NLCS: New Reggie taking over this October

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published October 13, 2005

ST. LOUIS - It was the first inning of the first game of the National League Championship Series, and the red-clad crowd at Busch Stadium already was clamoring for a curtain call.

Cardinals leftfielder Reggie Sanders emerged from the dugout after a soaring home run that landed above the left-centerfield bullpen and waved his cap.

"He's been amazing," teammate Abraham Nunez said. "He seems like he's got everything going."

There was plenty for Cardinals fans to cheer about during Wednesday night's 5-3 victory over the Astros.

Starter Chris Carpenter pitched a strong eight innings for the victory and drove in a run with a squeeze bunt. There was outstanding defense at third base from Nunez and at second from Mark Grudzielanek, and the team won its fourth straight playoff game and 104th game of the season.

But it began with Sanders, whose 445-foot blast launched the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead.

The blow, which prompted a collective "Oh" from the crowd of 52,332 at the point of contact, continued an impressive streak for Sanders, who, including the regular season, has RBIs in 10 consecutive games.

Of the 22 RBIs, a record 10 came in the division series against the Padres. More remarkable, in 12 previous playoff series, Sanders had 13 RBIs and batted .188 (36-for-191).

He is batting .333 (5-for-15) with two home runs in this season's playoffs. For good measure, he added a leaping catch at the wall in the sixth inning to rob Mike Lamb of a home run.

"What a lift he's given us," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I don't know who's feeding him, but I'm going to make sure it's the same breakfast and lunch that he's been having. He's been so clutch against really good pitching."

"I'm just happy with the results," Sanders said. "It's a situation where we just want to capitalize on key situations."

Sanders' home run on a 1-and-2 pitch off Andy Pettitte began a tough night for Houston's starter, who allowed five runs in six innings, the same number of runs he allowed in four previous starts against the Cardinals.

That after Pettitte was struck in the right leg during batting practice by a sharply hit ball from Roy Oswalt.

Pettitte was running the bases when hit. He hardly broke stride and finished BP before ducking into the clubhouse. Manager Phil Garner said Pettitte's right knee was swollen and believed, "It was probably a little factor in the way he was trying to work with it. He did a good job pitching through it."

Sanders said Pettitte, who threw 92 pitches, did not seem to struggle.

Besides, Sanders said, "We were more concerned about what we were trying to do. He still looked like he had the same stuff as far as a hitter's standpoint."

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the second on Carpenter's one-out squeeze that scored Grudzielanek. It was 5-0 in the fifth after run-scoring singles by David Eckstein and Albert Pujols.

Carpenter made it stand with the help of 16 ground-ball outs and clutch fielding.

Grudzielanek's smooth pickup of Lance Berkman's short-hop grounder started an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the third. And Nunez's throw home from third after fielding Adam Everett's wicked grounder nabbed Morgan Ensberg in the fourth.

Carpenter's only blip: Chris Burke's two-run, pinch homer in the seventh that made it 5-2.

"It's just one ballgame," Garner said. "This is best out of seven. But we clearly have our work cut out for us."

Especially with Sanders, who called his homer "exciting" and "gratifying. ... Then when you hit home plate, you've forgotten about it. It's time to move forward. We have a long way to go."

"So I don't want to pat him too much," La Russa said.

Even though he deserves it.

[Last modified October 13, 2005, 01:12:06]