STL-49 and SD-07 split...Gerry Staley throws No-Hitter

Game 2 at San Diego St. Louis 7, San Diego 0 Cardinal manager Bicycle Mike Roberts called on righthander Gerry Staley to make his first start on the year after three relief appearances. His opponent on the hill for San Diego was the towering righthander Chris Young. After a scoreless first inning, the Cards jumped on Young for two runs with a walk, single, sac bunt by Staley, and two-out, two-run double by Red Schoendienst. They added another tally in the third on another two out double, this one by reserve infielder Tommy Glaviano. Meanwhile Staley had retired the Padres in order in the first and third innings, walking two in the second but getting out of that inning unscathed as well. After the two 2nd inning walks, Staley took charge, retiring 16 Padres in a row with an easy, almost effortless motion that kept the hitters off balance. As the game entered the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals had built a 7-0 lead while the Padre line read 0-0-1. The only question at this point was whether or not Staley could hang on and get the final six outs and reach baseball immortality. Kevin Kouzmanoff lead off the eighth, and took a couple of borderline pitches for balls and worked Staley for a walk. But the Cardinal righthander was not shaken, and retired Josh Bard and Termel Sledge on pop ups, and pinch-hitter Pete LaForest on an easy grounder to Schoendienst. The Cardinalsl failed to score in the top of the ninth, and it was on to the bottom half for more drama. By now, the remaining San Diego fans were pulling for Staley to finish up his gem. It wouldn't be easy with the top of the order due up. Brian Giles worked the count to 2 and 2, then lofted a fly ball to right that Ron Northey gathered in for the first out. Two to go! Geoff Blum then grounded to defensive whiz Marty Marion at short, who scooped and threw a strike to first for out number two. Mike Cameron was the last man to stand between Staley and his date with destiny. Staley started him with a fastball that caught the outside corner for strike one. Then he pulled the string on a change up and that Cameron pulled a little too much, catching it with the end of his bat. It was well hit, but just short of the track as Enos Slaughter had plenty of room to gather it in for the third out. As his teammates rushed the field to mob him, Gerry Staley had his moment in the sun.


Game 1 at San Diego St. Louis 7, San Diego 3 Marty Marion had three hits, scored three times, and drove in two to lead the '49 Cardinals past the '07 Padres 7-3 in the opener of a four game series between the two cross-era clubs. San Diego took command early, playing two runs in the bottom of the first after Greg Maddux kept the Cards off the board in the top half. A Brian Giles single, Milton Bradley double, and Adrian Gonzalez single plated the two runs off Cards starter Al Brazle. Brazle then settled in, while his mates chipped away at Maddux, and the score was knotted at three going into the 8th inning. Two Cardinal runs in each of the 8th and 9th innings sealed the win, as Brazle and Ted Wilks combined on a five hitter.

Game 3 at St. Louis San Diego 4, St. Louis 2 The Cardinals must have felt a let down after the big no hit win out west, as they came home and fell flat as the Padre pitching stymied their offense. The Cardinals had the chance to win both games three and four, but the Padres captured both contests with runs in the final inning of each game. This one was tied at two heading in to the ninth, as Justin Germano and Heath Bell stopped the Cards on five hits. Scott Hairston had lead off the game with a home run to plate the first Padre run, and a Marcus Giles single in the 7th had brought home the second run. St. Louis had single tallies in the second and sixth, the sixth inning run coming from an Enos Slaughter home run. That run had put the Cards and Max Lanier up 2-1 at the time. In the ninth, Scott Hairston did it again, driving a 2-2 fastball deep into the St, Louis night for a two-run shot off of reliever Fred Martin. Trevor Hoffman came on for the save.

Game 4 at St. Louis San Diego 3, St. Louis 2 Despite outhitting the Padres 10-5, the Cardinals squandered numerous run scoring opportunities and fell to the Friars in 10 innings. Howie Pollet went all 10 frames for the Cardinals in a tough luck loss. Cardinal manager Bike Mike dropped struggling slugger Stan Musial into the number six spot against lefty David Wells, but it did not help as Stan twice stranded runners in scoring position with two out. Padre pitcher Doug Brocail got Stan in the biggest moment of the game, when the Cardinals had runners at first and second with two gone in the eighth. A Musial hit there could have won the game and series, but Stan lofted an easy fly to right that Brian Giles gloved to end the threat. Tied at 2 after nine, he Pads pushed across a run in the 10th on a walk to Kahlil Greene, a stolen base and wild throw, and a pinch single by Jose Cruz Jr. Trevor Hoffman again came on in the ninth, and set the Redbirds down in order to get the Padres a series split.