St. Louis posts dramatic win in Arizona

The Associated Press

PHOENIX -- David Eckstein's suicide squeeze scored pinch-runner So Taguchi in the ninth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 2-1 victory Wednesday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks and earn Chris Carpenter his 13th victory, tied for most in the majors.

Javier Vazquez (7-8) held the powerhouse St. Louis lineup to a season-low three hits in a complete-game loss.

Carpenter allowed three hits in eight innings for his fifth consecutive victory.

Jason Isringhausen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 200th career save, and 23rd in 25 chances this season. Albert Pujols went 0-for-3, ending his 17-game hitting streak.

The game was tied at 1 entering the ninth on home runs by Jim Edmonds of St. Louis in the first and Alex Cintron of the Diamondbacks in the sixth.

Arizona manager Bob Melvin allowed Vazquez to bat with one out in the eighth, then sent the starter back to the mound for the ninth.

Yadier Molina led off with a double down the right-field line, then was replaced by Taguchi. Pinch-hitter Abraham Nunez sacrificed Taguchi to third. On a 1-0 pitch, Eckstein put down a bunt that rolled just a few feet into the grass toward third to easily bring the speedy runner home.

Arizona got the potential tying run to third against Isringhausen in the ninth when Troy Glaus walked, then Tony Clark singled with two outs. But Jose Cruz Jr. flied out to end the game.

The Cardinals knocked the Diamondbacks around in the first two games of the series, outscoring them 17-4. But this one was a pitcher's duel from the start.

Carpenter (13-4) gave up one run, struck out seven and walked two. Vazquez lost his fourth in a row despite perhaps his best outing of the season. He allowed only three baserunners all night, striking out eight and walking none.

Carpenter, who allowed one earned run in his previous four starts, ran his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 21 2-3 before Cintron's tying homer in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Vazquez retired 17 in a row after Edmonds' one-out homer in the first.

St. Louis didn't get another baserunner until Edmonds' leadoff single in the seventh. Edmonds was quickly erased when the Diamondbacks converted Pujols' sharp grounder to third into a double play.

Cintron, a switch-hitter batting from the left side, hit Carpenter's 2-2 pitch into the seats down the right-field line. His third home run of the season tied it at 1. It was only the second run Carpenter allowed in his last 38 2-3 innings. The other came on a ninth-inning homer by Felipe Lopez of Cincinnati on June 20.

Notes: St. Louis left no runners on base. ... The Diamondbacks have lost four in a row at home overall, and eight in a row at home to St. Louis. ... Carpenter is 7-0 in eight road starts this season.