RetroSimba

The last Cardinals pitcher to give up five home runs in a game was Scott Terry.

On June 4, 1989, at St. Louis, Terry started for the Cardinals against the Cubs and gave up six hits in 4.1 innings _ five of those hits were home runs.

Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston each hit two solo homers against Terry and Mitch Webster added a two-run shot in the Cubs’ 11-3 victory. Boxscore

Terry entered the game having allowed three homers in 58.2 innings over 10 starts that season.

“Not only does it hurt your confidence,” Terry told The Sporting News, “but it’s embarrassing.”

Said Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog to the Associated Press: “There were no cheap ones. Those hits were deep. I’ve never seen the ball carrying like that.”

After Sandberg smacked his second solo homer with one out in the fifth, giving Chicago a 6-3 lead, Herzog lifted Terry for Frank DiPino, a former Cub. DiPino threw a waist-high brushback pitch to the first batter he faced, Mark Grace, who charged the mound, prompting both benches to empty.

Though the melee was brief, it was costly. Grace partially separated his shoulder and was ejected. St. Louis third baseman Terry Pendleton bruised his elbow and left the game.

“It was not my intention to hit him,” DiPino said, “but I’ve got to show some protection for myself. They’ve just hit five home runs ahead of me and I’m going to lay one over the middle of the plate? It doesn’t work that way. It was a purpose pitch. I threw it where I wanted to throw it. But I didn’t do it so he would charge the mound.”

Said Grace: “(DiPino) didn’t like me last year, even when we were teammates.”

DiPino responded: “We weren’t the best of friends … I just don’t like guys who are cocky.”

Cardinals ace Bob Gibson never gave up five home runs in a game, but he did allow four multiple times.

On Aug. 28, 1963, when the Giants beat St. Louis, 5-3, at San Francisco, Tom Haller hit two solo homers, Orlando Cepeda hit one and Chuck Hiller hit a two-run shot against Gibson. Boxscore

The Giants also hit four homers against Gibson on May 8, 1973, at San Francisco. Bobby Bonds hit two homers _ a solo shot on Gibson’s first pitch of the game and a two-run homer _ and Willie McCovey and Dave Kingman each launched solo homers against Gibson in the Giants’ 9-7 victory. Boxscore

“If you get one hit off Bob Gibson, it’s a good night,” Bonds said, “so this one is great.”

In the other game in which Gibson allowed four homers, the Cardinals beat the Mets, 8-5, at St. Louis. Charlie Smith hit a two-run homer and Jesse Gonder, Johnny Lewis and Jim Hickman all had solo shots against Gibson. Boxscore