MLB NEWS
Carpenter Not Great, Not Bad in Return to Mound
Published by MoonDog on July 31, 2008
St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter made his first start in 485 days, going four innings against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday night and getting a no decision in the Cards’ 7-2 win.
Carpenter threw 67 pitches, 36 for strikes, giving up one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out two before being lifted in the top of the fifth for a pinch hitter.
“It was fun,” Carpenter said. “It was something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. It’s just good to get back out there and complete.”
“I didn’t know how long I would be out there, I went out there with the mind-set that I would go as hard as I could for as long as I could.”
Carpenter had some control issues during the first innings, missing outside and leaving the ball over the middle of the plate on a number of pitches.
The Braves scored their lone run off Carpenter with three straight hits in the second, including Jeff Francoeur’s RBI single. Atlanta had runners at second and third with one out, but Carpenter escaped the jam by getting Braves’ starter Jair Jurrjens and Gregor Blanco to ground out.
During the third and fourth innings Carpenter’s control improved, displaying his trademark 6-to-12 curve ball in earning one of his two strikeouts.
The Cardinals won their third straight, all against the Braves in this four-game series. Albert Pujols continued his hot hitting in the seventh when he cracked an inside pitch down the left field line for a double, driving in Adam Kennedy and giving the Cards’ a 3-2 lead.
St. Louis added to lead in the eighth when Joe Mather hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left that gave the Cardinals a 5-2 lead.
The series wraps up Thursday night with the Cards’ expected to send Joel Pineiro (3-4, 4.79) against the Braves Mike Hampton (0-0, 13.50).
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