12B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols tosses his helmet after being called out on strikes in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds in their baseball game Wednesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
MLB
Cardinals fight through losing record
BY R.B. FALLSTROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who rode out the team's stuttering finish last season before the team righted itself in time to win a World Series, seems committed to enduring the team's early struggles this year.
The Cardinals were 8-11 entering Wednesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds, including a 1-7 record at home. They had been plagued by slow starts, getting outscored 15-3 in the first inning and 21-6 the first two.
La Russia said it's much too early for a shakeup or roster infusion from the minor leagues.
"We're looking at it all the time," La Russa said. "I'm just thinking that you don't draw big conclusions before you're out of the month of April."
The Cardinals had scored first in only four of the first 19 games, and had scored three or fewer runs in 11 games, going 1-10 under that scenario. It's put considerable pressure on a rebuilt rotation minus all five starters from opening day 2006 given that ace Chris Carpenter has been on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury since pitching on opening day.
Braden Looper, who started Wednesday, and Adam Wainwright
were starting for the first time in their careers. Wainwright, second-year pitcher Anthony Reyes and Kip Wells, coming off a two-win, injury-plagued 2006, all have been spotty.
"I would
given consecutive Sunday outbursts of 10, 10 and 12 runs leaving table scraps for the other games.
assume that a pitcher going out with a lead would be more comfortable on the mound and settle in a little easier," Scott Rolen said. "It's a pretty easy formula to figure out."
"This team since I've been here has been putting three, four, five runs up a night, and if somebody deals against us we're going to scratch out two and see if somebody
"We need to score some runs and take some pressure off"
"I'm just thinking that you don't draw big conclusions before you're out of the month of April."
The Cardinals were averaging about 3 1/2 runs, a misleading total
TONY LA RUSSA
Cardinals manager
can hold them to one," Rolen said. "We're putting zeros and ones and twos up there and we're doing it late."
St. Louis won four in a row the second week of the season, but had lost six of eight entering
Wednesday's game.
Jim Edmonds had four RBIs and a .196 average in 17 games after missing most of spring training recovering from foot and shoulder surgeries. Rolen was 7-for-9 the last two games, but before that his average had been below .200. Albert Pujols was struggling with a .230
average while dogged by minor leg woes.
The three players who have started in right field while Juan Encarnacion rehabs from offseason wrist surgery, Preston Wilson, Scott Spiezio and Skip Schumaker, were hitting a combined .214 with one homer and 10 RBIs. Second baseman Adam Kennedy, the only addition to the lineup from last season, was at .212 with four RBIs.
"If we stand at my locker enough, I think you'll hear me say the word consistent or wanting to be consistent or trying to be consistent," Rolen said. "I haven't had a consistent three weeks.
"When you don't have a consistent three weeks and hitting in the four-hole, you're going to go up and down."
La Russa said he began checking with trainer Barry Weinberg at 11 a.m., eight hours before game time, to assess Pujols' condition.
"In the time he's played he's played the majority of games with ouches, and he's always hit," La Russa said.
2007 Graduates!
"for special incentives and special financing available only to college grads,contact us today!"
Screamin' Jayhawk
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cleveland Cavalier and former Jayhawk Drew Gooden celebrates a first-quarter dunk against the Washington Wizards in a first round NBA playoff game Wednesday in Cleveland.
NBA PLAYOFFS Spurs rally from 17 points behind to beat Nugetcs
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs nearly headed to Denver down 0-2. After sanquering most of a 17-point fourth-quarter lead, the Spurs held on for a 97-88 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night to even the first-round playoff series.
Manu Ginobili had eight points
in the fourth quarter and Tim Duncan added seven points in the final 12 minutes to save the Spurs from losing two home games.
Duncan led San Antonio with 22 points and five blocked shots. Tony Parker had 20 points, Ginobili had 17, all but two in the second half, and Michael Finley added 14.
The Nuggets got within 91-88 on a 3-pointer by Allen Iverson with 45 seconds to play, but Duncan's layup and free throws by
Finley and Parker put the Spurs on even footing with Denver, which won Game 1 95-89 on Sunday.
Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Iverson added 20 points, Nene had 17 points and Marcus Camby had 10 points and 18 rebounds.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Denver.
Associated Press
THINK KU FOR SUMMER
ENROLL NOW!
for the Lawrence and Edwards Campuses
See your advisor for more information!