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Drew, Jackson power Diamondbacks past Cardinals

Sep 9, 2007 - 6:43 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Despite surrendering seven runs in one inning, the Arizona Diamondbacks came from behind to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-8, on Saturday.

Conor Jackson and Stephen Drew each belted three-run home runs with Drew's blast highlighting a five-run fifth inning for Arizona (80-63), which has won four in a row and six of their last eight to remain two games ahead of the San Diego Padres (77-64) in the National League West.

St. Louis exploded for seven runs in the third inning, doing most of its damage against Arizona starter Micah Owings, who got himself in trouble when he lost the strike zone, walking and then hitting a batter.

That left two men on for All-Star Albert Pujols, who drilled a two-run triple off the right field fence to make it a 3-2 deficit.

Owings then walked Jim Edmonds and Chris Duncan hit a soft grounder to the left of the mound. Owings bobbled it, allowing Edmonds to reach base. Aaron Miles followed with his second homer the season, a shot over the right field fence, to give the Cardinals a 6-3 advantage.

Kelly Stinnett doubled to left-center, sending Owings to the showers, then Looper singled to center off of reliever Jailen Peguero, plating Stinnett and extending the St. Louis lead to 7-3.

"We Knew there was a lot of time left," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "This team has got some resiliency. We have talked about that all year. Whether it is following a bad game, perservering through a losing streak or picking ourselves back up and getting a big inning. You keep grinding."

Owings, who was coming off an outing where he allowed five runs and career-high four homers in just three innings, was torched for seven runs - two earned - in 2 2/3 innings.

Arizona began their comeback in the bottom of the third when Eric Byrnes doubled, stole a base and scored on a throwing error by Stinnett, cutting the led to 7-4.

In the fifth Arizona's big inning began with Augie Ojeda, who led off the inning with a single. Pinch hitter Jeff Cirillo followed with a double to left before Drew connected for his 11th homer to tie the game at 7-7 and ending Cardinals starter Braden Looper's night.

"I knew to be patient and look for a pitch I could drive," Drew said. "I finally got one that I could drive and put a good swing on it and tried not to do too much, get a sac fly or whatever it takes."

Todd Wellemeyer (3-2) was brought in and proceeded to walk the first two batters he faced. Then a sacrifice fly to left by Miguel Montero and an RBI single by pinch hitter Carlos Quentin capped the Diamondbacks' scoring for a 9-7 advantage.

"It was a rough night, pitchers had a tough night," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We didn't score the last four. It was a very gutty loss."

Wellemeyer was charged with the loss, allowing one hit and a pair of unearned runs, walking two in two-thirds of an inning.

"I was out of whack and couldn't make the adjustment," Looper said. "I got down right away but the guys battled back and I had it at 7-3 and didn't get the job done."

Looper, who came into the game with a 14-inning scoreless streak, was hammered for seven runs - six earned - and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Dana Eveland (1-0) threw just two pitches and retired the only batter he faced to close out the fourth inning and earn his second major league win. His last win was September 5, 2005, as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

"That is the way our year has been," said Conor Jackson, who gave Arizona a 3-0 lead in the first inning with 13th homer. "We get down we come back we win by one run. How many times have you seen that before. We are used to it. it is not like it is a new situation for us."

Pujols went 3-for-4 and reached base four times for St. Louis, which fell two games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs (72-69) and Milwaukee Brewers (72-69) in the National League Central.