WEDNESDAY APRIL 20,2005
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3B
MLB
Substitute catcher boosts KC
BY DOUG TUCKER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Game-winning hits are hard to come by for journeymen catchers who shuffle around from team to team and only rarely get to play.
For Alberto Castillo, there was that base-loaded single with the New York Mets eight years ago. And now there's solo homer with two outs in the ninth inning yesterday that lifted the Kansas City Royals past the Cleveland Indians 6-5.
"I did it one time in 1997 with the Mets," said Castillo, who's spent time with six different clubs since breaking into the majors in 1995. "It was a great feeling. What can I say? It's a great feeling."
Castillo, subbing for slumping John Buck, had only 10 career homers in 904 at-bats when he got the 3-2 fastball he expected from Arthur Rhodes (1-1), the fifth Cleveland pitcher. He also had two singles, scored three runs and got his first stolen base since 2001.
Manager Tony Pena, whose Royals are 3-0 when Castillo catches, told him Monday that he would start.
"It's nice to get up in the morning, and you think of the fact you're playing that day," Castillo said. "I was a happy man last night."
The Indians and Royals both stranded 13 runners. The Royals, who also used five pitchers and won for just the second time in eight home games, had 15 hits. Cleveland, which loaded the bases twice but failed to score, had 14.
"Runners left on base, that's the story of the game," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "Guys are swinging the bats better and we created many opportunities. You'd think we could scratch out at least one (hit) here or there."
Mike MacDougal (1-0) pitched one inning for Kansas City.
Cleveland loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and eighth innings but didn't score. Ben Broussard hit into a forceout at the plate in the fifth, and second baseman Ruben Gotay threw out Victor Martinez at the plate following Aaron Boone' popup into shallow right. In the eighth. Ronnie Belliard and Martinez struck out, and Travis Hafner grounded out.
"As a hitter, those are situations you want to be in," Hafner said. "That's when you can do your damage as a hitter. My last two at-bats, I had runners on base. We didn't get it done. You might come out tomorrow and score 13 or 14."
MLB
Gene L. Puskar/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Morris throws in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday in Pittsburgh, Pa. This is his first start since returning from off-season shoulder surgery. Morris picked up the victory as the Cardinals beat the Pirates, 7-1.
Pittsburgh hospitable to Cardinals
BY ALAN ROBINSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Matt Morris' successful return made for another easy St. Louis Cardinals victory in their home away from home.
Morris breezed in his first start since offseason shoulder surgery, limiting the Pirates to one run and four hits in six innings last night and leading the Cardinals to a 7-1 victory and a two-game sweep in Pittsburgh.
Jim Edmonds hit a home run for the second consecutive night and Larry Walker and Albert Pujols each drove in two runs as the Cardinals outscored the Pirates 18-2 in the series. The Pirates' 4-10 start, including a 1-6 home record, is
their worst since they were 4-13 in 1995.
At least there's one team that knows how to win in PNC Park. The Cardinals are 27-9 there since the ballpark opened in 2001, including sweeps of four and three games last season.
"It was a real good day for us," manager Tony La Russa said.
Aren't they almost always for the Cardinals in Pittsburgh?
The right-hander needed only 71 pitches — 14 fewer than his planned limit — while striking out seven and walking one. The Pirates' only run
Morris (1-0), a 15-game winner despite pitching with severe shoulder pain last season, couldn't have asked for a much better debut following two minor league rehabilitation starts.
came on Daryle Ward's home run, his second, leading off the second.
"I was anxious and nervous for today, but I'm happy now," said Morris, who returned weeks earlier than initially projected after he had surgery in November. "As the game went on, I was able to get comfortable and put the ball where I wanted to, which is a plus. Coming off an injury, sometimes you start to fade away."
The Cardinals helped Morris with a four-run second inning, following up their nine-run ninth during their 11-1 rout Monday. They didn't need much help against Josh Fogg (1-1), who is 1-7 against them with seven consecutive losses, but got plenty from a sloppy Pirates defense.
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