Final/15
Cards try to pad Central lead in finale against Rockies
Sep 19, 2013 - 12:37 PM (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals try to pad their lead atop the National League Central when they shoot for a series win over the Colorado Rockies Thursday in the finale of a four-game set at Coors Field.The Cardinals posted a 4-3 win over the Rockies on Wednesday and grabbed a two-game edge on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the division. The Pirates have lost three in a row, including a recent 3-2 setback to the San Diego Padres.
St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright yielded three runs on 10 hits while striking out eight batters in 7 2/3 innings for the win on Wednesday and went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.
Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter each had a pair of hits with an RBI in the triumph, the Cardinals' ninth in their last 12 outings. Not only do the Cardinals have to worry about the Pirates on their tails, but the Cincinnati Reds sit 2 1/2 games off the pace.
"It's hard to ignore," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of the pennant race. "We know what's going on in the rest of the league."
The magic number for St. Louis to clinch the NL Central is nine and the club will visit the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. The Cardinals, who posted an 11-4 win on Tuesday, are a season-best 26 games over .500 and hope to capture home-field advantage in the NL soon.
Cardinals rookie Michael Wacha gets the ball Thursday and is 3-1 with a 2.81 earned run average in 13 games (7 starts). Wacha lost for the first time in his career in Saturday's 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Mariners and allowed two runs in five innings.
Wacha, a right-hander, has never faced the Rockies.
Colorado will try to split this set with the Cardinals and has lost nine of its last 12 games. Tyler Chatwood was tagged for four runs on eight hits over six innings in the loss for the Rockies, who won the opener of this set on Monday and fell to 1-2 on a nine-game homestand.
"Those are the type of games you want to be in ... it's a playoff team and he's one of the best pitchers in the league," Chatwood said. "That's the competition you want to go out there against."
Troy Tulowitzki had two hits and two RBI in the loss. Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer left the game with an elbow and wrist injury after diving to make a catch in the sixth inning. He is considered day-to-day and leads the NL in batting with a .331 average.
"The main thing is my wrist ... I caught it (and twisted it)," Cuddyer said on the club's website. "Then I don't know if I hit a sprinkler head or what with this forearm. I was running off the field and it looked like a golf ball, like you could tee it up right off my arm. Grass shouldn't do that. I don't know what I hit out there.
"I came out because of my wrist. I mean, the forearm is tight and swollen. I guess you could say I came out for both. But the wrist is the one that bothers me more."
Veteran starting pitcher Roy Oswalt hopes to crack the win column when he toes the rubber Thursday for the Rockies. Oswalt is 0-6 with a 7.71 ERA in six games (5 starts) with the club and pitched in Saturday's 9-2 loss at Arizona, allowing two runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Oswalt has plenty of experience against the Cardinals from his days with the Houston Astros and is 10-9 with a 3.19 ERA in 31 career games (30 starts).
Colorado lost two of three games at St. Louis from May 10-12 and went 2-5 in last season's series with the Cardinals.
- Cassie ? It says that I picked the Cards AND the Rockies.
Cardinals 6, Rockies 7 Final/15Sep 20 6:24 AM - ST. LOUIS: 6
COLORADO: 7
Final/15
Sep 19 8:26 PM - Corey Dickerson tripled to right scored DJ LeMahieu with one out to end the game.
Cardinals 6, Rockies 7 Bot 15, 1 OutSep 19 8:21 PM - Todd Helton lead-off Home Run (14) to right center. Charlie Culberson due up.
Cardinals 6, Rockies 6 Bot 9, 0 OutsSep 19 6:31 PM - Matt Holliday singled to center scored Kolten Wong. On the play, Jon Jay advances to third. Runners on first and third with two outs and Carlos Beltran due up.
Cardinals 6, Rockies 5 Top 9, 2 OutsSep 19 6:26 PM - Corey Dickerson tripled to center scored Charlie Blackmon. Runner on third with two outs and Troy Tulowitzki due up.
Cardinals 5, Rockies 5 Bot 8, 2 OutsSep 19 6:14 PM - David Freese doubled to center scored Matt Holliday. Runner on second with two outs and Tony Cruz due up.
Cardinals 5, Rockies 4 Top 8, 2 OutsSep 19 6:02 PM - Matt Holliday singled to center scored Jon Jay. Runner on first with two outs and Carlos Beltran due up.
Cardinals 4, Rockies 4 Top 5, 2 OutsSep 19 4:44 PM - Tony Cruz doubled to left scored David Freese. Runner on second with two outs and Daniel Descalso due up.
Cardinals 3, Rockies 4 Top 4, 2 OutsSep 19 4:21 PM - Yadier Molina sacrifice fly out to center scored Matt Holliday. Runner on first with one out and David Freese due up.
Cardinals 2, Rockies 4 Top 4, 1 OutSep 19 4:18 PM - Carlos Beltran singled to center scored Jon Jay. On the play, Matt Holliday advances to third. Runners on first and third with none out and Yadier Molina due up.
Cardinals 1, Rockies 4 Top 4, 0 OutsSep 19 4:17 PM - Troy Tulowitzki none-out, two-run Home Run (23) to center scored Corey Dickerson. Todd Helton due up.
Cardinals 0, Rockies 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 19 4:03 PM - Jonathan Herrera grounded into a double play, short to first scored Charlie Culberson. Yorvit Torrealba out at second. None on with two outs and Roy Oswalt due up.
Cardinals 0, Rockies 2 Bot 2, 2 OutsSep 19 3:46 PM - Yorvit Torrealba singled to center scored Todd Helton. On the play, Charlie Culberson advances to third. Runners on first and third with none out and Jonathan Herrera due up.
Cardinals 0, Rockies 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 19 3:45 PM - ST. LOUIS: 0
COLORADO: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 19 3:10 PM
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