Cards Fall Short

Omar Daal and Philadelphia`s big inning snapped the St. Louis Cardinals` 10-game winning streak.

Daal pitched superbly and the Phillies used a five-run outburst in the eighth inning for a 5-4 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night.

Daal pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up just two hits, and Philadelphia held on for the win.

"Omar threw an unbelievable game," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "He changed speeds and used both sides of the plate. We just had to hang on."

The Phillies broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the eighth, highlighted by home runs from pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson and Jimmy Rollins.

The Cardinals then rallied with two outs in the ninth, with Bobby Bonilla hitting a two-run double off Jose Mesa and Edgar Renteria hitting a two-run single.

After J.D. Drew walked, pinch-hitter Ray Lankford grounded out to end it. Mesa got his 11th save.

Daal (5-0), who was 4-19 last season, allowed just two hits. He struck out six and permitted only one runner past first base.

"Omar`s been doing it all year, he gives himself a chance to win," Rollins said. "Even though we weren`t scoring, he kept his concentration."

Rheal Cormier took over to start the ninth and yielded three, one-out singles that loaded the bases and brought in Mesa.

Each team had just one hit through six scoreless innings.

With the game still scoreless in the eighth, Anderson batted for Daal with a runner on first and no outs.

Anderson squared for a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch from Mike Timlin (1-2), then hit the next pitch over the right-field fence.

"(The bunt sign) was on that first pitch, then I took it off," Bowa said. "I just went with my gut."

Doug Glanville, hitting in his 14th straight game, then singled and Timlin was replaced by Steve Kline. Rollins followed with a drive into the left-field seats.

Kline got angry after Rollins tossed the bat while watching his homer. He yelled at the rookie shortstop as he rounded the bases, although Rollins claimed not to have heard him.

"You don`t do that stuff," Kline said. "I`ll flip his helmet next time. If Scott Rolen does it or Barry Bonds, no big deal. But a first year player, I just don`t like that bat flipping stuff."

An RBI single by Brian Hunter gave the Phillies their fifth run.

Cardinals starter Mike Matthews, making his first major league start, allowed one hit in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.

"Matthews did everything you could ask," said Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. "He did a real good job."

Rollins was the only runner to get past first base in the first six innings. He walked in the first and stole second, but Matthews struck out Bobby Abreu and Scott Rolen to end the threat.

The Phillies were unable to capitalize on two scoring opportunities in the seventh.

Abreu walked to lead off the inning and went to third on back-to-back wild pitches. After Rolen struck out, Travis Lee hit a grounder to second baseman Fernando Vina, who threw home and caught Abreu in a rundown.

After Hunter walked, Johnny Estrada singled to left field, but Lee was thrown out at the plate by Albert Pujols.

Game notes:
It is the second straight game that Glanville has gotten a hit in his final at-bat to extend his streak. He is 21-for-60 (.350) during that span. ... It was Anderson`s second career pinch-hit homer, with the first coming on his first major league at bat against the New York Mets on Sept. 8, 1998. ... Matthews had made 13 relief appearances this year. ...Phillies pitchers had thrown 14 straight scoreless innings until the ninth.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News