Greinke leads Royals to 4-2 victory over Cardinals

[June 26, 2010]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Zack Greinke went eight-plus innings and Scott Podsednik ignited a three-run third inning, leading the Kansas City Royals past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Friday night before a loud, energetic sellout crowd.

Greinke went into the ninth looking for the franchise's first consecutive shutouts in almost 18 years. But Felipe Lopez's sacrifice fly off Joakim Soria drove in Ryan Ludwick, who had reached on catcher's interference leading off the inning. David Freese added an RBI single.

Greinke (3-8), twice pitched out of late-inning jams and gave up seven hits and two runs, one earned. He walked two and struck out six. Soria picked up his 18th save in 20 opportunities.

Alberto Callaspo and Podsednik both had three hits as the Royals snapped the Cardinals' five-game winning streak in Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals beat Washington 1-0 on Thursday behind Brian Bannister and two relievers. The last time the Royals had consecutive shutouts was Sept. 29-30, 1992.

Ludwick appeared to fly out leading off the ninth but was awarded first base when home plate umpire CB Buckner ruled catcher's interference against Jason Kendall. Colby Rasmus doubled, putting Ludwick on third and bringing Soria out of the bullpen.

Jeff Suppan (0-3), making his third start since being acquired by the Cardinals, gave up seven hits and three runs in five innings. Suppan walked two, struck out five and had trouble only in the third.

With one out, Podsednik tripled into the right field corner and scored on Kendall's single. Billy Butler made it 2-0 with an RBI double and then scored on an RBI single by Jose Guillen, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games. Guillen is tied for the longest streak this season with Texas' Josh Hamilton, who stretched his streak to 19 earlier in the day.

The Royals made it 4-0 in the eighth when pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist scored from third as the Cardinals failed to turn an inning-ending double play on Mitch Maier's grounder.

Greinke retired 10 straight until Randy Winn doubled leading off the sixth. Skip Schumaker followed with a single and the runners held as Greinke made a good play on Matt Holliday's high bouncer.

Albert Pujols walked, loading the bases, and Greinke went to 3-0 on Ludwick before getting him to ground into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.

The Cardinals threatened again in the eighth with runners at the corners and two outs. But Pujols, who came into the weekend series with a lifetime average against KC of .394, grounded into a forceout.

The crowd of 38,916 was the third sellout of the season.

NOTES: Ludwick was back in the Cardinals lineup as the DH and batting cleanup after missing the previous two games with a sore calf muscle. ... Typical of Cardinals-Royals games, about half the crowd was wearing St. Louis red. ... The Royals signed first-round pick Christian Colon, a college shortstop, for a $2.75 million signing bonus.

[Associated Press; By DOUG TUCKER]

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