maness with a drive over the fence in left-center with two men aboard in the sixth inning to snap a 1-1 tie.

"Since I signed up for this team I just wanted an opportunity," said Gomes, who had been 0-for-8 at the plate over the first three games. "I take a lot of pride in my at-bats."

The victory ensured the Fall Classic would return to Boston following Monday's Game Five in St. Louis.

Felix Doubront, who came on in relief of Boston starter Clay Buchholz in the fifth inning, registered the win. St. Louis starter Lance Lynn took the hard-luck loss as he left a 1-1 game after a two-out single and walk before the Gomes home run.

St. Louis failed to take advantage of opportunities, stranding two men in the second, fourth and seventh innings and failing to cash in with a runner on third and one out in the eighth.

The Cardinals still had life in the ninth after Allen Craig stroked a one-out single to right off closer Koji Uehara. Rookie Kolten Wong pinch-ran for Craig but one out later, Uehara wheeled and fired to first base to pick off Wong to end the game.

The Cardinals had clawed back a run in the seventh, on a two-out, pinch-hit double to left-center by Shane Robinson and a single to right by Matt Carpenter off reliever Craig Breslow that brought them within 4-2.

After Breslow walked Carlos Beltran to give the Cards men on first and second, Junichi Tazawa replaced lefty Breslow and got Matt Holliday to ground out sharply to second to end the inning.

PITCHED GAMELY

Buchholz, who has been complaining of right shoulder tightness, worked gamely through four innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and three walks before giving way to a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning after only 66 pitches.

Doubront was the first of five relievers used including starting pitcher John Lackey, with Uehara nailing down the save.

The critical sixth inning started innocently enough with Jacoby Ellsbury popping out to short and Daniel Nava grounding out to third.

But Lynn gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia and walked the dangerous David Ortiz and was removed in favor of Maness, who left a pitch up to Gomes, who punished the mistake for a three-run blast.

Ortiz was Boston's other hitting star, collecting half of the team's six hits and scoring twice.

"I just keep telling them you don't come to the World Series every day, so let's just loosen up," said "Big Papi" Ortiz. "We are a better team than what we had shown. We have guys with heart."

The pivotal fifth game will feature a reprise of the Game One match-up featuring St. Louis starting pitcher Adam Wainwright and Boston's Jon Lester, won by the Red Sox 8-1.

(Reporting by Larry Fine, Editing by Gene Cherry)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com