Sports

Carpenter delivers retribution

Associated Press
Published June 15, 2005

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TORONTO - Chris Carpenter had a dominant response for a fan that mocked him in his return to Toronto.

Carpenter pitched a one-hitter in his first start against the Blue Jays since they cut him in 2002, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-0 victory on Tuesday night.

A fan held up a sign that read: "Thanks for four years of frustrating mediocrity Carpenter." Carpenter made a gesture toward the fan as he walked off the mound in the eighth and after he gave a postgame television interview.

"I tipped my hat to the guy that said, "Thanks for the four mediocre years,' " Carpenter said. "He had a big old sign."

Carpenter allowed only Russ Adams' two-out double down the rightfield line in the sixth. He watched the replay of the hit on the video board, then closed the game by retiring the last 10 batters.

His previous best was a two-hitter on April 15, 1999, against the Devil Rays.

"I was thinking about a no-hitter, no question about it. I thought I had a chance," Carpenter said.

The right-hander, 30, struck out 10 and walked one for his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. He threw 95 pitches, 68 for strikes.

Carpenter said Monday he was shocked when the Blue Jays released him in 2002 after he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He pitched six seasons for Toronto, going 49-50 with a 4.83 ERA, before signing with St. Louis in December 2002.

He acknowledged he was excited about facing his former team.

"There's no question I thought about it. My wife talked to me about it and people were saying stuff about it," Carpenter said.

He said he didn't know what the reaction from fans would be.

"There were people getting on me, but that comes with the territory. People don't know the whole story with what went down," Carpenter said.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder missed all of 2003 because of the troublesome shoulder but went 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA last season.

"I'm sure the Jays are missing him right now," Cardinals outfielder Larry Walker said.

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa thought Carpenter had a chance for the no-hitter and knew his pitcher was determined to beat his former team.

"He was a big part of this organization. He wanted to come back and make an impression, and I think he did," La Russa said.

[Last modified June 15, 2005, 00:44:10]

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