E-mail
PrintBefore Saturday, Scott Spiezio’s numbers as a pinch-hitter from the left side were just as futile as the St. Louis Cardinals’ record the last few weeks.
After Spiezio’s bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2, both his 1-for-20 slump and his team’s late-season swoon are on the verge of becoming footnotes. The Cardinals, who had lost eight of the previous 10, cut their magic number for clinching a third-straight NL Central title to one.
“Numbers to me don’t really matter,” Spiezio said. “Anything that happens in the past doesn’t matter, and if you start thinking about your numbers it can affect the future.
“I just go up there and try to keep everything simple, and that’s what I did.”
Batting for light-hitting catcher Yadier Molina, Spiezio cleared the bases on a 1-2 pitch from closer Francisco Cordero.
St. Louis might have to play a makeup game against the Giants on Monday if it’s necessary to decide the division. And if it’s tied after that, a one-game playoff would be Tuesday in Houston.
Padres 3, Diamondbacks 1
David Wells saved his best of the season for when it was needed most, a dominating performance that has the San Diego Padres in the postseason for the second year in a row.
The 43-year-old left-hander threw six scoreless innings, not even allowing an Arizona runner to reach second base, and the Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
“This is what I live for,” Wells said. “This is what I’ve played for is the opportunity to pitch in a big game when it counted.”
Dodgers 4, Giants 2
Greg Maddux pitched the Dodgers back into the playoffs, a key second-half piece on the club’s remade roster put together to bring Los Angeles back to respectability after an awful 2005.
Maddux hit a single and even stole a base as the Dodgers won their sixth straight game, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Saturday.
After winning the NL West in 2004, the Dodgers went 71-91 last year, among the worst seasons in franchise history.
Royals 9, Tigers 6
Playoff-bound Detroit missed a chance to clinch the AL Central when David DeJesus hit a two-run triple in Kansas City’s seven-run first inning, leading the Royals to a 9-6 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night.
Kansas City sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning.
Show Me the Errors 
Comments