stlcardinals.com
May 18, 2002

Reds Pound Morris, Cards

By Matthew Leach

ST. LOUIS -- Maybe this Cincinnati team is for real. A day after a disheartening loss snapped their four-game winning streak, the Reds bounced back with one of their most impressive victories of the year, 7-3 over Matt Morris and the Cardinals.

Juan Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and Brady Clark added a two-run pinch-hit double for Cincinnati, which stretched its lead back to five games over St. Louis in the NL Central.

Jose Rijo recorded his fourth win of the season for the Reds, permitting two runs on five hits in five innings. The Cincinnati bullpen, which already has three losses to the Cardinals this season, contributed four hitless innings to back up Rijo.

"Rijo did a real good job," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. "He was pitching. Might have gotten tired a little bit and we got to him for the two runs. Really wasn't much, and then their relievers threw the ball really well. They pitched well so it would have been a game that you had to win playing real tight."

Morris entered the game 3-0 with an ERA of 0.90 at Busch Stadium this season. He had not allowed more than two runs in any home start since last Aug. 3, and he had not lost at home since last July 24. Morris is 18-3 in St. Louis since the beginning of the 2001 season.

But none of that fazed the Reds, who hit the Cardinals ace early and often.

"I certainly think he wasn't at his best," said Reds infielder Todd Walker. "He threw some good curve balls, and he threw some hangers and just judging by his numbers, I don't think he hangs a lot of his curve balls. I think he left it up quite a few times today. He left one up to Juan and left one up to me. I just don't think he does that normally."

I enjoy pitching here, feel comfortable," Morris said. "This was bound to happen I guess but that's not gonna make it any easier.

Morris ran into trouble in the second inning. After Adam Dunn walked with one out, Juan Encarnacion deposited his 10th homer into the left field stands to make it 2-0.
Two innings later, Walker singled in Sean Casey to make it a three-run lead. At the time, Rijo still had yet to allow a baserunner.

The Cardinals got on the board in the fifth when Tino Martinez led off with his fourth homer of the year. Edgar Renteria followed with a double, and one out later Mike DiFelice singled him to third. Morris attempted a squeeze bunt, but it barely left the batter's box and Renteria was out at home. However, Vina was able to single in DiFelice, cutting the lead to 3-2.

The Reds got those runs and more right back in the sixth, though.

Casey led off with a single and Dunn singled him over to third. After Dunn was thrown out trying to steal, Encarnacion reached on a bunt single. Todd Walker's RBI single made it 4-2, and Corky Miller's single made it 5-2. Clark stepped in to pinch-hit for Rijo and laced a two-run double that chased Morris and put the game out of reach.

St. Louis added a run in the eighth on a walk, stolen base, flyout and RBI groundout, but never mounted a serious challenge.