Dodgers 2 - 3 Cardinals
Final/12
  for this game

Furcal's GW hit in 12th spoils Ramirez's debut with Dodgers

Jul 26, 2012 - 6:00 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Rafael Furcal singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Cardinals to a 3-2 victory, spoiling Hanley Ramirez's debut with the Dodgers.

Furcal ripped a line drive into left and a charging Tony Gwynn misplayed the ball, allowing pinch-runner Joe Kelly to score without a throw.

Ramirez, who was acquired from Miami earlier Wednesday and started at third base, tripled in his first at-bat, roping the first pitch he saw off the wall in center. He later singled in the sixth to tie the game, 2-2. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

"I feel comfortable," said Ramirez. "Great group of guys here. I can just go out there, have fun and play hard."

Kyle Lohse drove in a run for the Cardinals while also tossing seven innings of two-run ball. He allowed seven hits and struck out four without walking a batter. Fernando Salas (1-3) tossed two shutout innings, struck out three and got the win after working around a leadoff walk to Ramirez in the 12th.

Jamey Wright (4-3) was pegged with the loss.

Lance Berkman worked a one-out, pinch-hit walk to get things started for St. Louis in the 12th. Berkman, who was hit by a pitch on his surgically-repaired knee Tuesday, was replaced by Kelly. After Skip Schumaker struck out, Matt Carpenter ripped a single to center but Kelly, who was running with a full count and two outs, tripped rounding second and was forced to retreat to the bag. Furcal followed with the game-winning hit.

"He shortened up his stroke right there," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Furcal. "That's really the stroke that got him going so well early in the season."

The Dodgers went up 1-0 in the second after James Loney plated Ramirez with a sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals answered back in the home half to tie it at 1-1. Allen Craig walked, moved to third on Yadier Molina's base hit and scored when David Freese grounded into a double play.

With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Matt Holliday ripped a line drive to the right side but the ball was snared by second baseman Mark Ellis ,who raced to the bag to complete the inning-ending double play and to keep the Dodgers alive.

Game Notes

In addition to Ramirez, the Dodgers also picked up lefty reliever Randy Choate and sent pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough to Miami. Choate tossed one scoreless inning on Wednesday...Aaron Harang started for Los Angeles and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out eight in 7 1/3 innings...A Cardinals pitcher has recorded an RBI in two straight games...Lohse has tossed 10 straight quality starts...Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the 10th inning by home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. He has been ejected five times this season...Andre Either drove in a run for Los Angeles and finished the game 1-for-5 with a double...Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.






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