Stlcardinals.com
May 12, 2001

Morris Continues to Dominate in Cards' Win

By Derek Glanz

Matt Morris' continued brilliance led the Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the Cubs, narrowing Chicago's first-place lead over the Cardinals (20-15) to 1/2 game in the National League Central Division. The victory was the Cardinals' sixth in a row, all coming on the current seven-game homestand, which concludes on Sunday against the Cubs (19-15).

Morris (5-2) won his fourth straight decision. He lasted seven innings and gave up two runs on five hits -- two of the infield variety -- and two walks. He struck out five and walked two. The right hander has surrendered just two earned runs in his last 35 innings pitched.

Today, Morris did not feel like he had dominated the other team as he had in his previous starts against Pittsburgh, Florida and the Mets, partly because Cubs starter John Lieber (3-2) made just the right pitches to prevent the Cardinals lead from extending their lead comfortably in his six innings of work.

"Today was a battle," said Morris. "Today was a tough game. Lieber threw a great game, I got a lot of ground balls and happened to get a few double plays out of them. That was pretty much it."

On the strength of his mid-90s sinker, Morris ended the first and second innings with around the horn double plays. He erased a leadoff hitter in the fourth inning with another double play.

The Cardinals scored a run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

They made it 1-0 when Jim Edmonds' third-inning liner deflected off Lieber's glove and went into right field, driving in Fernando Vina. Pujols' seeing-eye single through the right side kept the rally going, as did J.D. Drew's hard single to right, but Sosa charged hard and nailed Edmonds trying to score from second.

Vina doubled in Eli Marrero in the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth, Matt Stairs' solo home run ended Morris' scoreless innings streak at 13.o inning and pulled the Cubs within a run at 2-1. The Cardinals and Cubs traded runs in the next two half innings, the Cardinals via Albert Pujols' run-scoring single.

The Cubs rallied with two outs in the fifth inning, starting with Bill Mueller's double. The next batter, Rondell White followed with a single to left to score Mueller.

Rattled by the back-to-back hits, Morris would have to face Sammy Sosa with the game's decisive at-bat.

"I gave up the run, got a man on base, middle of the game, 3-2 score. One pitch can tie it up. Dunc (pitching coach Dave Duncan) came out and settle me down because I was P.O.'d and sometimes I let that bother me and I give up another hit or home run."

Morris blew a 1-2 fastball by Sosa for a called strike three.

Lieber escaped several jams on the day, giving up 11 hits and three walks in six innings but surrendering just three runs. He escaped a runner on third, one-out quandary in the first by striking out Edmonds and getting Pujols to fly out.

"I give him credit because they got in trouble and Lieber and Girardi were just working really well," said La Russa. "They made nasty pitches at a key time."

His relief, however, could not keep the Cardinals at bay.

Albert Pujols and J.D. Drew sealed the victory with back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth inning of Kyle Farnsworth, putting the Cardinals ahead 5-2. According to the stadium radar guns, the Farnsworth's fastball to Pujols was traveling 99 mph and the one Drew hit was coming in at a cool 100 mph.

With his 12th home run, Pujols managed to hold a tie for the Cardinals' home run led for five pitches before Drew reclaimed the lead with 13. The 21-year-old Pujols, who went 3-for-5 Saturday, and the 25-year-old Drew, who went 3-for-4, have a little competition going.

"You always get little rivalries going," said Drew, who has four home runs and nine RBIs on the homestand. "It touches everybody I think. He might be trying to hit home runs but I'm just going up there trying to get a good swing on the ball. The way Farnsworth throws the ball you don't have to swing too hard. We got a couple big home runs right there."

Gene Stechschulte pitched a scoreless eighth for the Redbrids and Dave Veres notched his fourth save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

After all was said and done, Morris' pitching stood out above all.

"His fastball does two or three things with a lot of velocity," said La Russa. "He spots it well. He's got two different breaking balls. Later in the year he's going to break out his change-up. When he starts to have a little problem, he's got that waiting for him."

On Sunday the Cardinals send Andy Benes (2-2, 6.89) to the mound for their second straight series sweep, seventh win in a row and a first place bid. The Cubs will counter with Kerry Wood (1-2, 4.17).