St. Louis (8-3) at Chi Cubs (5-4)

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stl

Walters gets tough test in MLB debut

Matthew Leach / MLB.com
The Cardinals elected not to have rookie P.J. Walters make his debut under the lights on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Instead, Walters will pitch Friday -- against Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano.
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Cardinals probable pitcher

P.J. Walters

  • #62 RHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Walters impressed the Major League staff in Spring Training, leapfrogging to the top of the sixth-starter chart. He throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, two traits that endear any young pitcher to manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. Still, Walters struggled somewhat last year in his first exposure to Triple-A, and it will be intriguing to see how he handles big league hitters in his first shot.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG

Series at a Glance

Standings - 04/17/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central) 8 3 .727 - 5-2 3-1
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 5 4 .556 2.0 1-2 4-2
Stats - 04/17/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
STL .299 65 13 65 7 58 3.34 99.2 92 31 72
CHC .250 44 13 43 7 58 4.02 80.2 72 42 86
chc

Piniella has plan to deal with Pujols

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Lou Piniella is not going to let Albert Pujols beat the Cubs if he can prevent it. Pujols has hit four home runs in the Cardinals' first 11 games and drove in seven runs last Saturday.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Carlos Zambrano

  • #38 RHP
  • (1-0) 3.00 ERA 13 SO
This will be Zambrano's first start at home this season. The right-hander was 7-2 at Wrigley last year. In his last start Saturday night at Miller Park, Zambrano gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings. He did strike out seven, but also threw 118 pitches. Prince Fielder connected on one of those for his first homer. The runs were the first off Zambrano at Miller Park in 20 innings. He was 1-2 with a 12.75 ERA against the Cardinals last year.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 97-61 3.47 1394.0 626 1185 .228
Season 1-0 3.00 12.0 6 13 .273
April 1-0 3.00 12.0 6 13 .273

Cardinals hitters vs Carlos Zambrano

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Bryan - - - - - - - -
Craig, Allen - - - - - - - -
Freese, David - - - - .000 1 0 0
Greene, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Hamilton, Mark - - - - - - - -
Jay, Jon - - - - - - - -
Jones, Daryl - - - - - - - -
Ludwick, Ryan - - - - .500 14 2 5
Lugo, Julio - - - - - - - -
Mather, Joe - - - - - - - -
Molina, Yadier - - - - .219 32 1 4
Pagnozzi, Matt - - - - - - - -
Pujols, Albert - - - - .255 47 4 10
Rasmus, Colby - - - - .167 6 0 0
Robinson, Shane - - - - - - - -
Ryan, Brendan - - - - .000 7 0 0
Schumaker, Skip - - - - .357 28 1 3
Stavinoha, Nick - - - - - - - -

Cubs hitters vs P.J. Walters

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - .250 8 0 0
Bradley, Milton - - - - - 0 0 0
Castillo, Welington - - - - .333 3 0 0
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .500 4 0 0
Fox, Jake - - - - .000 3 0 0
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .000 1 0 1
Fuld, Sam - - - - .125 8 0 0
Hill, Koyie - - - - .250 4 0 1
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - .429 7 1 2
Lee, Derrek - - - - .500 2 0 0
Miles, Aaron - - - - - - - -
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .500 2 0 1
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .000 4 0 0
Soto, Geovany - - - - .000 3 0 0
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .250 4 0 0

Cubs have Cards feeling 'Sori' (8-4) (6-4)

Cubs 8, Cardinals 7

Cards can't hang on

Matthew Leach / MLB.com
Ryan Ludwick went 3-for-5, belting a three-run homer and a solo shot, and Brian Barden added his third dinger to help build a lead, but Chris Perez yielded the decisive homer to Alfonso Soriano in the eighth. P.J. Walters fanned seven over four innings in his Major League debut.

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Series at a Glance

 

Soriano to the rescue

Patrick Mooney / Special to MLB.com
Alfonso Soriano had struck out three times, but stepped up with a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Cubs to a thrilling victory. Aramis Ramirez drove in three runs to back a shaky Carlos Zambrano, who allowed seven runs, including three homers, in seven innings.
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Cubs 8, Cardinals 7

St. Louis AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Schumaker, 2B-LF 4 1 1 0 1 0 1 .278
Rasmus, CF 4 1 1 0 1 1 2 .242
Pujols, 1B 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 .326
Ludwick, RF 5 2 3 4 0 2 2 .405
Duncan, LF 3 0 1 1 0 2 0 .385
  Ryan, Br, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267
  c-Greene, K, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .227
Molina, Y, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .316
Thurston, 3B-2B 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .357
Barden, SS-3B 3 2 2 1 1 1 0 .450
Walters, P 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000
  Miller, T, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Freese, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .158
  Boggs, M, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  b-Ankiel, PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .212
  Perez, C, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 34 7 10 7 4 9 13  

a-Popped out for Miller, T in the 6th. b-Doubled for Boggs, M in the 8th. c-Grounded into a double play for Ryan, Br in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Barden (1, Zambrano, C), Ankiel (2, Heilman).
HR: Ludwick 2 (5, 3rd inning off Zambrano, C, 2 on, 2 out; 7th inning off Zambrano, C, 0 on, 1 out), Barden (3, 6th inning off Zambrano, C, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Schumaker; Rasmus; Ludwick 9; Duncan; Molina, Y; Barden 6; Ankiel 2.
RBI: Pujols (14), Ludwick 4 (13), Duncan (11), Barden (4).
2-out RBI: Ludwick 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rasmus; Schumaker.
SF: Pujols; Duncan.
GIDP: Greene, K.
Team RISP: 2-for-7.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
E: Pujols (3, fielding).
DP: (Barden-Schumaker-Pujols).
 
Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Soriano, A, LF 5 1 1 2 0 3 3 .295
Fukudome, CF-RF 3 2 1 1 1 2 0 .371
Lee, D, 1B 5 2 2 0 0 1 3 .225
Hoffpauir, M, RF 4 0 2 1 0 2 2 .333
  Johnson, Re, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .385
Ramirez, A, 3B 4 1 3 3 0 1 1 .364
Soto, C 3 0 1 1 1 1 3 .118
Fontenot, 2B 4 1 1 0 0 1 4 .229
Theriot, SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .371
Zambrano, C, P 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 .000
  Heilman, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
  a-Miles, PH 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 .091
  Marmol, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 34 8 12 8 4 13 16  

a-Walked for Heilman in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Hoffpauir, M (2, Walters), Ramirez, A (2, Miller, T), Fukudome (5, Boggs, M).
HR: Soriano, A (5, 8th inning off Perez, C, 1 on, 1 out).
TB: Soriano, A 4; Fukudome 2; Lee, D 2; Hoffpauir, M 3; Ramirez, A 4; Soto; Fontenot; Theriot.
RBI: Hoffpauir, M (3), Ramirez, A 3 (9), Fukudome (9), Soto (1), Soriano, A 2 (9).
2-out RBI: Ramirez, A 2; Soto.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Lee, D; Fontenot.
SF: Fukudome.
GIDP: Soto.
Team RISP: 4-for-10.
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
DP: (Theriot-Fontenot-Lee, D).
 
St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Walters 4.0 6 3 3 2 7 0 6.75
Miller, T 1.0 3 2 2 0 2 0 5.40
Boggs, M (H, 1) 2.0 2 1 1 1 3 0 4.50
Perez, C (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) 1.0 1 2 2 1 1 1 6.00
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Zambrano, C 7.0 9 7 7 3 7 3 5.21
Heilman (W, 2-0) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.35
Marmol (S, 2) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00

HBP: Pujols (by Marmol).
Pitches-strikes: Walters 98-59, Miller, T 18-12, Boggs, M 33-21, Perez, C 22-14, Zambrano, C 109-73, Heilman 19-12, Marmol 14-8.
Groundouts-flyouts: Walters 4-1, Miller, T 0-1, Boggs, M 1-2, Perez, C 1-1, Zambrano, C 6-8, Heilman 1-1, Marmol 2-0.
Batters faced: Walters 19, Miller, T 6, Boggs, M 9, Perez, C 5, Zambrano, C 33, Heilman 4, Marmol 4.
Umpires: HP: Sam Holbrook. 1B: Dan Iassogna. 2B: Charlie Reliford. 3B: Larry Vanover.
Weather: 55 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 7 mph, In from RF.
T: 2:39.
Att: 40,250.
April 17, 2009

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner