LDN - Sports

Carpenter spearheads Cards' win over Royals

[June 29, 2016] KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Matt Carpenter is not the prototypical leadoff hitter with no stolen bases.

However, he is probably the best leadoff hitter in the majors.

Carpenter homered, doubled and drove in two runs, and Michael Wacha pitched six useful innings as the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Kansas City Royals 8-4 Tuesday night.

Carpenter, who leads the National League with a 1.012 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and with 43 extra-base hits, homered to lead off a two-run sixth and contributed a RBI double in a three-run sixth.

"To have that kind of power and that kind of on-base percentage and the ability to drive in runs at the top of the order, those are all extremely valuable characteristics," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

"In Seattle, people watched that series, saying, 'I've heard about this guy, but I had no idea,' 'cause he put up some of the best at-bats you could ever watch. You hear quotes from guys like Pete Rose saying, 'This is the one guy I would go pay to watch hit.' What kind of compliment is that! I think he is well-respected around the game."

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth off Seung Hwan Oh, but they came away empty. Pinch hitter Alex Gordon popped up foul to third baseman Jhonny Peralta, and Eric Hosmer grounded out to end the game.

"I don't want to put the team in that situation," Oh said through an interpreter.

Wacha (4-7), who snapped a career-worst, seven-game losing streak in his previous start, gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out four.

Royals starter Yordano Ventura (6-5) was removed after 5 1/3 innings and 98 pitches. He allowed seven runs on seven hits, including a home run and two doubles, with three walks, a hit batter and four strikeouts.

The Cardinals upped their lead to 8-2 in the sixth, during which Ventura was replaced by left-hander Brian Flynn. Carpenter had a run-producing double in the inning. One run was unearned after an error by Hosmer at first base. Carpenter scored on a Matt Holliday groundout.

The Royals responded with two runs in their half of the sixth. Cheslor Cuthbert's double scored Kendrys Morales and Paulo Orlando, who initiated the inning with singles.

Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain left after pulling his left hamstring in the seventh while running to first.

"It's a hamstring strain. To what degree we don't know," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He'll see the doc and we'll find out more tomorrow. We'll have a MRI soon as they can get him in. We'll determine how much fluid is on it and what the extent of it is."

Ventura, who was making his first start since June 17 after serving an eight-game suspension for a bench clearing incident June 7 in Baltimore, worked an impeccable first inning, striking out the first two Cardinals.

Ventura, however, gave up three runs in a 29-pitch second, allowing three hits and walking two. The inning began with Stephen Piscotty's double and Matt Adams' single. Peralta walked to load the bases with none out.

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"I came out and felt good in the first inning," Ventura said. "In the second inning, came out and was a little inconsistent, got behind in the count at times. They put the ball in play. Just a bad inning."

Did Ventura feel rusty after 10 days between starts?

"There's no excuse to the outing, but I felt a little weird at times just cause of the layoff," he said.

Piscotty scored on Yadier Molina fielder's choice grounder with Adams out at third. Kolten Wong's single scored Peralta, while Greg Garcia's groundout knocked in Molina.

The Royals answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and were aided by an error by right fielder Piscotty. Hosmer led off with a double. Hosmer stopped at third on Kendrys Morales' fly-ball single to shallow right, his fifth straight hit. When the ball rolled past Piscotty, Morales took second.

Hosmer scored on Orlando's groundout, and Christian Colon's two-out single brought home Morales.

The Cardinals hiked their lead to 5-2 in the fifth, which Carpenter led off by planting an 0-1 Ventura pitch over the right-center wall. It was the 16th consecutive game Royals pitchers allowed a home run.

Brandon Moss followed with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on Adam's sacrifice fly.

Before Colon's run-producing single in the second inning, he drilled a hot shot into the Cardinals dugout that struck Aledmys Diaz in the side. Diaz was sitting out the game after fouling a pitch off near his eye Monday. Diaz was led back to the trainer's room, but the Cardinals reported he was fine.

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez, who starts Wednesday, was ejected by plate umpire Tim Timmons after chirping from the dugout.

NOTES: SS Aledmys Diaz did not play because of swelling around his right eye after taking a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday off his face. He passed the concussion protocol tests and there was no fracture, but will miss a few games until the swelling subsides. ... LF Alex Gordon and C Salvador Perez were not in the Royals lineup, but given some rest. Manager Ned Yost noted Gordon had played 10 straight games, including six on a minor league rehab, after sitting a month with a fractured right wrist. ... C Brayan Pena, who missed the first 76 Cardinals games after having left knee surgery, was activated. C Eric Fryer, who hit .368 in 38 at-bats, was designated for assignment. ... Royals prospects 3B Hunter Dozier and OF Jorge Bonifacio have been selected to the All-Star Futures Game, July 10, in San Diego. RHP Alex Reyes and C Carson Kelly will represent the Cardinals. ... Royals RHP Edinson Volquez and Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez are the Wednesday probables as the four-game series continues in St. Louis.

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