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Cards score four in eighth to sink Pirates

Sep 29, 2007 - 3:48 AM By Brad Everett PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The final weekend of this season is a stark contrast from last year for the St. Louis Cardinals. But just like they did at the end of last season, the Cardinals are ending play on a good note.

The defending World Series champions busted open a tight game with a four-run eighth inning on Friday night, defeating the National League Central Division cellar dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-1, at PNC Park.

It was the Cardinals' fifth win in their past seven games and their third road win in a different park in three days. On Wednesday, they won in Milwaukee and on Thursday, they defeated the Mets in a makeup game in New York.

"I'm trying to have fun these past couple days and make sure these guys have a good time," said veteran Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds. "I don't know why we're winning, but we're winning."

An Edmonds pinch hit single keyed the Cardinals' offensive attack against a wild Pirates bullpen in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game.

Pirates reliever John Grabow (3-2) walked two and hit a batter to load the bases with one out. Grabow then walked So Taguchi, scoring David Eckstein to give the Cardinals the lead.

With Franquelis Osoria on the mound two batters later, Jim Edmonds hit a soft fly ball to right field that Steve Pearce couldn't come up with, which brought home three to put the Cardinals ahead, 5-1.

"It was luck," Edmonds said. "I hit the ball off the end of the bat, and the guy broke back. I'm just trying to put the ball in play; I'm not really trying to do anything special. I'll do whatever I can right now."

Cardinals reliever Russ Springer (8-1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win.

For the Pirates, it was the 11th loss in their past 13 tries, assuring them last place in the division.

The matchup between the Cardinals' Todd Wellemeyer and Pirates' Zach Duke certainly didn't appear to be a pitchers' duel on paper, but that is exactly what it turned out to be.

Wellemeyer, a career journeyman who had never started a game prior to this season, pitched six innings, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out five. The righthander has made the most of his starts recently, and looked sharp against Pirates.

"I was definitely wanting to finish strong," Wellemeyer said. "It's a good way to end the season. I'm glad I got to go farther than five innings, and I'm glad we won the game."

Making just his third appearance - and second start - since missing over two months because of an elbow ailment, Duke was effective as well, holding the Cardinals to one run and eight hits over seven solid innings.

Having struggled since an impressive rookie campaign in 2005 when he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA, Duke's outing provided hope for next season.

"I think Zach Duke was out there tonight feeling a lot of what he felt in 2005," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "And what a good sendoff that is going into his offseason and the opportunity to come into spring training and realize the fact that he is every bit that guy that was here."