Cardinals-Royals: German helps Royals take I-70 tilt

[June 13, 2007]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Brian Bannister won his third consecutive start with seven scoreless innings and Esteban German had three hits and three RBIs, leading Kansas City past St. Louis 8-1 Tuesday night.

Bannister (3-3), who failed to make the club out of spring training, gave up seven hits, walked two and tied his season-high with six strikeouts.

In his last three starts, covering 22 innings, the son of former major league pitcher Floyd Bannister has allowed only one earned run and 14 hits. He hasn't given up an earned run in 17 consecutive innings.

Mark Teahen had an RBI triple in the first inning, doubled and scored in the second, and singled home a run in the third, going 3-for-5. He and German keyed a five-run outburst in the first inning against Brad Thompson (4-2), who had his worst outing since joining the rotation on May 8.

Thompson allowed 10 hits and eight runs in just 4 1-3 innings, with a season-high four walks and, for the first time in seven starts, no strikeouts.

Ryan Ludwick hit a pinch-hit homer leading off the ninth against reliever David Riske to help the Cardinals avoid being shut out for the seventh time this season.

After Teahen tripled into the left-field corner past a diving Chris Duncan, Thompson loaded the bases by hitting Mike Sweeney and Alex Gordon.

Two runs scored on German's single, then two more came home when Jason LaRue doubled down the line just past third baseman Scott Rolen.

Gordon and German had RBI singles in the second, and Mark Grudzielanek tripled and scored on Teahen's single in the third. Grudzielanek left the game in the fourth with tightness in his left knee.

Bannister, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on May 13, stopped a seven-game losing streak on June 1 by beating Tampa Bay 4-1, then beat Cleveland 4-3 in his next start to halt a three-game slide.

With a great chance to get to Bannister early, the Cardinals stranded five runners in the first two innings. He struck out Juan Encarnacion with the bases loaded and two out in the first and got Scott Spiezio on strikes with two on and two out in the second.

Rolen singled in the sixth for the Cardinals, his 1,500th major league hit. Encarnacion's single in the eighth stretched his hitting streak to 12 games.

Notes: Royals pitching coach Bob McClure was back after a five-day absence with what manager Buddy Bell described as a viral infection. ... Cardinals OF Preston Wilson underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and will be out for the year. Wilson, 32, batted .219 in 25 games this season with a homer and five RBIs. ... Bannister's father was a combined 16-14 for the Royals from 1988-89.

[Associated Press]