St Louis Cardinals baseball team

Pujols, Holliday both return to lineup

Sore Molina gets day to rest right knee

Baby birds

Worth noting

WASHINGTON — Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter knows better than most what Stephen Strasburg is going through. Not that anyone knows exactly what it's like to be the Nationals phenom right now, but Carpenter has a better idea than many people do.

Carpenter was a heavily hyped pitching prospect, though nowhere near the way Strasburg is. Carpenter had elbow surgery early in his career, as well as major shoulder surgery and finally Tommy John surgery in 2007. So it made sense that Strasburg sought out Carpenter on Friday, the day after he learned he would likely need Tommy John surgery. Carpenter was happy to provide some guidance, and in the process came away impressed with the youngster.

"He came up with a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations, huge hype and he was living up to it," Carpenter said. "And this shows how quick it can go. Hopefully he realizes to enjoy it, don't take anything for granted, because as fast as it can come is as fast as it can go.

"But he'll be fine. This surgery, not everybody, but most everybody comes back from it. He's a young kid. He seems like he's got a great head on his shoulders. He's got to, to be able to handle the stuff that he's been handling so far throughout his short career. If he works hard, he'll be fine."

Carpenter said his main point of emphasis to Strasburg is that the operation is not a career death sentence, and that if Strasburg works hard and trusts the people helping him, he'll come out of it all just fine.

But he also sympathizes, knowing what a scare it can be to face a year of rehab.

"Things like this happen," Carpenter said. "With everything that's been put on this kid, ultimately he's a human being and he's a kid that wants to play baseball. So no matter how much everybody around him sees him as this super-whatever, super guy, he's still a 22-year-old kid that has a couple months in the big leagues, and all he wants to do is play. That's tough. It hits you hard because you know you're not going to do anything for a year."
Pujols, Holliday both return to lineup
WASHINGTON — The Cardinals breathed a collective sigh of relief when the team's top two hitters were both healthy enough to appear in the starting lineup for Friday night's game against the Nationals.

Both Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday checked out as OK to play, a night after both suffered injuries in a 13-inning, 11-10 loss. Holliday was hit on the left hand by a pitch, and removed from the Thursday game. Pujols remained in the game after he turned his right ankle trying to catch a foul popup.

"Sore but playable," manager Tony La Russa said. "Happily and fortunately."

Pujols had a significant wrap on his ankle in the clubhouse on Friday afternoon, but was moving reasonably well and said he's in some pain but not too compromised.

"It's sore, but I think I can play through," he said. "I have a little bit of swelling on the right side and underneath the bone, but I think it's something I can play through. Tape it up and hopefully in the next couple days, with treatment, it gets better."

Sore Molina gets day to rest right knee
WASHINGTON — Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was held out of Friday night's starting lineup at Nationals Park due to soreness in his right knee. Molina hurt his knee legging out a single in the 12th inning of Thursday's 11-10 loss to the Nationals. He stepped awkwardly on first base.

Molina said that he felt fine when he left the park on Thursday, but that on Friday the knee felt worse. As a result, he was kept out of the lineup, with Bryan Anderson starting in his place. It marked the first time all season that someone other than Molina caught one of the Cards' top three starters (Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia).

"After I ran the base, I felt it a little bit, but I kept playing," he said. "After the game, I didn't feel anything. But this morning, I felt it a little bit."

Molina and manager Tony La Russa both hoped he would be available as soon as Saturday.

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Nick Stavinoha stayed torrid with two doubles and the game's only RBI as Triple-A Memphis beat Round Rock, 1-0, on Thursday. Five pitchers combined on the shutout. … Andrew Brown homered for Double-A Springfield's only run in a 6-1 loss to Northwest Arkansas. … Class A Palm Beach dropped a doubleheader to Fort Myers, 4-1 and 7-3. Niko Vasquez and Alex Castellanos each doubled in both halves of the twinbill. … Class A Quad Cities split a doubleheader with Clinton, winning, 5-4, and losing, 6-3. Colin Walsh started one game at second and one game at third and went 3-for-5 with two walks on the day. … Short-season Batavia also split a doubleheader, with a 6-3 win and a 2-1 loss against Williamsport. Victor Sanchez was a combined 4-for-6 on the day. … Greg Garcia was 3-for-4 with a homer and a double, helping Rookie-level Johnson City beat Princeton, 6-1.

The Player of the Day is Johnson City pitcher Boone Whiting, who pitched six shutout innings. Tyrell Jenkins pitched one inning as the starter in his pro debut, then handed over to Whiting, who was superb. The right-hander allowed six hits but no walks, striking out eight. Whiting, who turned 21 last week, was an 18th-round pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft. He's 5-2 in 12 appearances for Johnson City with a 3.57 ERA, 66 strikeouts and five walks in 53 innings.

Worth noting
Felipe Lopez was back in the Cardinals' lineup on Friday, playing second base, a day after manager Tony La Russa speculated Lopez might have been dealing with arm trouble. Lopez was removed from Thursday night's loss to Washington in the fourth inning after committing a throwing error. Lopez said Friday that he's feeling fine. … La Russa indicated that the Cards didn't have much interest in former Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe, who has joined the Rays. … Tyrell Jenkins, the Cardinals' third pick (supplemental first round) in the June First-Year Player Draft, made his professional debut on Thursday for Rookie-level Johnson City. He pitched one perfect inning, striking out one.

PITTSBURGH — Albert Pujols closed in on a milestone, and manager Tony La Russa hit a nice round number of his own. Kyle Lohse took steps toward regaining his old form. The Cardinals gained ground in both the National League Central and the NL Wild Card standings. It's amazing what a visit to PNC Park can do.

The reigning division champions looked like world-beaters against the Pirates on Monday night, as they so often do — especially in Pittsburgh. They took a four-run first-inning lead and cruised to an emphatic 10-2 victory that didn't even feel as close as the final score.

The Pirates were admittedly a compromised club after starter Ross Ohlendorf was removed due to injury in the first. But the Cardinals still had to capitalize, and they did. Convincingly.

Pujols' first-inning home run — the 399th of his Major League career — supported a solid, if not spectacular Lohse as the Cardinals won their third straight. St. Louis pulled within 2 1/2 games of first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central and opened a potentially grueling 10-game road trip with an emphatic victory.

"It's a good start to the trip," said La Russa, who won for the 1,300th time as Cardinals manager. "But that's all it is, is a start. We have to build on it for the rest of this series and the rest of the way."

Since PNC Park opened in 2001, it has been the Cardinals' playground. Even accounting for the struggles that the Pirates have had over the past decade, the Cards' success in Pittsburgh is stunning. They are 53-26 at PNC Park since it opened — the most wins of any opponent at the riverside ballpark.

And the man who's done the most damage did it again on Monday.

Ohlendorf allowed a walk and a single to open the game, and was removed after two batters due to shoulder discomfort. His replacement, Sean Gallagher, then faced the unappealing task of entering a game to face Pujols with two men on. Rather than pitching carefully, he came right at the three-time MVP. It didn't work out.

Pujols jumped on Gallagher's first pitch, a hanging slider, and pummeled it to center field for a 3-0 St. Louis lead. The blast put him one shy of 400, but it also gave him 24 dingers in his career at PNC Park. He is a lifetime .385 hitter in Pittsburgh. Pujols has slugged .726 at PNC, which opened during his rookie season.

"I don't do anything different than at any other park," he said. "I don't take this game for granted. I know I've had pretty good success here, but still, every day is a new day. You need to keep improving yourself."

Matt Holliday followed with a double, and Yadier Molina drove him in two batters later. The four runs would have been enough for Lohse, but it wasn't all that the Cards tallied. Holliday added an RBI single and Molina a run-scoring double in a three-run fifth, and Brendan Ryan's fielder's-choice grounder brought home the eighth run in the seventh inning. The Redbirds hung two more on the Pittsburgh bullpen to finish off the laugher, but the game was decided in the first.

"It didn't help that I served him a slider on a silver platter," Gallagher said. "It was definitely a rocky way to enter the game. I felt like I got hot quick enough and hindsight is always 20/20. I wish I could go back and take a few more [warmup pitches] to calm myself down and give myself a better mindset. I kind of just came out a little too aggressive."

For his part, Lohse turned in a fine effort in his second start since returning from right forearm surgery. He benefited from an excellent night in center field by Jon Jay, but was mostly in control, striking out four in 5 1/3 innings. He took a shutout into the sixth before flagging a bit, allowing Garrett Jones to crank a two-run homer.

"[I've] still got room for improvement," Lohse said. "I fell behind a couple guys. Still trying to feel your way around and getting used to being on the mound, you fall behind guys and then you've got to make even better pitches. I was able to navigate my way through and do that, but I'd like to get ahead of more guys. But some days you've got to pitch like that."

The St. Louis bullpen brought it home as the Cards won for the ninth time in their last 11 games at Pittsburgh. The win pulled them within one game of the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race.

Feliz giving Cards plenty of infield options

Cards' 'walking wounded' making strides

Baby birds

Tidbits

PITTSBURGH — Jason Motte's return to the Cardinals got a good bit closer on Monday.

Motte threw an aggressive bullpen session at PNC Park prior to Monday night's Cardinals vs. Pirates game and came through it feeling good, putting him on track to go on a Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Wednesday. Motte has not pitched since Aug. 2, as a result of a shoulder injury.

"I felt good," Motte said. "I think we need to go to Springfield or Memphis and throw on Wednesday, day off Thursday, then throw on Friday in a game just to get a couple games."

Motte reported no discomfort in the joint after the throwing session. If he pitches on Wednesday and Friday in the Minor Leagues, he could conceivably be activated as soon as the Cardinals' weekend series in Washington, or perhaps on Monday in Houston.

Motte is a key cog in the Cardinals' bullpen. He's the primary option when the club needs a strikeout, especially against a right-handed hitter.

Feliz giving Cards plenty of infield options
PITTSBURGH — The Cardinals see new addition Pedro Feliz as a defensive upgrade at third base — which the club viewed as a necessity given its ground-ball-oriented pitching staff. But adding Feliz has had another effect, one that has already shown up in the St. Louis lineup since the trade.

Felipe Lopez is doing what the Redbirds signed him to do: He's moving around the infield, starting almost every day, but not quite every game. It's probably the best thing for Lopez, who was stretched at third base and who deals with recurrent knee issues that made the everyday grind a tough one.

On Monday, Lopez started at shortstop for Brendan Ryan, adding an extra left-handed bat against a tough right-handed pitcher, Ross Ohlendorf — though Ohlendorf was pulled due to injury in the first inning. Against difficult lefties, he has started for Skip Schumaker at second base. The added depth should bolster the Cards' production at both second base and shortstop, assuming that Feliz can hold down the fort at third.

"You can take advantage of a matchup," manager Tony La Russa said. "Ryan's actually done pretty well against this club, but this guy here [Ohlendorf] can be very tough and I think this is a better lineup. You couldn't even consider it otherwise, unless you wanted to play [Aaron] Miles at short or third."

Cards' 'walking wounded' making strides
PITTSBURGH — Both of the Cardinals' "walking wounded" players made progress on Monday, but neither is ready to return to action just yet.

Left-handed reliever Dennys Reyes — suffering from an elbow strain — played catch on Monday, but has yet to throw off a mound. Outfielder Colby Rasmus — dealing with a strained right calf — ran in the outfield during pregame workouts and could soon be back in the lineup. Meanwhile, pitcher Jeff Suppan — who is on the disabled list with a strained groin — threw a bullpen session, but his return date is still uncertain.

"It's getting better," Reyes said. "We'll see how it feels tomorrow. It's one of those things, you need to let it heal. It's going to take a little bit of time. I have to go day by day and see how it feels every day when I get to the park."

Reyes did not expect to pitch off a mound on Tuesday, and he said he will need to test out his elbow with a bullpen session before he appears in a game.

Rasmus sounded optimistic regarding his progress.

"Every day has been a step forward," he said. "No steps back."

Suppan may be the furthest along of the three, but because he's on the disabled list, his return may be the murkiest. The Cardinals would need to find a roster spot for the right-hander, which is easier said than done. It is distinctly possible that Suppan will not be activated until rosters expand on Sept. 1.

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Triple-A Memphis won a wild one against Omaha on Sunday, prevailing, 10-9, behind big nights from Nick Stavinoha and Amaury Cazana among others. Stavinoha went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Cazana had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs. … Double-A Springfield scored five runs in the last three innings to beat San Antonio, 6-3. Daryl Jones was 3-for-4, reaching base four times. … Richard Racobaldo had three hits in Class A Palm Beach's 6-1 loss to Charlotte. … Shelby Miller pitched four innings, allowing a run on two hits with six strikeouts and three walks for Class A Quad Cities on Sunday. The River Bandits beat Kane County, 3-2, but Miller did not receive a decision. … Nick Longmire singled and tripled, but short-season Batavia lost to Williamsport, 6-2. … Cody Stanley had a single, a double and an RBI in rookie-level Johnson City's 3-1 win against Bristol.

It's been a rough year for Jones, but he was the player of the day on Sunday. The lefty-swinging outfielder had a home run, a double, a single and a walk, stole a base, scored twice and drove in three runs. For the year, Jones is batting .249 with a .339 on-base percentage and a .371 slugging percentage in his second season at Double-A. He was a third-round Draft pick out of a Spring High School (Texas) in 2005.

Tidbits
Manager Tony La Russa said Monday that he believes the Cardinals will soon know the makeup date for their rained-out game in Florida earlier this month. The leading option appears to be Sept. 20. … La Russa indicated that while Amaury Cazana is not a likely candidate for a September callup, Joe Mather could receive significant consideration. … Matt Holliday finished Sunday with 50 RBIs since June 18, the most in the National League in that span.

ST. LOUIS — If there were any doubts that Jaime Garcia's superb rookie season was a mirage or a fluke, he blew them away Sunday like a Giants hitter on a two-strike count.

Garcia faced just one over the minimum in a three-hit shutout as the Cardinals took down the Giants, 9-0, taking two of three games from their Wild Card competition and beating two Cy Young Award winners along the way.

Garcia put it all together. Control, efficiency, electric stuff. Garcia has flashed all three this season, but never together in one package like he did Sunday.

The rookie southpaw punched out six, didn't walk a batter and controlled the Giants offense like a young Barry Zito, his counterpart on the mound. The only blemishes against Garcia came on two singles from Pat Burrell to lead off the second and fifth — in both instances Jose Guillen bounced into double plays one batter later — and a Nate Schierholtz single with one out to go in the ninth that just squeaked by second baseman Aaron Miles glove.

The win moved the Cardinals within three games of the Reds for the National League Central lead and 1 1/2 back of the Phillies in the NL Wild Card.

It unequivocally ranks as the finest start of the rookie's young career.

"I think this is the greatest day of my baseball career," Garcia said.

It was the first time Garcia has gone past seven innings this season and the 89 pitches ranked as the lowest pitch count in a complete game by a Cardinal since Bob Tewksbury needed just 86 to finish a game in 1992.

He got ahead of hitters often — 65 of the 89 pitches went for strikes — and put them away quickly. Garcia stayed away from the middle of the plate, and his movement generated 15 groundouts.

"His stuff is explosive," shortstop Brendan Ryan said. "He runs the ball inside, it has got some pretty good run in there. I just think about that strikeout on Posey. That guy can hit, and making him look bad like that, that was pretty impressive. He was fun to be behind."

"They are an aggressive swinging club and that makes them dangerous, but if you can make really good pitches you can get some quicker outs than normal," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa added.

So what was Garcia thinking on the mound with a potential shutout on the line and having faced just the minimum through 8 2/3 innings? In the true Cardinals fashion — read: influence of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and pitching coach Dave Duncan — he was just thinking of the next pitch.

"I am trying not to think about it. Am I going to go a complete game? What is the pitching count? That will get you out of the game," Garcia said. "That is one of the things I have been learning this year. Don't worry about what is in the past and what is coming, just focus on the next pitch you are going to make and that's it."

Garcia certainly didn't have to think about run support. The Cardinals offense provided him plenty.

Seven different players scored for the Cardinals Sunday and all nine starters hit safely.

The Cardinals got three runs in the third inning off Zito after Albert Pujols drove in Ryan, Matt Holliday scored Jon Jay and a sacrifice fly from Felipe Lopez brought home Pujols. Two more runs in the fourth drove Zito from the game after just 3 2/3 innings pitched. It was the shortest outing of the season for the left-handed veteran.

The offense didn't stop there, piling on three more runs one inning later in Guillermo Mota's one inning pitched. Garcia got into the action, blooping a single to left field with two outs to keep the inning alive, before Jay drove him in. Lopez scored in the eighth to cap the scoring for the Redbirds.

All told, the St. Louis offense put together 15 hits, seven of them with two outs. Four different players reached base three times in the game. It was the first time the Cardinals scored nine runs in 16 games.

"A couple of them were decent pitches, but for the most part fastballs over the middle," Zito said. "The 0-2 curveball to Holliday needed to be bounced. There's no excuse for leaving an 0-2 pitch up like that. I was having a hard time getting my stuff down today. It was tough out there."

Feliz providing immediate boost for Cards

McClellan quiety having stellar season

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Worth noting

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa may have raised a few eyebrows Sunday morning when the St. Louis lineup showed shortstop Brendan Ryan leading off. Although Ryan has enjoyed a slight resurgence at the plate as of late, the right-handed hitter is still hitting .225/.286/.304 this season, not prototypical lead off numbers.

But with as all of La Russa's moves, there is a method behind the madness.

Ryan is just one of several Cardinals that have enjoyed success against Giants starter Barry Zito in his career. Ryan is 6-for-13 against the San Francisco southpaw, numbers La Russa based his decision on.

Felipe Lopez, given the nod at second base, is 7-for-19 against Zito and Albert Pujols has five hits, including two home runs, and five walks in 19 plate appearances against the lefty.
Feliz providing immediate boost for Cards
ST. LOUIS — It has only been two games, but much like Randy Winn and Aaron Miles before him, Pedro Feliz has done nothing to dissuade Cardinals manager Tony La Russa that veterans in the clubhouse can help a team win ballgames.

With severely reduced playing time in Houston after the All-Star break, Feliz has shown no signs of rust in his first two starts with St. Louis. The third baseman was brought in to shore up defense at the hot corner, but he has made sure to chip in offensively too. Feliz has collected four hits in his short Cardinals stint, including an RBI triple Saturday night.

The breath of fresh air has opened up Felipe Lopez for the super-utility role he handles so well. In other words, La Russa has gotten exactly what he expected out of Feliz.

"You don't play regularly on a championship team like Philadelphia unless you can do everything," La Russa said. "He can make plays, get big hits, understand the game. He's a quality veteran."

McClellan quiety having stellar season
ST. LOUIS — Quietly, and without much fanfare, Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan has established himself as one of the best — if not the best — setup men in the National League.

McClellan's numbers stand next to anyone. In 51 games, the right-hander has posted a 1.87 ERA with a sparkling 0.971 WHIP spanning 57 2/3 innings. He strikes batters out at a decent rate — 7.5 per nine innings — and doesn't hurt himself with walks, giving away under two free passes per nine innings.

Over 19 games in July and August, McClellan has given up just two runs for an outstanding 0.87 ERA.

In fact, McClellan's stuff is so strong the Cardinals will likely once again consider him for a starting role in the offseason — an annual ritual at this point.

"He has just got a lot of weapons," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "That is why [pitching coach Dave Duncan] always resurrects using him as a starter. Because he has got starter type equipment. But he has done a great job in the bullpen, he is indispensable actually."

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Oneli Perez was rocked for six earned runs in two innings Saturday and took the loss as Triple-A Memphis fell, 12-7, at Omaha. Joe Mather continued his hot hitting, collecting three hits, while both Steven Hill and Ruben Gotay finished 2-for-4 on the day. … Matt Carpenter extended his hitting streak to seven games at Double-A Springfield, going 2-for-4 in a 6-5 loss Saturday. Arquimedes Nieto got the start, finishing with two earned runs in five innings. … Class A Palm Beach took down Charlotte, 6-3, Saturday. Ryan Jackson led the way on offense, going 2-for-3 on the day.

Worth noting
Catcher Yadier Molina has started 24 straight games including Sunday's against the Giants. Manager Tony La Russa said he had "a date in mind" to give Molina a game off in the coming road trip, but didn't expound further. … The Cardinals honored former first-baseman Joe Cunningham in a pregame ceremony Sunday, for his work on and off the field in the Cardinals community. Cunningham played for the Cardinals in 1954 and 1956-61. … Over his past five games, Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter has held opponents to four hits in 43 at-bats with runners on base.

ST. LOUIS — If it's August, Albert Pujols must be making a run.

Pujols hit his 30th home run of the season on Sunday, extending his own Major League record of 30-homer seasons to begin a career. It is his 10th 30-homer campaign in as many years.

With two outs in the bottom of the first inning on Sunday, Pujols jumped an 0-1 slider from Ryan Dempster and deposited over the wall in center field. He has 396 homers in his big league career, tying him with Joe Carter for 50th on the all-time list.

In seven of his 10 seasons, Pujols has hit homer No. 30 in August. It's been the most productive month throughout his career, as Pujols has his highest batting average, second-highest on-base percentage, highest slugging percentage and most home runs in August. He has six homers in 12 games this August.

The jack was his sixth off Dempster, equaling former Astros and Cubs hurler Wade Miller as the pitcher to allow the most long balls to the three-time MVP.

Pujols' 30th homer also pulled him to within one of the National League lead, held by Washington's Adam Dunn. He leads the NL in RBIs with 86.

Cards option Salas to make way for Lohse

Black Eyed Peas stop by Cards clubhouse

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ST. LOUIS — Cardinals second-round Draft pick Jordan Swagerty visited Busch Stadium on what one club official called a "recruiting" trip as Monday's signing deadline rapidly approaches.

Swagerty was selected as a Draft-eligible sophomore, increasing his leverage in contract negotiations. He was the closer for Arizona State's College World Series team in 2010 and a teammate of Cards' supplemental first-rounder Seth Blair, who has already signed.

The right-hander was the 75th overall selection in the June Draft. He recorded 14 saves in 34 appearances for ASU, striking out 38 against 10 walks in 37 innings.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak wrote in an e-mail on Sunday afternoon that the club is not intending to make any announcement regarding Draft signings on Sunday. However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on his Twitter page that a deal with Swagerty could be close.

In addition to Swagerty, the Cardinals still have two other highly regarded Draft picks unsigned. First-rounder Zack Cox and 12th-rounder Austin Wilson, who was considered a first-round talent, have yet to agree to deals.
Cards option Salas to make way for Lohse
ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals activated right-hander Kyle Lohse from the 60-day disabled list in order to start on Sunday. Lohse had not pitched since May 22, the result of a right forearm injury that had bothered him since early in 2009.

To make room for Lohse on the active roster, St. Louis optioned right-handed reliever Fernando Salas to Triple-A Memphis. Salas has pitched well this season and likely will be recalled for September roster expansion, if not sooner, but the club did not feel a need to continue carrying eight relief pitchers.

The Cards also had to make room on the 40-man roster. In order to do that, they transferred third baseman David Freese from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. A player can only be moved to the 60-day DL when a team has 40 players on its 40-man roster.

Black Eyed Peas stop by Cards clubhouse
ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals clubhouse had a very different feeling at around 11 a.m. CT on Sunday. Normally a quiet, sleepy place on a Sunday morning, the room had a buzz.

Members of the music group the Black Eyed Peas, who played a concert on Saturday night in St. Louis, dropped by the clubhouse for a visit. Group members Taboo and apl.de.ap even took batting practice on the field at Busch Stadium.

"Just another day in the big leagues," quipped reliever Blake Hawksworth, who said he had attended the concert the night before.

Taboo and apl.de.ap also threw out ceremonial first pitches prior to the Cardinals' game against the Cubs. The group's DJ, DJ Poet, was also present. However, the group's two most prominent members, Will.I.Am and Fergie, were not in attendance.

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Triple-A Memphis rallied for six runs in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday to beat Colorado Springs, 9-8. Daniel Descalso's RBI single was the game-ending hit, backing up homers by James Rapoport, Amaury Cazana and Joe Mather. … Pete Kozma homered, reached base four times and scored four runs in Double-A Springfield's 12-8 win over San Antonio. .. Scott Schneider pitched seven strong innings, helping Class Palm Beach beat St. Lucie, 3-2. Schneider allowed two runs on seven hits. … Class A Quad Cities outlasted Burlington, winning by a 7-6 count in 11 innings. Devin Goodwin went 3-for-4 with two walks. … Nick Longmire and Matt Valaika each drove in two runs in short-season Batavia's 7-4 win against Hudson Valley. … Greg Garcia, Virgil Hill, Kleininger Teran and Cesar Valera each had three hits, helping rookie-level Johnson City to a 9-6 win against Greeneville.

Kozma wins player of the day honors. He was 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and a home run, and three RBIs. For the year, Kozma, 22, is batting .245 with a .318 on-base percentage and a .377 slugging percentage for Springfield. He was the Cardinals' first-round Draft pick in 2007.

CINCINNATI — Although Tuesday's benches-clearing scuffle between the Reds and Cardinals was started by Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina, it was Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto and the two managers who were most severely punished.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball suspended Cueto for seven games. Also suspended were Reds manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa, who got two games each for their actions during the brouhaha at Great American Ball Park. All three were also fined an undisclosed amount of money.

"What can you do? When the judge rules, the judge rules," Baker said on Thursday.

Since both teams were off Thursday, the suspensions are all slated to begin with Friday's games. Cueto was scheduled to start on Sunday against the Marlins, and could have pitched had he decided to appeal. Instead, Homer Bailey will start the finale vs. Florida.

As managers, Baker and La Russa have no avenue for appeal with the league.

"That's not the most diplomatic system," Baker said. "All I know is I'm tired of getting suspended. I never got suspended my entire life until I became a manager."

Fined an undisclosed amount were Phillips and Reds reliever Russ Springer, who came on the field while on the disabled list. From the Cardinals, starting pitcher Chris Carpenter and Molina were also fined.

The catalyst for the bad blood between the two top teams in the National League Central playoff chase came before the first game of their pivotal series. Talking to a reporter, Phillips used a derogatory comment about the Cardinals and proclaimed his hatred for Cincinnati's division rival.

Before Phillips' first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, he performed his usual custom of delivering a friendly tap to the catcher's shin guard. That catcher happened to be Molina, who kicked Phillips' bat away before the Reds second baseman tapped him a second time. Molina got in Phillips' face, which cleared the benches and bullpens.

Baker and La Russa had a heated exchange during the mass gathering at home plate. But just as tensions appeared to subside, Carpenter said something to Baker that reignited a melee that went to the backstop. It was there where Cueto could be seen delivering kicks with his spikes to Carpenter and at the head of Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue. St. Louis claimed that LaRue suffered a mild concussion as a result.

The fact that suspensions were not levied against Carpenter or Molina irritated Baker, who said he pleaded his case Thursday morning to MLB vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson and to MLB executive Frank Robinson. It was Watson who issued the discipline.

"There were things said that got escalated. A few statements caused the escalation," Baker said. "I don't know what the umpire's report says. Something must have been left out."

Those non-suspensions were added salt to the wounds for Baker, whose club was handed a resounding sweep by the Cardinals and knocked out of first place. St. Louis now holds a one-game advantage in the standings. The two teams have exchanged leads in the NL Central all summer.

Despite not liking the outcome of the discipline, Baker agreed that everything that went down between the two clubs this week was wrong — from the beginning.

"What Brandon said shouldn't have been said," Baker said. "What happened in the game shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have escalated to that point. You don't want it to happen again. It doesn't help baseball. It doesn't help the integrity of the game and it doesn't help anything."

ST. LOUIS — Nothing's guaranteed yet. It's not even close, since the Cardinals could be back out of first place as soon as Saturday afternoon. But they'd sure rather be where they are now than where they were at the beginning of the week.

To steal one of Nuke LaLoosh's most famous lines, the Redbirds announced their presence with authority at Great American Ball Park this week. They emphatically swept a three-game series from the Reds and regained first place in the National League Central over Cincinnati.

It was at least arguably the best ball the Cards have played all year.

"If we play like this from here to the end, " manager Tony La Russa said, "we've got a heck of a chance. This is a very solid series in just about every department."

Now they need to reprise it against a slate of opponents that may not move the needle the same way that the contending Reds did, which is good news and bad news.

If it was in fact the atmosphere and opponent that drove the Cardinals to play so well, that will be more challenging over the next two weeks. Five of their next six series come against non-contending clubs. If that's a potential pitfall, though, it's also an opportunity to make some hay in the standings for three weeks.

The Reds, meanwhile, begin a nine-game, three-city West Coast swing after the weekend. The schedule, in the near term, favors St. Louis, just as the standings now do.

"It's a long ways from over," said Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker. "This series doesn't imply that it's over for us. It's really starting. We have to go back to work again, like we've done all year long."

And the same is true for the Cardinals, who can't let three good games be their last high point of the season. They must show up against the Cubs and Brewers just as they did against the Reds.

One thing will still be there regardless of the opponent. For the second year in a row, the Cardinals' calling card is their starting pitching. Sure, they have the reigning NL Most Valuable Player, a deep bullpen and likely a Hall of Fame-bound manager.

But just as in 2009, St. Louis will go as far as its starting pitching takes it. In Cincinnati, the starters carried the Cards to their three most important wins of '10 to date.

"I don't know if there was more motivation or what," said Adam Wainwright, who pitched seven shutout innings in the series finale. "But our three pitchers who have been our three mainstays all year, really, came out and pitched three really good ballgames against a really tough offense in a tough park. No matter what the reason was, no matter who was pitching against us, I'm just going to give all the credit to our guys."

La Russa and Baker each aligned their rotations to make sure their top three starters pitched in the three games at GABP. The Reds' best starters slogged through. The Cards' best thrived.

And that remains the biggest difference between the rivals, as well as the greatest reason to have faith in a potential deep October run by St. Louis. No team in the NL Central, and really only one other anywhere in the league, can stack up with the Cardinals' best starters: 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter, 2010 Cy Young candidate (favorite?) Wainwright and Rookie of the Year candidate Jaime Garcia.

The Reds may be deeper. But they don't have the quality at the top. Then again, who does? The Phillies certainly have a case. No one else in the league does.

With several off-days in the next two weeks, the Cards can realign their starters to set up however they want them to for a lengthy road trip that starts in late August. That trip segues directly into the next series against the Reds, with another off-day intervening.

In other words, there's a good chance the rotation will line up again when Cincinnati makes its last trip to Busch Stadium, in early September.

That means the Reds will be likely to see Carpenter, who is undefeated in nine straight starts against them. And they're likely to see Wainwright, whose name appears among the NL leaders in just about every pitching category.

When the Redbirds were able to turn to Wainwright to finish off the sweep, they knew they were in good hands.

"When we get the first two, and Waino coming on the third day, that's not a good sign for the other side," said Colby Rasmus, whose grand slam was the game-winning hit on Wednesday. "Having those three guys going, if they're on and can stay on consistently, if we can put some bats on the ball we'll be fine."

CINCINNATI — Although Tuesday's benches-clearing scuffle between the Reds and Cardinals was started by Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina, it was Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto and the two managers who were most severely punished.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball suspended Cueto for seven games. Also suspended were Reds manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa, who got two games each for their actions during the brouhaha at Great American Ball Park. All three were also fined an undisclosed amount of money.

"What can you do? When the judge rules, the judge rules," Baker said on Thursday.

Since both teams were off Thursday, the suspensions are all slated to begin with Friday's games. Cueto is scheduled to start on Sunday against the Marlins, and he can keep pitching if he appeals. Baker said he expected there to be an appeal.

"That's what people usually do," Baker said.

As managers, Baker and La Russa have no avenue for appeal with the league.

"That's not the most diplomatic system," Baker said. "All I know is I'm tired of getting suspended. I never got suspended my entire life until I became a manager."

Fined an undisclosed amount were Phillips and Reds reliever Russ Springer, who came on the field while on the disabled list. From the Cardinals, starting pitcher Chris Carpenter and Molina were also fined.

The catalyst for the bad blood between the two top teams in the National League Central playoff chase came before the first game of their pivotal series. Talking to a reporter, Phillips used a derogatory comment about the Cardinals and proclaimed his hatred for Cincinnati's division rival.

Before Phillips' first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, he performed his usual custom of delivering a friendly tap to the catcher's shin guard. That catcher happened to be Molina, who kicked Phillips' bat away before the Reds second baseman tapped him a second time. Molina got in Phillips' face, which cleared the benches and bullpens.

Baker and La Russa had a heated exchange during the mass gathering at home plate. But just as tensions appeared to subside, Carpenter said something to Baker that reignited a melee that went to the backstop. It was there where Cueto could be seen delivering kicks with his spikes to Carpenter and at the head of Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue. St. Louis claimed that LaRue suffered a mild concussion as a result.

The fact that suspensions were not levied against Carpenter or Molina irritated Baker, who said he pleaded his case Thursday morning to MLB vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson and to MLB executive Frank Robinson. It was Watson who issued the discipline.

"There were things said that got escalated. A few statements caused the escalation," Baker said. "I don't know what the umpire's report says. Something must have been left out."

Those non-suspensions were added salt to the wounds for Baker, whose club was handed a resounding sweep by the Cardinals and knocked out of first place. St. Louis now holds a one-game advantage in the standings. The two teams have exchanged leads in the NL Central all summer.

Despite not liking the outcome of the discipline, Baker agreed that everything that went down between the two clubs this week was wrong — from the beginning.

"What Brandon said shouldn't have been said," Baker said. "What happened in the game shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have escalated to that point. You don't want it to happen again. It doesn't help baseball. It doesn't help the integrity of the game and it doesn't help anything."