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Cardinals rally in ninth off Cordero to win opener

Jul 28, 2007 - 10:41 PM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Cardinals scored three runs in the ninth inning off Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Cordero to rally for a 7-6 victory in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

Trailing, 6-4, heading into the ninth, the Cardinals started the winning rally as Chris Duncan doubled off Cordero with one out. Albert Pujols singled to center field, scoring Duncan.

After Juan Encarnacion reached on a fielder's choice, Scott Rolen plated him with a double to deep left to knot the score.

Ryan Ludwick then grounded a single just past a diving Craig Counsell at second base to score Rolen with the game-winning run.

"It was an awesome win," Duncan said. "We kept battling and guys were taking good at-bats at the end of the game. I think it was a big win for us."

"I've got to credit the guys in front of me in that last inning," Ludwick said. "I would never have had that opportunity if not for clutch hits before me."

Cordero (0-4) took the loss after blowing his fourth game of the season and second in three days.

Prior to this series, Cordero converted 10 of his previous 11 save opportunities.

"(Cordero) is one of the best closers in baseball this year," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "They got some (two-out) hits. Rolen did a nice job of battling some pitches off, it was good hitting."

Russ Springer (5-1) earned the win for St. Louis, pitching a scoreless ninth inning, walking one and striking out one.

Milwaukee rookie sensation Ryan Braun had three hits, including his 18th homer, and drove in three runs as the Brewers seemed to have the game in hand.

Brewers starter Manny Parra kept the Cardinals off-balance for six innings, allowing three runs - one earned - on six hits and two walks, striking out three.

"I don't think early on I was pitching aggressively," Parra said. "I think I was kind of nibbling and trying to be fine with pitches. We had a big lead and I wanted to make them earn their way on."

A 26th-round pick of the 2001 draft, Parra had made only four starts for Class AAA Nashville before a promotion on July 16. However, one of them was a perfect game.

With two out in the first inning, Braun launched the first pitch he saw from St. Louis starter Brad Thompson 410 feet into the Brewers' bullpen to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.

After Counsell's run-scoring double with two outs in the second put runners on second and third, Braun struck again, lifting a soft liner to center to increase the Brewers' advantage to 4-0.

"Two-out hits are huge," Braun said. "It gives you an opportunity to get some momentum on your side. I don't know if we relaxed or not but we needed to put pressure on them and continue to score runs."

Parra made it a day of firsts in the third inning when he connected off Thompson for his first major league hit, a two-run double off the wall in right to make it 6-0.

"We've been working on (hitting) since I've been here," Parra said. "I got a changeup right down the middle and I just had good solid contact."

Thompson was forced to leave with a blister on a pitching finger after walking the first two batters in the fourth. Always one out away from escaping trouble, the righthander yielded six runs - four earned - and seven hits and four walks in three-plus innings.

"I really don't know what it was today," Thompson said. "I just didn't have command and I walked four guys, that's not very good. I'm just happy the bullpen did a great job."

St. Louis battled back with two runs in the third inning and added single tallies in the fifth and seventh to set the stage for its biggest comeback win of the season

"We got what we deserved," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "It was a tough start, we didn't get discouraged, we kept playing, playing, playing. It was a very tough win, the bullpen came in and did great. We earned it."

Encarnacion had three hits and three RBI to improve on his hot hitting in July. He is now batting .369 for the month with 17 RBI.

La Russa was ejected by third base umpire Greg Gibson in the sixth for arguing an appeal on a swinging strike.