INSIDE PITCH
When
rookie right-hander Joe Kelly allowed seven runs, four earned, on Wednesday, it
ended at 10 games his streak of allowing three runs or fewer in any of his
starts. But the San Francisco Giants didn't stop there, strafing a couple of
Cardinals relievers, Brian Fuentes and Mitchell Boggs, for four runs apiece in a
15-0 shellacking of the Cardinals.
It was the most one-sided shutout loss
in St.
Louis for the Cardinals since a 19-0 drubbing by Pittsburgh on Aug. 3,
1961.
While Kelly's streak ended, so did the
23-game scoreless run of Boggs, who gave up a grand slam in the ninth to Giants
third baseman Marco Scutaro. It wrapped up a career night -- seven runs batted
in -- for Scutaro.
"You chalk up tonight as a bad outing
for me and I'll show up tomorrow and try to help us win," said Boggs. "I didn't
envision (the streak) ending, but it's going to at some point. Obviously, I
didn't want it to happen like that. But we weren't winning 1-0."
Kelly, who might have only one more
start coming, or perhaps none, depending on when left-hander Jaime Garcia
returns from his injury rehab, trailed only 2-0 in the sixth inning. But then it
all came apart on him, helped by an error by second baseman Tyler Greene, who
allowed a probable double-play ball to get through him.
"The error didn't help things out at
all," said manager Mike Matheny. "That's two outs right there. That's a big
play. Any out you don't get ends up hurting you. (Kelly) was in the game until
we got into the sixth, and then we just couldn't stop the bleeding.
"He got better. Look at him in the
fourth. He got up to 98 (miles an hour). And he was still making good pitches
with his changeup. He didn't have his best stuff again, but he kept us in
it."
Kelly (2-5) said, "I was making good
pitches down in the zone, but they just had their way."
NOTES,
QUOTES
1B Allen Craig woke up
Wednesday morning feeling discomfort in his upper left chest. But, after going
for an X-ray, it was found that his ailment was merely a bone bruise he had been
playing with since he fell into the stands chasing a foul ball in Cincinnati on July 13.
"It's been sore off and on for the past few weeks, but I've been working through
it," he said after Wednesday's game. "Over the past three or four days, it's
been progressively growing. It's one of those things. I'm human and sometimes
you wake up and you just don't feel good for some reason. I had some soreness in
my chest, and the smart thing was to get it checked out."
SS Rafael Furcal,
bothered for a few weeks by a muscle issue in his lower back, received an
epidural injection that kept him out of Wednesday night's lineup. But Furcal
thought he would be available for Thursday's series finale with the San
Francisco Giants.
2B Skip Schumaker didn't
start either (he did pinch hit) because of a bruised left wrist when he was hit
by a pitch as he, oddly, struck out on Tuesday. "Worst strikeout I ever had in
my career," said Schumaker. "Physically and painfully."
1B Lance Berkman, who
already was on the disabled list with right knee inflammation, has had recent
cortisone shots in both knees—Berkman had had left knee history, too. And now,
Berkman's left knee has flared up more. "Guy can't catch a break," said manager
Mike Matheny. General manager John Mozealiak said studies were done on Berkman
and those came back negative although he speculated that Berkman was at least a
couple of weeks away from playing. But this time, Mozeliak said, the rehab
process would be different. "We'll have to be a little bit more patient on his
rehab and give him some minor league at-bats before we push him up," said
Mozeliak. Berkman had talked his way out of a minor league assignment the last
time he came off the disabled list following his May knee
surgery.
LHP Jaime Garcia,
recovering from a left shoulder strain, will start for Class AA Springfield on
Thursday night at at San
Antonio. It will be his third start on the rehab program,
but general manager John Mozeliak said it might not be his last. "We'll see how
things go," said Mozeliak. "I could anticipate one more. Clearly, when we bring
him back we want him to be ready and have him pitch a whole game," said
Mozeliak, who used 100 pitches as a barometer.
By the
Numbers:
34 - Consecutive games in
which LF Matt Holliday has reached base. He walked in the fourth inning on
Wednesday.
Quote to Note:
"I think we're down to
nine guys."
- Manager Mike Matheny,
before a game in which he played without three injured
regulars.
MEDICAL
WATCH
1B Allen Craig (bone
bruise in upper left chest) was out of the lineup Aug. 8. He's
day-to-day.
SS Rafael Furcal (lower
back) received an epidural injection Aug. 8 and said he hopes to play Aug.
9.
2B Skip Schumaker
(bruised left wrist) was hit by a pitch Aug. 7 and was unable to play Aug. 8.
He's day-to-day.
1B Lance Berkman (sore
right knee) re-injured the surgically repaired joint Aug. 2 and was placed on
the 15-day disabled list Aug. 3.
LHP Jaime Garcia (left
shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6, and he
was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 16. After further examination, it was
determined that he has tearing in his rotator cuff. He threw 40 pitches from 60
feet on flat ground for the first time in a month July 4. He threw live batting
practice July 25. He began a rehab assignment July 30 in the rookie-level Gulf
Coast League, and he was slated to make three or four starts before a potential
return to the Cardinals in mid-August.
RHP Kyle McClellan (torn
labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 18 due to a
strained right elbow, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 30. He
threw on flat ground for the first time July 3, but he subsequently felt
shoulder pain. He had season-ending shoulder surgery July
10.
RHP Chris Carpenter (weak
right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he
was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 10. He threw for the first time since
March on June 13 and then threw another 40 pitches on June 15. He threw to
hitters for the first time June 22 but then had a setback June 25 when he felt
renewed weakness in the shoulder. He said it felt better the next day, and he
had an extensive throwing session off flat ground June 27. On June 28, he was
told he has thoracic outlet syndrome, which can cause, among its effects,
weakness in one's shoulder. A July 2 bullpen session was canceled. He underwent
season-ending surgery July 19 to relieve thoracic outlet
syndrome.
Link to boxscore: San Francisco 15 at St. Louis 0