St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 10, 2003

Morris Puts on Thinking Cap to Win

By Joe Strauss

Matt Morris pitched against heat, humidity, an outward wind in claustrophobic Wrigley Field, his cramping calf and the first-place Chicago Cubs Friday. Compared to pitching against himself, Morris' eight innings of work in the Cardinals' 6-3 win was a snap.

The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak and returned to one-half game of the division lead because Morris (4-2) offered a lesson in efficiency rather than one in raw power. Second baseman Fernando Vina supplied the power with a second-inning grand slam off Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano (3-3), a hard thrower also reached for an eighth-inning home run by right fielder J.D. Drew and consecutive doubles.

Morris survived on a day when he allowed 12 baserunners and was nearly removed in the seventh inning because of cramps in his left leg and hamstring.

Vina was responsible for the Cardinals' biggest hit but later sought video guidance for his inconsistent swing.

"I'm looking at the positive side of it. A big game, a big hit and a big win for the team," Vina said. "That's all that matters right now."

The game ended with lefthander Jeff Fassero pitching a perfect ninth inning for the Cardinals' sixth save in 15 opportunities.

After four days of suffering bullpen-related mishaps against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals never trailed Friday. They nicked Zambrano for two infield singles and a walk before Vina completed the two-out rally by yanking a fastball into the wire basket overhanging right-center field. The home run was Vina's third this season and his second grand slam in the past two years.

"When you hit a grand slam in Wrigley Field against the Cubs, it's special," Vina said.

Drew followed six innings later with his second homer in three days, on the pitch after manager Tony La Russa was ejected for arguing a strike call against him.

Morris won after surviving single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Center fielder Corey Patterson hit an opposite-field, wind-assisted home run against him in the second; Zambrano scored after leading off the third inning with a double; and left fielder Moises Alou crushed a mammoth first-pitch home run to begin the fourth. Morris got the fifth inning's third out after successive hits put the tying run at second base with two outs.

"There were times when I would warm up and be out of breath just because of the pace of the game," Morris said. "The heat jumped on me. Today the humidity was there. The game was moving along. I definitely had to step back. I definitely should have stepped back more than I did."

The game, played before a season-high crowd of 38,531, lasted 2 hours 2 minutes, and Morris struggled to catch his breath after scoring in the second. He also became fatigued after trying to beat out ground balls in the fourth and seventh innings.

Morris also said the pitching mound seemed different.

"I remember the mound here being flat and the infield slopes down, but this year the mound seems a little bit higher," said Morris, able to get nine strikeouts and 12 ground-ball outs. "I was able to stay on top more, get some balls in the lower part of the strike zone and have the sinker work for me."

Two years ago he claimed 22 wins with a fastball and curveball. Friday, Morris gradually added a change-up.

"I would say he's improving in how he uses his change-up," La Russa said. "During the middle of the game, it gets him some quick outs. It complements his fastball and curveball. He didn't have that a couple years ago when he won 22 games.

"I also saw today he backed off a couple times and collected himself instead of hurrying. He's learning and he's getting better."

Morris said: "I just have a better understanding of what I'm trying to do in counts. Some days I don't feel great. Some days I feel off. But I'm seeing a lot more results, which makes it easier to have confidence in pitching. Our defense scoops up anything, so you want to get as many ground balls as you can."

Since opening day, Morris has allowed 12 earned runs in 52 2/3 innings (2.05 ERA). Friday's was his seventh consecutive quality start.

"The difference with him is he's better able to get himself under control," catcher Mike Matheny said. "In the past he had a tendency to throw harder or throw mad. I think he's come to realize that sometimes less is more, that it's better to stop, think a minute, then get back out there."

Pitching coach Dave Duncan said: "Everything good happens when you throw strikes. The count's in your favor. You expand the strike zone to the hitter. It enables you to use all your pitches."

Vina crushed a first-pitch fastball for his grand slam. He also uncharacteristically struck out three times. On the same day he emerged as an offensive hero, his average dipped to .218. A tenacious hitter who entered the season with more career walks than strikeouts, he has three walks and 17 strikeouts this season. At times Vina appears to literally jump at pitches. Fortunately for his team, his second-inning swing caused Zambrano's pitch to jump about 368 feet.

"To be honest, right now I'm trying to find something and get everything going in the right direction," Vina said. "When you lose it, you don't feel the way you want to feel. When things start happening, you start pressing and wanting to do more than you should."