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Schumaker's hit lifts Cardinals over Astros

Apr 26, 2008 - 10:31 PM By Jim Walsh PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Skip Schumaker singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and Adam Wainwright tossed his second career complete game as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Houston Astros, 4-3, on Saturday.

Schumaker's line-drive single to left field went under the glove of a charging Carlos Lee, allowing pinch runner Cesar Izturis to score and snap the Astros' six-game winning streak.

Brian Barton led off the ninth for the Cardinals, drawing a four-pitch walk from reliever Dave Borkowski (0-1). After a failed sacrifice put Wainwright on first, Brendan Ryan blooped a single to center to place runners on first and second with one out.

"It was a cardinal sin, walking someone on four straight pitches," Borkowski said. "It just sets everything up for them. You can't do it."

Izturis came in to run for Wainwright and Wesley Wright was brought in by Houston to face Schumaker, who ran the count full before connecting for the game-winning hit.

"I saw a bunch of fastballs," Schumaker said. "I've never seen (Wright) before. I just tried to get a ball over the plate and put it in play, and it worked out."

Wainwright (3-1) improved to 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 10 career games against Houston, including four starts. The 26-year old ace was excellent, retiring 24-of-27 batters during a stretch from the first inning to the ninth.

"It's all the guts you want to see, and it matches his talent," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "It shows you not just what he's capable of, but the way he's been pitching ever since he's been on this team."

The righthander allowed three runs - all on solo home runs - five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

"I didn't have any command today," said Wainwright, who threw a career-high 126 pitches. "I was able to throw strikes, but I wasn't throwing anything where I was trying to throw it. I was just trying to mix it in there and make them hit the ball in play, and the defense played awesome behind me."

St. Louis broke through against Houston starter Roy Oswalt for three runs in the third, snapping a string of 19 consecutive innings in which the righthander had not allowed an earned run against the Cardinals.

Schumaker drew a one-out walk and Rick Ankiel singled to right to bring Albert Pujols to the plate. The slugger lined a 1-2 fastball into the gap in right-center for a two-run double.

"I just had that one inning," said Oswalt, who also threw a season-high 117 pitches. "I threw some pitches to Pujols in, then I was trying to go away with him, but he flipped it into right field. Other than that, I felt great."

Chris Duncan singled to move Pujols to third and Troy Glaus followed with a fly to right-center field that was just deep enough to score Pujols, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Oswalt lasted six innings and remained unbeaten in his last 10 starts against St. Louis, dating to September 2005. The ace allowed three runs and five hits, walking three and striking out five.

Kaz Matsui got the Astros on the board in the first, depositing Wainwright's fastball into the Cardinals' bullpen in right for his first homer of the season and a 1-0 edge.

Houston scored another run in the fourth on the first of Lance Berkman's two home runs, a 424-foot blast to straightaway center. Leading off in the seventh, Berkman tied the contest at 3-3, lining Wainwright's changeup over the wall in right.

"It was just two pitches that he got up," Berkman said. "He normally doesn't get the ball up, but those two were, and whenever you're facing a guy like Wainwright, if you don't capitalize on those, then you're not going to get anything done."

It was the 23rd career multi-homer game for the switch-hitting Berkman and first this season.