Game Blog

The first national game on TV for the new Busch Stadium. Commentators are Steve Stone, Gary Thorne, and Steve Phillips. Erin Andrews is the sideline reporter.

Starters
Cardinals
Eckstein SS
Luna LF
Pujols 1B
Encarnacion RF
Spiezio 3B
Taguchi CF
Molina C
Miles 2B
Mulder P

Pirates
Duffy CF
J. Wilson SS
Bay LF
C. Wilson RF
Randa 3B
Hernandez 1B
Castillo 2B
Paulino C
Duke P

First Inning: Duffy. 1-2. That gets passed Miles for a base hit. Wilson. Sacrice bunt to advance the runner. Bay. 3-2. Walk. Wilson. 1-1. 6-4-3 Double play!

Eckstein. 3-0. Walk. Luna. 2-1. Sacrifice grounder to the catcher. Pujols. Will they pitch to him? Intentional walk, the fourth of the season for the Great Pujols. Juan. 2-2. Fouled out to catcher for a strikeout. Spiezio. 1-0. Base hit to score Eckstein but Pujols stuck in a rundown for the final out. Cards lead 1-0.

Second inning: Mail call and I miss the first two outs. Encarnacion takes care of Castillo and they go down 1-2-3 in order.

So. 0-1. Base hit to right field. Yadier. 2-2. Strikeout and So steals second. Miles. Base hit to center and So scores. Cards 2, Pirates 0. Mulder. Sac bunt to advance the runner. Eckstein. 1-1. Grounded to first and Eck does not beat the throw.

Third inning: Paulino. 2-1. Fly out to center. Duke. 1-2. Grounded to Pujols. Duffy. 2-1. Grounded to the pitcher.

Luna. 2-1. Grounded to third and he beats the throw for a base hit! Pujols. 1-1. Grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Juan. 3-2. Grounded out to third.

Fourth inning: Wilson. 0-1. Flies out to right center. Bay. 3-2. Walk. Wilson. 0-1. Tie game with a home run. Randa. Base hit to left. Hernandez. 0-1. 6-4-3 Double play but the damage has been done.

Spiezio. 3-2. Base hit to right. Taguchi. 2-0. Base hit, runner advances to second. Molina. 0-1. Double play at third and first. Miles. 2-2. Walk. Mulder. 2-0. Grounded out to second.

Fifth inning: Castillo. 0-2. Strikeout. Paulino. 3-2. Base hit. Duke. Grounded to first. Duffy. 3-2. Walk. Wilson. Force out at second.

Eck. 3-2. Smashed to right for a double. Luna. 2-1. Grounded to short, Eck advances to third. Pujols at the bat. Intentional walk. Juan Encarnacion. Sacrifice fly to center. Eck tags and scores, Pujols stays at first. Cards 3, Pirates 2. Spiezio flies out to center.

Sixth inning: Bay. Straight to Luna. Wilson. 3-2. Walk. Randa. 3-1. 6-4-3 Double play.

So. Video is messed with all thanks to Steve Stone. 3-2. Walk. If I wanted radio play by play, I'd listen to Mike Shannon and John Rooney call it. Molina. Base hit to left, So stops at second. Miles, and the picture is back. Activity in both bullpen. 2-2. Flyout to right, no runners advance. Mulder. Sac bunt to the pitcher, both runners advance. Eck. 3-2. Grounds to short.

Seventh inning: Hernandez. 1-1. Grounds to Eckstein. Castillo. Base hit. Paulino. 1-0. 4-6-3 Double play.

Salomon Torres relieves Duke. Luna. 1-2. He goes down swinging. Pujols. 1-2. Base hit. Juan. 1-0. Infield fly. Spiezio. 3-2 (Pujols advances on a passed ball). Strikes out looking.

Eighth inning: Freddy Sanchez pinch hits for Torres. 1-0. Foul ball. Duffy. 0-1. Pujols tags the bag. Wilson. 3-1. Walk. Mulder exits the game as we have a pitching change. His ERA on the season is now 3.53. Braden Looper is now in for St. Louis. My guess is that they will bring in Jason Isringhausen for the save. Bay. 3-2. There's a fly to left but Hector Luna catches it.

The new Pirates pitcher is Matt Capps. My guess is that someone will pinch hit when we get to the nine spot. Taguchi. 0-2. Strikeout. There's an argument in the booth about Jason Bay and all the trades he's been involved with. Molina. 1-2. Flies out to center. Miles. 1-0. Flies out to left and now I'll never know how the Jason Bay saga ended.

Ninth inning: Izzy, a former Met traded by then-GM Steve Phillips, comes in for the save. Wilson. 2-2. Strikeout. Randa. 3-2. Grounded out to "Just Enough" Eckstein and we are two away. Hernandez. 1-1. Izzy blows the save with a home run that Luna couldn't reach at the left field wall. Mulder will not get his 100th career victory today. He'll try again in five days. Castillo. 2-2. Juan takes care of the ball in right but the damage has been done.

Roberto Hernandez takes the mound for the Pirates as we start the bottom of the ninth. Wilson goes to first and Nate McLouth goes to right. John Rodriguez will pinch hit for Izzy. 1-2. Caught looking. Eck. 1-2. Base hit. Luna. 2-2. Base hit to center, runner advances. Pujols at the bat. 2-2 (ball gets away on 1-2 pinch, runners stay). Ripped down the line and it's fair. Eckstein scores and the Cardinals rally to win 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth and that's a winner!

Isringhausen picks up a win and Roberto Hernandez gets the loss. Pujols picks up his 6th game-winning RBI on the season.

Apparently, Steve Phillips did not cut it as a general manager. The players play better than they did for Steve Phillips and they all go up to him at games he calls. Now that they never finished the Jason Bay saga, I've been forced to look it up online.

June 5, 2000: Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 22nd round of the 2000 amateur draft.

March 24, 2002: Traded by the Montreal Expos with Jimmy Serrano to the New York Mets for Lou Collier.

July 31, 2002: Traded by the New York Mets with Josh Reynolds (minors) and Bobby Jones to the San Diego Padres for Steve Reed and Jason Middlebrook.

August 26, 2003: Traded by the San Diego Padres with a player to be named later and Oliver Perez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Brian Giles. The San Diego Padres sent Corey Stewart (minors) (October 2, 2003) to the Pittsburgh Pirates to complete the trade.