Cardinals beat Angels behind Penny's slam

[May 22, 2010]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Cardinals right-hander Brad Penny hit a grand slam in the third inning, apparently injuring his back on the swing, before St. Louis' bullpen took over in a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Penny lasted only a few warmup pitches in the top of the fourth inning before leaving.

Penny and Joel Pineiro, the pitcher he replaced in the Cardinals' rotation, were both gone after three innings.

Pineiro (3-5) entered with 17 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings but was clubbed for nine runs on nine hits against the team that allowed him to leave as a free agent after a 15-win season. Penny was shaky for the second straight start while giving up four runs on five hits.

Jason Motte (2-1), the third St. Louis pitcher, struck out two in two perfect innings.

Felipe Lopez followed Penny's third career homer, and first since 2003, with a solo shot that barely cleared the wall in right and was the first confirmed by video replay at Busch Stadium.

Lopez also had an RBI triple and Colby Rasmus had a two-run triple for the Cardinals, who are 4-1 since Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday switched spots in the order, although the pair was a combined 0 for 4 with an intentional walk the first three innings while St. Louis was building a 9-4 lead.

Tied at 4 after two, the teams combined for 10 hits, a wild pitch, passed ball and hit batter before the first strikeout: Juan Rivera to end the top of the third.

Mike Napoli had a two-run homer and Torii Hunter had two hits for the Angels, whose starters have a 1.70 ERA in 20 wins and 7.65 ERA in 24 losses.

Skip Schumaker drew an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs in the third before Penny, who had been 2 for 18 with a pair of singles, hit the first pitch from Pineiro well over the left-field wall for an 8-4 lead.

Penny threw a few warmup tosses before the top of the fourth before catcher Yadier Molina signaled to the dugout that something was wrong, and the right-hander walked off the mound after a short meeting with manager Tony La Russa and a trainer.

Pineiro threw a four-hit shutout against Oakland in his previous start, following 6 1-3 scoreless innings against the Rays. A 15-game winner for the Cardinals last season, his first start against St. Louis since 2004 had hideous results.

The Cardinals totaled 14 runs the first four games of the homestand.

Angels starters entered with a 2.44 ERA over the previous 13 games, a number that ballooned to 3.25 after Pineiro's shortest outing since Aug. 5, 2006, when he allowed four runs on eight hits in 2 2-3 innings for the Mariners against the Athletics. He worked into the fourth, but did not get anybody out, May 5, 2008, at Colorado when he was with St. Louis.

Reliever Trevor Bell followed Pineiro and struck out four in three scoreless innings.

NOTES: Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson bounced a ceremonial first pitch before the game. Fans received miniature Gibson statues. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Maicer Izturis, eligible to come off the DL on Friday from a shoulder injury, has extended his throwing to 120 feet and could return next week. ... The Cardinals and Angels are playing their third interleague series, all in St. Louis. The Angels and Orioles are the only two teams that haven't hosted the Cardinals in the regular season. ... Angels pitchers issued two intentional walks after totaling four the first 43 games.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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