NL: Red-hot Cardinals ride Grudzielanek's cycle
Associated PressPublished April 28, 2005
ST. LOUIS - Even after getting a home run, single and double in his first three at-bats, Mark Grudzielanek wasn't thinking about hitting for the cycle until teammate Albert Pujols began rooting him on.
"He was saying, "You've got to do it, you've got to do it, you've got to go for it,' " Grudzielanek said after helping the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 on Wednesday. "I didn't think the opportunity would come, but it sure did. It's weird how it happens."
Grudzielanek became the first Cardinals player to hit for the cycle in nine seasons, and Chris Carpenter equaled his career best with 12 strikeouts for St. Louis, which has won 11 of 12.
Jim Edmonds had two RBIs for the Cardinals, at 14-5 off to their best start since the 1968 team opened with that record. The first four in the batting order were 7-for-9 in the first four innings against Victor Santos as St. Louis built a 5-0 lead.
The Cardinals won their fifth straight over the Brewers, beginning with a three-game sweep at Milwaukee on April 15-17.
"The Cards have had success against everybody this year, not just us," the Brewers' Geoff Jenkins said. "You have to be on top of your game."
Julian Tavarez, who had 17 career saves and four last season, struck out the side in the ninth for his first this season in place of Jason Isringhausen, who went on the disabled list with a strained right abdomen muscle.
Grudzielanek, atop the lineup for the second time this season, hit the second leadoff homer of his career to kick-start a three-run first. He singled and scored in the second, had a run-scoring double in the fourth and tripled off Jorge De La Rosa in the sixth.
Grudzielanek might have been the least likely Cardinals player to hit for the cycle: He entered the game with two triples in 1,333 at-bats over the past four seasons.
CUBS 8, REDS 7: Derrek Lee had two home runs and six RBIs, and Corey Patterson hit a one-out homer in the ninth for host Chicago. Patterson connected off Matt Belisle after Neifi Perez popped up a bunt to start the inning.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, DODGERS 3: Luis Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking two-run single in a three-run seventh inning to help visiting Arizona win its sixth straight.
BRAVES 8, METS 4: Andruw Jones broke out of a big slump with a homer and three hits, and Crystal River's Mike Hampton stayed unbeaten with another solid outing for visiting Atlanta.
Wilson Betemit hit his first major-league home run and Eddie Perez also connected for the Braves, who roughed up former teammate Tom Glavine and took two of three. Hampton improved to 14-1 with a 2.61 ERA since July 4.
GIANTS 10, PADRES 3: Kirk Rueter finally got enough run support for his first win of the season and Pedro Feliz hit a three-run homer on his 30th birthday for host San Francisco, which took two of three for its first series win in its past four.
PIRATES 2, ASTROS 0: Kip Wells allowed four hits in seven innings and Jose Mesa earned his 300th career save as host Pittsburgh won its first series of the season, handing Houston its fifth consecutive loss. PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 0: Jimmy Rollins broke a scoreless tie in the ninth with a leadoff homer, and Brett Myers pitched seven scoreless innings for visiting Philadelphia.
MARLINS AT ROCKIES, PPD.: The game was postponed because of rain and snow and is rescheduled as part of a doubleheader today.