St. Louis Post-Dispatch
April 28, 2001

Morris' Seven-Inning Effort Relieves Strain on Bullpen

By Mike Eisenbath

After playing for 15 innings and using seven pitchers Thursday afternoon, the Cardinals didn't have the luxury of depth in the bullpen Friday night against the Mets.

So Matt Morris rode to the rescue. Again. He went seven innings for his fourth consecutive start and didn't allow a run in the Cardinals' 9-0 victory.

"It was actually kind of a scary game," manager Tony La Russa said. "We only had three pitchers available behind Matt. That's scary unless your starter does exactly that."

In those four starts, Morris has given up 21 hits and five runs for a 1.61 earned-run average. If not for his first start of the season, when he allowed six earned runs in three innings at Colorado, Morris would rank among the National League's ERA leaders. As it is, his 3.19 season ERA has him inching toward the top 10.

Could it be he has found his midseason form early?

"Who knows what midseason form is?" Morris said. "It could be bad. When you're pitching doesn't have anything to do with it. The more times you take the ball and go out there, the more you're going to learn and the more you're going to be able to execute."

Morris had to execute in plenty of tough spots Friday. The Mets had seven baserunners in the first four innings and three times had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs.

"They're a very good ballclub. That's why they were (National League) champions last year," La Russa said. "They work those at-bats and piled up those pitches the first three or four innings. I was worried about how deep he would get into that game. But he got sharper and sharper."

In their past six games, the Cardinals have a 1.98 ERA. That has lowered their staff ERA from 6.04, worst in the National League, to 4.84, close to the middle in the 16-team NL.

"They're starting to come together," Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmon ds said. "There are guys out there that know they are to be relied on and they might be trying too hard. As soon as they all settle down and relax, they'll be fine."

After Morris hit Tsuyoshi Shinjo with a second-inning pitch, his second hit batsman of the game, umpires issued warnings to both dugouts. They subsequently explained their move to both managers.

Morris "wasn't throwing at anyone. That was obvious," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "If there is a history there, (the umpires) are allowed to give a warning."

He assumed the history involved last year's postseason incident in which Cardinals reliever Dave Veres hit Mets outfielder Jay Payton with a pitch. Apparently umpires received a memo this spring noting the potential bad blood that could linger between the two teams.