Rescued from the minors and given the chance for a final fling with the franchise he rooted for as a boy in Illinois, T.J. Mathews delivered his longest and most impressive big-league performance for the Cardinals.
On Sept. 9, 2001, Mathews pitched 4.1 flawless innings of relief for the Cardinals and got the win in an 8-1 St. Louis victory over the Dodgers at Busch Stadium II. Mathews retired all 13 batters he faced, striking out five.
Fourteen years later, on April 30, 2015, Carlos Villanueva pitched 3.2 perfect innings of relief for the Cardinals and got the win in a 9-3 St. Louis victory over the Phillies at Busch Stadium III. Villanueva became the first Cardinals reliever to work 3.2 innings or more without allowing a base runner since Mathews shut down the Dodgers. Boxscore
Baseball pedigree
Mathews, a Belleville, Ill., native, grew up as a Cardinals fan. His father, Nelson Mathews, had been an outfielder with the Cubs and Athletics in the 1960s. In 1992, T.J. Mathews was selected in the 36th round of the amateur draft by the Cardinals.
A right-hander, Mathews debuted with the Cardinals in 1995 and pitched effectively for them in relief. On July 31, 1997, Mathews was one of three players traded by the Cardinals to the Athletics for first baseman Mark McGwire.
Four years later, on June 22, 2001, Mathews, 31, was released by the Athletics. The Cardinals signed him two weeks later. After three appearances for St. Louis, Mathews was sent to Class AAA Memphis. In September, when the minor league seasons ended and big-league rosters expanded, the Cardinals brought him back.
Postseason quest
On Sept. 9, 2001, the Cardinals entered the day tied for second place with the Cubs in the National League Central Division at 77-64, 5.5 games behind the Astros. With 21 games remaining, the Cardinals needed a strong finish to have a chance at earning a postseason berth as either division champion or the wild-card entry.
Matt Morris, seeking his 20th win, was the Cardinals’ starter that Sunday afternoon against the Dodgers. After an inning, the game was halted by rain. The delay lasted two hours and four minutes.
Morris wanted to continue. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, concerned the long delay could hamper Morris’ ability to properly loosen his arm, sent Luther Hackman to pitch the second.
“That was a real tough decision,” La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Said Morris: “When they make a decision that benefits your future, you can’t really complain.”
Hackman pitched a scoreless second. In the third, with the Cardinals ahead, 2-0, Hackman lost command. With one on and two outs, he walked three consecutive batters, forcing in a run and enabling the Dodgers to get within a run, 2-1.
La Russa lifted Hackman and brought in Mathews to face Adrian Beltre with the bases loaded. Mathews got Beltre to fly out, ending the threat.
Untouchable
Mathews retired the Dodgers in order in the fourth through seventh innings. He was lifted for a pinch hitter with the Cardinals ahead, 7-1. Mike James and Mike Timlin mopped up, pitching an inning apiece. Boxscore
Mathews got the win, the last of his 32 in an eight-year major-league career. The win also was his first since 2000 with the Athletics and his first as a Cardinal since 1997.
“He’s hard (for batters) to pick up,” said Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny. “Even catching him is tough. The ball comes right out of his jersey. His release point is kind of funny.”
Said Mathews: “Somebody had to go out and give us some innings. I thought maybe I’d go three at the most. After that third one, I thought, ‘Aw, what the heck.’
“I haven’t thrown that much since I was in the starting rotation in (Class AAA) Louisville in ’95. I wasn’t tired. When you get outs early, you can stay out there a little bit longer.”
Said La Russa to the Associated Press: “It’s kind of hard to believe he could throw that many pitches and keep his effectiveness.”
The win by Mathews sparked a stretch in which the Cardinals won 16 of their last 21 games, tying the Astros for first place in the NL Central at 93-69 and qualifying for the postseason as the wild-card entry.
Mathews became a free agent after the season and signed with the Astros. His 2002 season with Houston would be his last in the big leagues.
Previously: Deal for Woody Williams sparked 2001 Cardinals
Previously: Matt Morris close to perfect at home in 2001
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