Sanchez leads Pirates past St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2
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Ian Snell pitched seven effective innings and Freddy Sanchez's three hits led to each of the last-place Pirates' runs in a 3-2 victory against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals tonight at PNC Park.
Snell (10-8), the only Pirates starter with a winning record, was successful in his third attempt at victory No. 10, giving up only Albert Pujols' two-run homer in the fifth inning.
Pujols' 35th homer of the season was his 19th in Pittsburgh since PNC Park opened in 2001, easily the most of any opposing player.
But the Cardinals, losing their fourth in five games and 12th in 16, again had no offense except for Pujols. He went 4 for 4 with three doubles Friday but couldn't prevent a 7-1 loss as the Pirates' Zach Duke pitched a complete game.
Snell was nearly as good as Duke was, striking out six and walking three while twice fanning Scott Spiezio to end innings with two runners on base.
John Grabow pitched a scoreless eighth, getting Pujols to ground out, before Mike Gonzalez finished up in the ninth for his 20th save in as many opportunities this season. He has converted 24 attempts in a row since August 2004, the longest streak in the majors.
The Cardinals have been the majors' top team in August -- a key month that often sets the tone for the September stretch drive -- by going 114-73 since 2000. But they are 4-8 this month, though the drop-off hasn't been enough to dislodge them from first place.
Jeff Weaver was 4-0 in his previous five starts against the Pirates, but took the loss after giving up three runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Weaver (2-3) was out of the game when Jason Bay hit a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth off Braden Looper following singles by Chris Duffy and Sanchez and Jack Wilson's walk against Weaver.
Sanchez, who leads the NL with a .344 average, also singled in a run in the first after Duffy singled and stole second. After Pujols' first-pitch homer off Snell put the Cardinals up 2-1 in the fifth, consecutive one-out singles by Sanchez, Bay and Jeromy Burnitz tied it in the bottom of the inning.
Before winning the first two games of the three-game series, the Pirates were 2-7 against St. Louis this season, 6-19 the last two seasons and 12-34 in Pittsburgh since PNC Park opened.
Notes: Pujols is 5 for 7 in the series and 13 of 24 (.542) against the Pirates this season. ... The Cardinals are 25-29 against the NL Central after going 51-29 during their 100-win season last year. ... Pirates OF Nate McLouth sat out with a sore ankle, a night after driving in a career-high three runs in a 7-1 victory against St. Louis. ... Cardinals RF Juan Encarnacion, waiting in the on-deck circle, barely ducked out of the way of Spiezio's flying bat during the first inning. ... Snell was 1-for-33 (.030) at the plate until he singled to load the bases in the fourth, but Duffy grounded out to end the threat. ... The teams wore throwback uniforms modeled after those of two Negro Leagues teams, the St. Louis Stars and Homestead Grays. The Pirates are 2-0 while wearing Grays uniforms this season, with Snell winning both times.
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First Published August 12, 2006 12:00 am
