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Cardinals pitchers enjoy grand slam streak

September 4, 2011 by retrosimba

From Curt Davis in 1938 to Jake Westbrook in 2011, 10 Cardinals pitchers have hit grand slam home runs.

Bob Gibson is the only one to do it twice. Gibson and Rick Wise are the only Cardinals pitchers to hit grand slams in the same season.

With grand slams from Chris Carpenter in 2009, Brad Penny in 2010 and Westbrook in 2011, the Cardinals are the only team in major-league history to have a pitcher slug a four-run homer in three consecutive seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Here are the Cardinals pitchers who hit grand slams:

_ Curt Davis: A right-hander who earned 158 wins and hit 11 home runs in a 13-year big-league career, Davis slugged a fourth-inning grand slam off Al Hollingsworth, helping St. Louis to a 5-0 lead on April 26, 1938, at Cincinnati. Playing before a Tuesday afternoon gathering of 2,386, the Reds rallied for an 8-7 victory. Boxscore

_ Bob Gibson: Twenty-seven years after Davis’ blast, Gibson connected for a grand slam off Gaylord Perry on Sept. 29, 1965, at San Francisco. With Cardinals runners on second and third, one out, in the eighth, Perry relieved Bob Shaw. Perry issued an intentional walk to Bob Skinner, loading the bases for Gibson, who gave St. Louis an 8-0 lead with his fifth homer of the season. The Cardinals held on for an 8-6 victory. Boxscore

“I knew it was going to the fence,” Gibson told the Associated Press, “but I didn’t think it was going over.”

_ Bob Gibson: In the first game of a doubleheader on July 26, 1973, at St. Louis, Gibson earned a complete-game win and smashed a fifth-inning grand slam off Mets reliever John Strohmayer in the Cardinals’ 13-1 victory. It was the 24th and last home run of Gibson’s 17-year big-league career. Boxscore

_ Rick Wise: Capping a seven-run third inning, Wise powered a grand slam off Roric Harrison on Aug. 21, 1973, at Atlanta. It was the second grand slam of Wise’s career (he hit one for the Phillies in 1971) and the 15th and final homer of his 18-year big-league career. The Braves held St. Louis scoreless the rest of the game and Atlanta won, 11-7. Boxscore

_ Joaquin Andujar: In the eighth inning on May 15, 1984, at St. Louis, Braves reliever Jeff Dedmon gave an intentional walk to Tom Nieto, loading the bases with two out. Andujar, a career .127 hitter in 13 big-league seasons, belted a grand slam, helping the Cardinals to a 9-1 victory. Boxscore

“I usually hit five or six home runs in batting practice every day,” Andujar told United Press International.

_ Bob Forsch: With a fifth-inning grand slam off a hanging curve by Mike Bielecki, Forsch earned his 12th win of the year in the Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Pirates on Aug. 10, 1986, at St. Louis. Forsch hit 12 homers in a 16-year major-league career. Boxscore

“I looked terrible on the breaking ball when he struck me out (in the third),” Forsch told the Associated Press, “so I figured he’d throw it again.”

Said Pirates manager Jim Leyland: “He (Bielecki) can’t hang a pitch like that; anybody could hit it out.”

_ Donovan Osborne: A switch-hitter batting left, Osborne slugged a fifth-inning grand slam off Andy Ashby in the Cardinals’ 8-3 victory over the Padres on Sept. 7, 1996, at St. Louis. It was the only homer hit by Osborne in nine big-league seasons. Boxscore

_ Kent Mercker: On the same night Mark McGwire hit two home runs, Mercker had the big blast, a fourth-inning grand slam off Jesus Sanchez, helping St. Louis to a 14-4 victory over the Marlins on Sept. 2, 1998, at Florida. For Mercker, a .113 career hitter, it was his lone homer in 18 major-league seasons and his first since high school. Boxscore

“Mark gave me some batting tips,” Mercker told the Palm Beach Post.

Said McGwire to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I loved his trot.”

_ Chris Carpenter: The first big-league homer of Carpenter’s career was a second-inning grand slam off former St. Louis teammate Kip Wells in the Cardinals’ 13-0 victory on Oct. 1, 2009, at Cincinnati. Boxscore

_ Brad Penny: A third-inning grand slam by Penny off former St. Louis pitcher Joel Pineiro helped the Cardinals beat the Angels, 9-5, on May 21, 2010, at St. Louis, but Penny turned out to have an injury near his right shoulder, was unable to continue pitching and never played another game for the Cardinals. Boxscore

“I left a hanging slider to Penny,” Pineiro told the Associated Press. “I knew he was coming out swinging.”

_ Jake Westbrook: An 11-year big-league veteran, Westbrook’s first homer was a grand slam off Randy Wolf in the Cardinals’ 8-3 victory on Aug. 31, 2011, at Milwaukee. Boxscore

“It’s pretty special,” Westbrook told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Just to go back and say you hit a grand slam in the big leagues is a lot of fun.”

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Given 3 runs, Joaquin Andujar was money in bank

August 31, 2011 by retrosimba

In 1985, the Cardinals led the National League in runs scored, with 747, an average of 4.6 per game. When Joaquin Andujar pitched, the run production usually was higher _ and the right-hander knew what to do when given that kind of support.

Andujar won 18 starts in a row in which the Cardinals scored three or more runs in 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Cardinals scored at least five runs in Andujar’s first 13 wins in 1985 and in 16 of his first 19. Of Andujar’s six losses in that stretch, the Cardinals never scored more than two runs and were outscored overall, 22-3.

Of Andujar’s 19 wins from April 14 through Aug. 13, the Cardinals only once failed to score three runs _ a 2-1 St. Louis victory against the Padres on July 26 at San Diego. Andujar held the Padres to a run in 11 innings. He got the win when Ozzie Smith drove in Jack Clark from third with a single in the 12th. Ken Dayley shut down the Padres in the bottom half of the inning for the save. Boxscore

During his streak, Andujar won six times by a margin of one run. His most fortunate break came June 14 in a game against the Cubs at Chicago. Andujar allowed four runs and seven hits, walked four and threw two wild pitches before being lifted when his shoulder tightened with one in the sixth and St. Louis leading, 6-4.

Relievers Bill Campbell and Jeff Lahti combined to give up six runs, but the Cardinals held on for an 11-10 victory. Bob Forsch, who entered with two out in the ninth and a runner on second, got Keith Moreland to fly out to right fielder Andy Van Slyke, who made a sliding catch near the bullpen area in foul territory. That earned Forsch the second save of his career and got Andujar his 12th win of the year. Boxscore

“I had to slide between two relief pitchers to get it,” Van Slyke told United Press International of his game-ending catch.

“I was so close to the wall,” Van Slyke told the Chicago Tribune, “that I could have written graffiti on it.”

On Aug. 18, facing the Expos at St. Louis, Andujar lost for the first time that season when the Cardinals scored at least three runs. With the score 4-4, Andujar was lifted in the 10th with one out and runners on second and third. Ken Dayley relieved and Terry Francona greeted him with a two-run single off the glove of third baseman Terry Pendleton. The runs were charged to Andujar. St. Louis scored in the bottom half of the inning and had the bases loaded with two out before Jeff Reardon struck out Van Slyke. Boxscore

Andujar finished the regular season with a 21-12 record, 3.40 ERA and 10 complete games in 38 starts. He was the first Cardinals pitcher since Bob Gibson in 1969-70 to win 20 in consecutive seasons.

After his implosion in the 1985 World Series (0-1, 9.00 ERA, Game 7 ejection), Andujar was traded to the Athletics, pitched three more big-league seasons and went a combined 17-17 for Oakland and Houston.

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Allen Watson: .400 hitter for Cardinals

August 29, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated May 22, 2018)

Allen Watson may be best remembered as a hitter rather than a pitcher for the Cardinals. In 1995, he set a batting standard for big-league pitchers.

Watson, a left-hander for the Cardinals from 1993-95, is the last big-league pitcher to hit .400 or better for a season with 20 or more at-bats, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Watson hit .417 (15-for-36) for the 1995 Cardinals.

In 2011, Reds left-hander Dontrelle Willis came close to becoming the first pitcher to hit .400 or better in 20 or more at-bats since Watson. Willis hit .387 (12-for-31).

Before Watson, the last pitcher to achieve the feat was Steve Blass, who hit .417 (10-for-24) for the 1973 Pirates.

Watson, who played one season of high school baseball, attended New York Institute of Technology. As a designated hitter in 1991, he ranked fifth in the nation among college hitters. The Cardinals selected him in the first round of the June amateur draft that year as a pitcher.

Watson advanced swiftly through the Cardinals’ minor-league system and established his ability to hit professional pitching. He hit .346 (9-for-26) for Class AA Arkansas in 1992 and .364 (8-for-22) for Class AAA Louisville in 1993 before being promoted to the Cardinals in July that year.

A left-handed batter, Watson hit .231 (6-for-26) for the 1993 Cardinals and .158 (6-for-38) for the 1994 Cardinals.

In 1995, Watson had four doubles and five RBI along with that .417 batting average.

On July 20, 1995, Watson evened his record at 3-3 by earning the win in the Cardinals’ 8-6 victory over the Mets. He also went 1-for-1 with a walk and a RBI, boosting his batting average to .500 and his slugging percentage to .714. Boxscore

Two days later, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote, “Perhaps the Cardinals should consider moving pitcher Allen Watson to first base.”

While there’s no indication the Cardinals considered such a move, the idea had merit. Watson was an erratic pitcher for St. Louis. He was 7-9 with a 4.96 ERA in 1995.

Although he won his first six decisions with St. Louis, Watson’s three-year record with the Cardinals was 19-21 with a 5.07 ERA when he was traded, along with pitchers Rich DeLucia and Doug Creek, to the Giants in December 1995 for shortstop Royce Clayton.

In an eight-year big-league career, Watson hit .257 (45-for-175) with 13 doubles and 19 RBI.

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Five fabulous facts about Willie McGee

August 25, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated June 8, 2024)

Center fielder Willie McGee batted .294 with 1,683 hits and 301 stolen bases in 13 years with the Cardinals, helping them win three National League pennants and a World Series crown.

Whitey Herzog, his manager on those 1980s title teams, told Cardinals Magazine, “Willie gave me everything I asked for and more. He was one great guy, a great ballplayer. He is the most popular guy during my time (with the Cardinals). If you’re going to talk about the Cardinals, you’re going to talk about (Stan) Musial, (Red) Schoendienst and (Enos) Slaughter, and then along came (Bob) Gibson and (Lou) Brock and Ozzie (Smith). But I don’t think anybody was as dear to the fans’ hearts as Willie McGee.”

Here are five fun facts about McGee’s Cardinals playing career:

McGEE VS. CARLTON

Twice, McGee hit two home runs in a game. Most remember the two homers he ripped against former Cardinal Pete Vuckovich in Game 3 of the 1982 World Series against the Brewers in Milwaukee. What may not be so well-known are the two homers he hit against another former Cardinal, Steve Carlton.

On July 21, 1986, at St. Louis, Carlton, 41, who had been released by the Phillies in June after 15 seasons with Philadelphia, was making his third start for the Giants.

McGee, who would hit just seven home runs in 1986, hit a solo shot into the upper deck in left off Carlton in the first inning and added a two-run blast to right-center in the fourth, tying the score at 3-3. The Cardinals went on to win, 8-3 Boxscore

“I wasn’t swinging for homers,” McGee told the Associated Press. “I was just trying to hit the ball good and just trying to do my job.”

LAUNCH OF LA RUSSA ERA

McGee was the first batter in the first regular-season game Tony La Russa managed with the Cardinals.

Batting leadoff against Bobby Jones, McGee grounded out to shortstop in the first inning of the season opener against the Mets on a rainy, cold April 1, 1996, at New York.

McGee, playing right field, went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. In the fourth, he smacked a three-run homer off Jones, giving St. Louis a 6-0 lead before the Mets rallied for a 7-6 victory.

McGee, who made the first out of the game, also made the last out of the game, grounding out to shortstop Rey Ordonez, who made a diving stop of a ball up the middle. Boxscore

HELLO, MAD HUNGARIAN

McGee, called up to the Cardinals from Class AAA Louisville in May 1982, went hitless in his first four big-league at-bats. He broke through in dramatic fashion against the Braves on May 13, 1982, at Atlanta.

In the fifth inning, the Cardinals led 6-5 and had the bases loaded with one out. Herzog called on McGee, a switch-hitter, to bat for Tito Landrum, even though Landrum had three RBI in the game.

Braves manager Joe Torre countered by lifting Preston Hanna and bringing in Al Hrabosky, the former Cardinals closer. McGee greeted the “Mad Hungarian” with a RBI-single to left. St. Louis went on to a 10-9 victory. Boxscore

Asked about lifting Landrum for McGee, Herzog said, “It worked, didn’t it?”

Said McGee: “That was my first big-league hit and I’ve got to feel pretty good about it. I know I can play defense and run the bases. I just hope I can get some bat experience.”

GRAND BEGINNING

By mid-summer of 1982, McGee had become the everyday center fielder and was sparking St. Louis toward its first postseason appearance since 1968.

On July 20, 1982, at St. Louis, the Braves scored five runs in the first against John Stuper. The Cardinals came back with six runs in the bottom of the first. The big blow was McGee’s first big-league home run, a grand slam off fellow rookie Ken Dayley. Boxscore

Dayley would be traded to the Cardinals in 1984 and would team with McGee to help the Cardinals win two more pennants.

THE LAST HOME RUN

On July 26, 1998, at Denver, after entering the game as a replacement for left fielder John Mabry in the eighth, McGee slammed a solo home run off Dave Veres (a future Cardinals closer) with two out in the ninth, helping St. Louis to a 3-1 victory over the Rockies. It was the first homer Veres had yielded since May 31. Boxscore

McGee would have 51 more at-bats in 1998 and 271 at-bats in 1999, but he never would hit another big-league home run.

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How Andy Van Slyke amazed Jose Oquendo

August 23, 2011 by retrosimba

A pair of former Cardinals, Andy Van Slyke and Mike LaValliere, combined to stun St. Louis by making one of baseball’s most sensational defensive plays, one so rare it wouldn’t be accomplished again for 23 years.

On Aug. 21, 2011, in the ninth inning of a game at Detroit, the Indians had runners on second and third with one out when Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson caught a fly ball by Matt LaPorta and unleashed a rocket to catcher Alex Avila, who tagged out Kosuke Fukudome at the plate, completing a double play and sealing an 8-7 win.

According to research by Baseball-Reference.com, it was the first time a major-league game had ended on a double play with a center fielder throwing out a runner at the plate since Sept. 27, 1988, when Van Slyke accomplished the feat.

On April 1, 1987, the Cardinals traded Van Slyke, LaValliere and pitcher Mike Dunne to the Pirates for catcher Tony Pena. The deal helped the Cardinals win the 1987 National League pennant and it also helped the Pirates begin a transformation from also-ran to contender.

On Sept. 27, 1988, the Cardinals were finishing out the final week of the season on their way to a fifth-place finish in the NL East. The Pirates would secure second place, their highest finish since 1983.

Before a Tuesday night crowd of 8,994 at Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates took a 3-2 lead into the ninth. Pittsburgh closer Jim Gott, seeking his 34th save, issued a leadoff walk to Jose Oquendo. After Curt Ford struck out, John Morris singled to right, advancing Oquendo to third.

Luis Alicea, a switch-hitting rookie second baseman who had entered the game in the sixth, stepped to the plate and smashed a rising liner to center field _ “a drive,” wrote Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “that seemed more than deep enough to score Oquendo.”

It seemed everyone in the ballpark, except Van Slyke and LaValliere, thought Oquendo would advance on the sacrifice, tying the score.

“I didn’t think he (Van Slyke) had a chance,” Pirates right fielder Glenn Wilson told Meyer.

Said Pirates manager Jim Leyland: “I thought he (Van Slyke) had no chance, to be honest with you.”

Here’s what Van Slyke said to Meyer:

“I always think I have a chance _ except when I’m standing on the warning track. I threw it as hard as I could. What made it a difficult play was that it was a line drive, and I couldn’t set up (to throw).”

As Oquendo streaked down the third-base line, he saw LaValliere standing motionless at the plate, trying to make it appear a play wasn’t imminent.

“When Andy let the ball go, I caught the runner out of the corner of my eye,” LaValliere said to Meyer. “… I tried to deke the runner to get as much of an advantage as I could. You want the runner to see the plate, so he’ll slide.”

Just before receiving the throw, LaValliere blocked the plate with his left foot. As Oquendo slammed into a shin guard, LaValliere applied the tag and umpire Doug Harvey ruled an out, giving the Pirates a 3-2 victory. Boxscore

“Unbelievable, the way he (LaValliere) kept him off there,’ said Leyland. “That was the key.”

Said Van Slyke: “When I saw Doug Harvey ring him up, it surprised the heck out of me. Mike made just as good a play as I did.”

Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog told the Associated Press, “It was a heck of a play on both ends. Andy made a great throw and he doesn’t get him if Mike doesn’t block the plate.”

In his lead to his game story, Meyer wrote:

You know him as Andy Van Slyke. Tuesday night, though, the Pirates center fielder was Andy Van Strike _ because that’s what he threw to the plate in the ninth inning for the final out of a 3-2 victory over St. Louis that clinched second place for the Pirates.

Twenty-three years later, when the play happened again, the teams and the players were different, but one of the managers was the same. Jim Leyland, Tigers skipper, was the winning manager in both games.

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Jim Thome: 18 homers, .430 batting mark vs. Cardinals

August 17, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated July 29, 2018)

Jim Thome didn’t face the Cardinals often in a 22-year big-league career, but he usually pounded St. Louis pitching when given the opportunity. Of his 612 career home runs, 18 were hit against the Cardinals in 29 games.

Thome, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, batted .430 (43-for-100) against the Cardinals, with 40 RBI, a .565 on-base percentage and a 1.010 slugging percentage.

Of his 18 home runs against St. Louis, three were hit against Matt Morris. Chris Carpenter and Dan Haren surrendered two apiece.

Thome hit three home runs against the Cardinals _ two off Morris and another off Mike James _ in the Indians’ 14-2 victory on July 6, 2001, at Cleveland. All three were two-run shots. Boxscore

In the eighth, Thome struck out against Steve Kline, missing a chance to become the first American League player to hit four home runs in a game since Rocky Colavito of the Indians in 1959.

“When everybody wants you to hit a home run, it’s pretty tough to do,” Thome told the Associated Press.

The next day, Thome walked in his first four plate appearances. He led off the 10th inning with a home run against Dave Veres, lifting Cleveland to a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals. Boxscore

“It was supposed to be a sinker away,” Veres said. “I missed my spot by, like, four feet.”

Said Thome: “I wanted to get a pitch up and drive it, and I did.”

Thome’s 18th and last home run against the Cardinals was perhaps his most devastating. On June 22, 2006, at Chicago, the Cardinals’ Anthony Reyes pitched a one-hitter _ and lost. The hit was a solo home run by Thome with one out in the seventh, giving the White Sox a 1-0 victory. Boxscore

“I was fortunate it was in the middle of the plate,” Thome said.

Said Reyes: “I just missed a little bit over the plate and you can’t really do that up in this league.”

Thome’s home runs against the Cardinals:

DATE………………..PITCHER

June 14, 1997……Matt Morris

June 25, 1998……Manny Aybar

June 25, 1998……Bobby Witt

June 2, 2000…….Darryl Kile

July 6, 2001……..Matt Morris

July 6, 2001……..Matt Morris

July 6, 2001……..Mike James

July 7, 2001……..Dave Veres

Aug. 15, 2003……Pedro Borbon

Aug. 16, 2003……Dan Haren

Aug. 17, 2003……Brett Tomko

Aug. 22, 2003……Dan Haren

Aug. 22, 2003……Steve Kline

April 29, 2004…..Chris Carpenter

May 4, 2004……..Chris Carpenter

May 6, 2004……..Jeff Suppan

June 21, 2006…..Jason Marquis

June 22, 2006…..Anthony Reyes

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