• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Duncan enables Cards to rally past Giants

Apr 13, 2008 - 1:01 AM By Al Barba PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - Chris Duncan's single to left field in the 10th inning plated Adam Kennedy with the winning run as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 8-7, on Saturday.

Erick Threets (0-1), the Giants' seventh pitcher of the afternoon, opened the 10th by walking Adam Kennedy and hitting Jason LaRue with a pitch. After a sacrifice and an intentional walk, Duncan drove in the eventual game-winning run by slapping a single into left field.

Jason Isringhausen (1-0), who blew his first save of the season in six chances, notched the victory despite surrendering two runs and three hits in one inning. Anthony Reyes picked up the save, allowing a hit but striking out two in the 10th.

"It's a hard-playing bunch of guys," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "There are a lot of heroes on our side."

Matt Cain carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Albert Pujols led off with a double. The righthander left after 6 2/3 frames, yielding two runs, three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

"It's tough for all of us," Cain said. "It's a loss all of us should never let happen. In the pitchers' minds, we should be able to pull that off."

Duncan and Rick Ankiel homered off Tyler Walker in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5 before Ryan Ludwick belted a two-run shot off Brad Hennessey, putting St. Louis ahead.

"Since I've been over here, I've been blessed with being up in that situation," Ludwick said. "I've come through quite a bit. Let's hope it continues to happen."

Walker, who was handed a three-run advantage, surrendered the lead three batters into the eighth. After a leadoff blast by Duncan, Pujols singled and Ankiel followed with his fourth homer of the season.

"It felt good to get some hits, especially the last one because it helped us win," Duncan said. "Anytime you do something to help the team, it feels good."

Cain gave the Giants a 1-0 lead when he hit Todd Wellemeyer's first pitch of the sixth inning over the left-field wall for his third career home run. It was the first blast by a Giants pitcher since Noah Lowry homered off Milwaukee's Chris Capuano on August 24, 2007 at AT&T Park.

"That kid did everything. He pitched great and hit a home run," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Cain. "That's one we can't let slip away for him, and we did.

"The kid's handled everything well. He's not going to say anything. He had to deal with it last year. We had the game in hand and let it get away."

Rookie John Bowker, who was recalled from Class AAA Fresno prior to the game and was making his major-league debut, blasted his first career home run - a three-run shot to right field - later in the sixth for a 5-0 cushion.

"That was awesome," Bowker said. "To get that hit out of the way and to hear the crowd was a plus."

Bowker became the eighth San Francisco Giant to hit a home run in his first major league game. He joins Orlando Cepeda, Bobby Bonds, John Montefusco, Johnnie LeMaster, Will Clark, Randy Kutcher and Eliezer Alfonzo.