Stlcardinals.com
September 19, 2001

Morris and Pujols Help to Complete Cardinal Sweep

By Alan Eskew

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris pitching at Busch Stadium. Another Albert Pujols rookie record. An early five-run lead against a skidding and strikeout prone Milwaukee Brewers' offense.

What more could the Cardinals want?

Morris won his 20th, tying Curt Schilling of Arizona for most victories in the National League, as the Cards coasted to an 8-2 triumph Wednesday and a three-game sweep of the Brewers, who have lost five straight while scoring just seven runs.

The victory kept the Cardinals atop the NL Wild Card standings.

Morris, who has won eight straight, struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings while allowing only five hits and one run, that on a Jose Hernandez fourth inning solo home run.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Morris said. "It's just another win, although it is my 20th. It's special, no matter what. With all the stuff going on, it's tough to celebrate. With all the time off, I didn't know what I was going to have. It's a goal I've been shooting for."

It did not seem like a realistic goal -- not after elbow surgery kept him from pitching in 1999 and held him to only three victories last year, when he worked solely out of the bullpen.

"Anything is possible in baseball," Morris said. "I knew if I got healthy and made good pitches, I could have a good year. You can't predict 20 wins."

In his career-high eight-game winning streak, the Cards have scored at least six runs. He said teammates Darryl Kile (14 wins) and Dustin Hermanson (13) could have 20 wins if they received the same amount of run support.

"He [Morris] was somebody not even in the rotation last year," said catcher Mike Matheny. "To come out of nowhere and win 20 says something about the organization and [pitching coach] Dave Duncan for not rushing him last year. "There were times last year we could have thrown him in the rotation and let him pitch a little bit more, but we let him take his time and heal after the surgery. Right now we are reaping those fruits.

"No matter how much he downplays the 20 wins, it was a big game and he came out there and threw one of his best games. I didn't expect any rust from him. I expected him to be as good as he's ever been and he was."

Morris is 14-2 at Busch Stadium, tying the club record for most home victories in a season set by John Tudor in 1985. Morris lowered his earned run average at Busch to 1.74, which tops the league for home ERA.

Meanwhile, all Pujols did was stroke two more doubles and drive in three more runs, bringing his RBI total to 120 and setting an NL single-season rookie record, previously set by Wally Berger, who drove in 119 runs in 1930.

"Albert's been clutch for us all year," Morris said. "He's got a lot of big two-out hits, a lot of home runs, a lot of RBIs. He's got a ton of records. His numbers speak for themselves. He's easily our team MVP."

The 29,333 fans gave Pujols a standing ovation in the top of the sixth when it was flashed on the scoreboard that he had broken the NL rookie RBI record. Pujols tipped his cap to the fans.

"I didn't know what was going on," Pujols said. "I turned around and saw my name on the board. We've got the greatest fans in the world in St. Louis. I can't believe how the fans support us."

Cards Manager Tony La Russa said in his wildest imagination he could see Morris winning 20 games because "he has incredible talent, works hard and studies his opponent.

"What an incredible achievement. He's dynamite."

La Russa, however, said he never envisioned Pujols driving in 120 runs as a rookie.

"Maybe 80-85, possibly a high of 90 if he had a real good year, while bating sixth or seventh," La Russa said.

Instead, Pujols is batting cleanup. "He's had clutch RBIs all year," La Russa said.

Such as his two-out, two-run double in the third Wednesday.

Brewer right-hander Jeff D'Amico, who was making his third start since July 2 surgery on a nerve in his right arm, took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in four innings.

"I thought he had a better breaking ball than he's shown," Brewers Manager Davey Lopes said. "[His] velocity is still not where it needs to be. Morris pitched well. This guy has won 20 games. The other side of it we're not scoring any runs. We're not hitting anybody right now."

Craig Paquette twice foiled the Brewers when they intentionally walked Jim Edmonds in the third and fifth innings by stroking RBI singles, each time scoring Pujols, who had doubled.

Pujols has scored 100 runs, becoming the fourth Cards rookie to score 100 in a season and the first since Vince Coleman, 107 in 1985.

NOTES

The Brewers have scored 285 of their 652 runs, 43.7, by the long ball. ... The Brewers have scored three runs or less in 61 games. ... Hernandez' home run in the fourth was the first off Morris in 38 2/3 innings. ... Hernandez' homer was his 23rd, matching his season high. ... Morris' 13 strikeouts were the most by a St. Louis pitcher since Todd Stottlemyre struck out 13 Brewers on May 11, 1998. ... Cards pitchers struck out 14, matching their season high. They also struck out 14 on May 2 at Florida. ... The victory gave the Cardinals their 11th series sweep and their first against the Brewers since Sept. 18-20, 1998.