April 16, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 9, Colorado Rockies 3 (Game 1)
DENVER (AP) - J.D. Drew had a three-run double Sunday to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader caused by a snowout the previous afternoon. Placido Polanco and Thomas Howard hit solo homers for the Cardinals, who gave starter Pat Hentgen (3-0) plenty of room for error in his first Coors Field appearance by roughing up Rolando Arrojo (1-1), who allowed a career-high eight runs in four innings. Hentgen gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He left after Todd Helton's two-run single pulled Colorado to 8-3. Polanco, who went 3-for-5, and Howard each homered in the first, and Drew put the Cardinals ahead 7-1 with a two-out, bases-loaded double into the right-center field gap.
Colorado Rockies 14, St. Louis Cardinals 13 (Game 2)
DENVER (AP) - Jeff Manto hit a go-ahead double during an eight-run sixth inning that propelled the Colorado Rockies to a 14-13 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a split doubleheader Sunday night. The sixth inning of Game 2 lasted an hour as the Cardinals took a 9-5 lead on a run-scoring groundout by Fernando Tatis and an RBI single by Eric Davis. Jeff Cirillo started the Colorado comeback with a two-run double off ex-Rockies reliever David Wainhouse. Mike Mohler (0-1) relieved, two batters later, but promptly walked Larry Walker to load the bases. Todd Helton tied it at 9 with a two-run single. Manto followed with a pinch double that gave the Rockies their first lead of the day. Jose Jimenez (3-0), who threw a no-hitter for the Cardinals last year, retired both hitters he faced in the sixth. The Cardinals scored four times in the ninth, but fell just short.
April 15, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies, Postponed
DENVER (AP) - Saturday's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies was postponed because of snow. The game, which never got underway, will be made up Sunday as part of split doubleheader. The first game will begin at 3:05 p.m. ET with Pat Hentgen (2-0) pitching for St. Louis against Colorado's Rolando Arrojo (1-0). The second game will start at 8:05 p.m. Garrett Stephenson (2-0) of the Cardinals will oppose the Rockies' Brian Bohanon (0-1). Colorado has won its past three in a row -- including the first two from St. Louis -- while the Cardinals have lost three straight.
April 14, 2000
Test shows no disc injury for McGwire's ailing back
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Sidelined St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark
McGwire was treated Friday for an inflammation in his back and
will be re-evaluated Monday. An exam by team physician George
Paletta showed no new disc injury. McGwire will sit out the
remaining three games of a series in Colorado. During that time,
he will rest and receive treatment. The Cardinals have a day off
Monday before beginning a nine-game homestand with a game against
the San Diego Padres. McGwire returned to St. Louis from Denver
on Thursday for lingering back pain, which has bothered him since
spring training. "When you look at the long haul of the season
and you think it's probably going to be bothersome all year, then
I want to take time to get it done and taken care of," McGwire
said prior to leaving Denver.
April 13, 2000
Colorado Rockies 12, St. Louis Cardinals 6
DENVER (AP) - Todd Helton and Mike Lansing each drove in three runs in a 10-run second inning to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 12-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. Colorado shelled former Rockie Darryl Kile (2-1) for eight hits and 11 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Reliever Rick Croushore (1-0) pitched three hitless innings to earn the victory after starter Scott Karl struggled into the fourth. The Rockies sent 15 men to the plate in the second, collecting a club-record nine hits. During the flurry, eight straight batters reached base safely. The Cardinals chipped in with two errors, and Kile hit two batters. Helton, Darren Bragg and Neifi Perez homered for Colorado. The Cards hit three solo homers off Karl in the first.
McGwire sent home for tests on ailing back
DENVER (AP) - Mark McGwire was sent back to St. Louis on Thursday
to be examined for lingering back pain about two hours before the
St. Louis Cardinals' 12-6 loss against Colorado. Trainer Barry
Weinberg said the back spasms that McGwire has been experiencing
have subsided, but he still has pain in his lower spine. McGwire
was to be examined by team physician Dr. George Paletta on
Friday, with results of those tests expected later in the day.
McGwire, who has led the major leagues in homers the last four
seasons including a record 70 in 1998, missed the first two games
of the season because of a lower back strain, and he also sat out
Wednesday night's 7-5 loss at Houston.
April 12, 2000
Houston Astros 7, St. Louis Cardinals 5
HOUSTON (AP) - Richard Hidalgo homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs as the Houston Astros beat St. Louis, 7-5, Wednesday night, ending the Cardinals' four-game winning streak. Hidalgo hit his fourth home run and also walked as the Astros stopped a three-game slide. He hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh. Jim Edmonds, leading the majors with a .536 (15-for-28) batting average, had his fourth homer and a double, giving him nine consecutive hits. His streak ended in the seventh when he struck out against Yorkis Perez (1-0). Edmonds walked in the sixth to tie the club record for consecutive times reaching base (12) set by Chick Hafey in 1929. Moises Alou and Tim Bogar also homered for the Astros. Dave Wainhouse (0-1) took the loss.
McGwire sits out with back pain
HOUSTON (AP) - St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire sat out the
Cardinals' 7-5 loss to Houston on Wednesday night, the third game
he has missed this season because of back pain. "I don't like the
way it's feeling," said McGwire, who missed the first two games
of the season against the Chicago Cubs. Manager Tony La Russa
said he hoped to have McGwire back for Thursday night's game in
Colorado. "We're going to pay attention to it," La Russa said.
April 11, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 10, Houston Astros 6
HOUSTON (AP) - Pinch-hitter Thomas Howard had a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh and Edgar Renteria added a three-run homer later in the inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 10-6 Tuesday night. St. Louis fell behind 6-3 before Howard homered in the seventh off Chris Holt (0-2), who loaded the bases with walks to Mark McGwire and Eric Davis around a single by Jim Edmonds, who is 7-for-7 in his last two games. Holt then walked pinch-hitter Eli Marrero and Fernando Vina. Doug Henry relieved and Renteria homered for the second straight night, getting a career-high four RBIs. Edmonds also homered for the Cardinals improved to 7-1. Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou hit two-run homers for the Astros. Garrett Stephenson (2-0) allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings.
April 10, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 8, Houston Astros 7
HOUSTON (AP) - Mark McGwire homered for the third straight game, and Edgar Renteria and Ray Lankford hit consecutive homers off Jose Lima, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Houston Astros 8-7 Monday night. St. Louis, tied with Arizona for the best record in the majors at 6-1, has 20 homers, most in the big leagues. In Enron Field's fourth game, the teams combined for eight home runs, two more than the previous record for a major league game in Houston. Lima (1-1) allowed his first three homers of the year before J.D. Drew hit his fourth of the season off Jose Cabrera in the eighth. Daryle Ward homered twice for Houston, and Craig Biggio and Richard Hidalgo also connected. Pat Hengten (2-0) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings, and Dave Veres got the save.
April 9, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 11, Milwaukee Brewers 2
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers have seen enough of Rick Ankiel to know they don't want to see much more. The 20-year-old rookie had 10 strikeouts in six innings and Mark McGwire led a six-homer attack with his second long ball in as many days in the St. Louis Cardinals' 11-2 victory Sunday. Ankiel (1-0), the second-youngest player in the majors, allowed three hits and walked three in his sixth career start. Ankiel's only trouble came in the third when James Mouton hit an RBI double and in the fifth when Henry Blanco, who had three hits, led off with his first home run. Craig Paquette, Jim Edmonds, Edgar Renteria, Shawon Dunston and J.D. Drew also homered for the Cardinals. Valerio de los Santos (0-1) took the loss.
April 8, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 10, Milwaukee Brewers 8
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Mark McGwire hit his first home run of the year and Fernando Tatis went 3-for-4 with four RBIs as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-8 Saturday. McGwire's homer off Jim Bruske leading off the sixth went an estimated 424 feet into the right center field bleachers and gave the Cardinals a 7-4 lead. Fernando Vina had four hits and two runs scored against his former team. Darryl Kile (2-0) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Jeromy Burnitz hit two solo home runs for the Brewers, giving him five for the season. Dave Veres got the final five outs, striking out four, for his first save with the Cardinals. Steve Woodard (0-1) gave up six runs -- four earned -- and 10 hits in five innings for the Brewers.
Cardinals unveil plans for new ballpark
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Seeking the revenue of higher-priced seats, the
St. Louis Cardinals announced plans Saturday for a 47,900-seat
ballpark that would cost $370 million and open as soon as 2004.
"For the Cardinals to be a great franchise, a new ballpark is
critical for St. Louis," owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said. While the
new ballpark would have 1,800 fewer seats than Busch Stadium,
which opened in 1966, Cardinals president Mark Lamping said there
would be "more premium seats," which cost more money. The
ballpark would be built on a site currently a bus parking lot
owned by the Cardinals. It would be funded through tax-exempt
revenue bonds. "This building will pay for itself," Lamping said.
A sales pitch to local, county and state politicians will be the
next step for ballclub officials.
April 7, 2000
Milwaukee Brewers 9, St. Louis Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Jeromy Burnitz hit his third home run of the season and Jason Bere struck out eight in six innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 Friday night. Bere (1-0) allowed five hits and two walks, sending the Cardinals their first loss in four games. St. Louis had scored 30 runs in its winning streak. Since losing to Arizona on Sept. 19, 1998, Bere has won eight straight decisions and is unbeaten in 17 starts. Bere, 5-0 last year, twice struck out Ray Lankford and Mark McGwire, including the first inning with a runner at second. Lankford, who fanned three times, is 3-for-17 since being moved to the No. 3 slot. Andy Benes (0-1), in his first game back with St. Louis following two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowed two runs and six hits in five innings.
Cardinals plan new ballpark
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals intend to move to a new
50,000-seat ballpark within 10 years and called a news conference
for Saturday to announce plans. The new ballpark, just south of
the 34-year-old Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, would cost
$300-to-$350 million. According to earlier reports, the Cardinals
would pay for about one-third of the construction costs, with the
remainder paid by taxpayers. A bill to allow the Cardinals to use
a portion of the sales tax now generated by ticket sales is
pending in the Missouri Legislature. Cardinals spokesmen have
said in the past that a new stadium, with additional luxury boxes
and club seats, is needed so the team can compete against
larger-market franchises. The proposed site is currently used as
a bus parking lot. The Cardinals drew franchise-high 3.2 million
fans last year.
April 6, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 13, Chicago Cubs 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) - J.D. Drew hit two home runs, including a grand slam, as the St. Louis Cardinals completed a dominating sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 13-3 victory Thursday. Fernando Tatis, Drew and Mike Matheny homered in consecutive at-bats in a seven-run third against Kyle Farnsworth (0-1), with Tatis' homer a three-run shot. Drew hit his first career grand slam in a five-run fourth that gave the Cardinals a 13-2 lead. The Cubs were outscored 30-8 in the three-game series while getting swept by St. Louis for the first time since Aug. 7-9, 1998. Garrett Stephenson (1-0) limited Chicago to three runs on four hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking one. Farnsworth lasted three innings, giving up eight runs on seven hits.
April 5, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 10, Chicago Cubs 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) - So who needs Mark McGwire? The St. Louis Cardinals haven't had their big gun yet, but that hasn't kept them from overpowering the Chicago Cubs the first two games. Jim Edmonds made up for a quiet opener with a home run, double and three RBIs in a 10-4 victory Wednesday night. Ray Lankford also homered for the Cardinals, who have outscored the Cubs 17-5 the first two games with five homers. Pat Hentgen (1-0), part of the Cardinals' all-new rotation, allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits and struck out one. The Cardinals, who outhit the Cubs 22-12, got five straight hits in the first off loser Jon Lieber (1-1), including doubles by Edgar Renteria, Fernando Tatis and Craig Paquette, and Edmonds' homer.
McGwire sits again, but expects to play Thursday
(AP) - Mark McGwire was out of the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup
for the second straight game, sidelined by back spasms that began
just before the season opener. "He's better, but we figured it
would be smarter to give him a good workout and see how he comes
out of it," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said before
Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. "When you work out,
it's not the same as letting it all fly in a game." In Big Mac's
absence, Jim Edmonds made up for a quiet opener with a home run,
double and three RBIs as the Cardinals overpowered the Cubs
10-4. McGwire's spasms began when he was running wind sprints
Monday. He took batting practice Wednesday and said he expected
play in Thursday's series finale against the Cubs and home-run
rival Sammy Sosa. McGwire mostly took easy cuts in batting
practice, depositing one ball about 450 feet over the wall in
left-center.
Cardinals set preseason record by selling 2.6 million tickets
(AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals couldn't be a hotter ticket
despite three so-so years, selling a team-record 2.6 million
tickets before Opening Day. The team sold 2,604,109 tickets, more
than 65,000 over the previous record of 2,538,503, set last year
when the Cardinals drew 3.2 million fans last year despite a
75-86 record. "We couldn't be more thrilled with the support we
received," team president Mark Lamping said. "This is yet another
prime example of the tremendous enthusiasm and loyalty that
Cardinals fans have for their baseball." The Cardinals have sold
21,081 season tickets with two weeks of sales to go. That's the
second-highest total in franchise history and it's just a few
hundred shy of the team record of 21,362 set in 1990. Last year,
the Cardinals sold 20,862 season tickets.
April 4, 2000
After scare, Cards' McGwire says he might play Wednesday
(AP) - A day after he hobbled out of Busch Stadium with his body
contorted into an L shape due to a lower back strain, an upright
Mark McGwire felt so much better he was able to joke about the
injury. "I may be a hell of a manager someday because that was a
great move by me taking myself out of the lineup," McGwire said
Tuesday. His replacement at first, Craig Paquette, hit a
three-run home run in the first inning of the St. Louis
Cardinals' 7-1 season-opening win over the Chicago Cubs. His
stand-in cleanup hitter, Fernando Tatis, had an RBI single and
two steals. McGwire felt he might have saved himself from more
serious injury by deciding, just before game time, not to play.
He left in the third inning for Barnes Hospital, where an MRI
showed no disc problems. Doctors were able to quiet the spasms.
He was optimistic about his playing chances on Wednesday.
April 3, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals 7, Chicago Cubs 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Mark McGwire's aching back was the only bad news for the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day. McGwire was a late lineup scratch Monday. His replacement at first base, Craig Paquette, lined a three-run homer in the first inning, and his replacement in the cleanup slot, Fernando Tatis, also had an RBI single, a walk and two steals in a 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Cardinals starter Darryl Kile struck out Sammy Sosa twice and also got him on an infield popout. Slammin' Sammy also fanned in his final at-bat. Cubs starter Kevin Tapani (0-1), who gave up five runs in four innings, couldn't use the Tokyo trip as an excuse. The team left him behind on the two-game Japan split with the New York Mets so he'd be rested for his first start. Kile (1-0) allowed one run on two hits in six innings.
McGwire scratched from Cardinals' opener
(AP) - Mark McGwire, scheduled to bat cleanup instead of third
Monday for the first time since August 1997 for the St. Louis
Cardinals, was a late lineup scratch Monday. McGwire was pulled
just moments from the start of the opener against the Chicago
Cubs because of stiffness in his lower back. His replacement at
first base, Craig Paquette, lined a three-run homer in the first
inning, and his replacement in the cleanup slot, Fernando Tatis,
also had an RBI single, a walk and two steals in a 7-1 victory
over the Cubs. McGwire missed the last two games of spring
training because of the injury, but said Sunday he felt fine and
would play. McGwire underwent acupuncture treatment Saturday
night to hasten his recovery. The last time he batted cleanup was
Aug. 15, 1997. He moved back to fourth in Monday's opener against
the Cubs because of newly-acquired Jim Edmonds.
April 2, 2000
Cardinals send Perez back to Triple-A
(AP) - Eduardo Perez, the son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez, was
the final cut as the St. Louis Cardinals got down to the 25-man
roster limit Sunday. The Cardinals left one spot undecided until
after Sunday's workout at Busch Stadium, with utility player
Shawon Dunston also presumed to be on the bubble. Perez, signed
to a minor league contract, was returned to Triple-A Memphis. As
he cleaned out his locker, Perez, 30, hadn't decided whether to
report or seek his release. "I have no idea what I'm doing," he
said. "That's the beauty. I'm just going to let my agent do what
he does and I'll just wait and see. It'll be interesting." Both
Perez and Dunston had good springs at the plate, Perez batting
.344 with one home run and six RBIs and Dunston batting .324 with
two homers and seven RBIs. Dunston, 36, might have gotten the nod
due to versatility.
April 1, 2000
Cardinals demote Sutton, Wilkins
(AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals demoted first baseman-outfielder
Larry Sutton and catcher Rick Wilkins on Saturday, bringing their
roster to 29 players. The Cardinals must make four more moves
before Monday's opener against the Chicago Cubs, and three are
decided. Pitchers Matt Morris (elbow), Alan Benes (shoulder) and
Scott Radinsky (elbow) will be placed on the disabled list. The
final roster spot will go to either Eduardo Perez or Shawon
Dunston. Sutton, an offseason free-agent pickup, was optioned to
Triple-A Memphis along with reliever Gene Stechshulte. Wilkins,
catcher Henry Mercedes and reliever Mike James were returned to
Memphis and reliever Mike Matthews was sent outright to Memphis.
Sutton became expendable when the Cardinals acquired outfielder
Jim Edmonds, who also bats left-handed.