MILWAUKEE (AP) -One day after the death of teammate Josh Hancock, the St. Louis Cardinals lost 7-1 to Milwaukee on Monday night, struggling at the plate and in the field.
Starter Kip Wells (1-5) balked in a run in the second inning and gave up seven runs over six innings. Adam Kennedy was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the fourth, and shortstop David Eckstein was left holding the ball with nowhere to throw as a second run crossed the plate after a triple by Milwaukee’s Kevin Mench in the sixth.
Jeff Suppan (4-2), a former Cardinal and teammate of Hancock’s, gave up one run and eight hits for the Brewers in his 16th career complete game.
The 29-year-old Hancock was killed shortly after midnight Sunday when his SUV struck the rear of a flatbed tow truck on a St. Louis highway. The Cardinals’ scheduled home game against Chicago on Sunday night was postponed.
Hancock is the second active major leaguer to die in the last six months. Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle died in a plane crash in October.
Pirates 3, Cubs 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jason Bay hit a one-out homer in the eighth, an inning after Pittsburgh had tied the game on Ronny Paulino’s double.
Bay’s homer, an opposite-field shot off Michael Wuertz (0-1) that barely reached the right-field bleachers, was his fourth of the season and his 100th with the Pirates.
Salomon Torres, the Pirates closer who had been scored upon in six of his previous eight appearances, pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 11 opportunities. Matt Capps (2-0) won it by pitching the eighth.
Cubs starter Rich Hill limited the Pirates to two runs over seven innings and helped himself with an unlikely run-scoring double, but couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead.
Braves 5, Phillies 2
ATLANTA (AP) – Andruw Jones hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning for Atlanta.
Pitching with a “JH” on the front of his jersey, Braves starter Hudson allowed only four hits over eight innings though he didn’t get a decision. Hudson was good friends with Josh Hancock, the St. Louis pitcher who died early Sunday in a car crash. The two played together at Auburn in 1997, leading the Tigers to the College World Series.
In the ninth, Kelly Johnson led off with a single, Chipper Jones walked and Andruw Jones hit a towering drive into the left-field seats off Antonio Alfonseca (1-1).
Chipper Jones also homered for the Braves.
Mike Gonzalez (1-0) picked up his first win for the Braves with a scoreless ninth.
Marlins 9, Mets 6
NEW YORK (AP) – Hanley Ramirez homered, Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs and Florida chased emergency New York starter Chan Ho Park early.
Alfredo Amezaga also homered and Josh Willingham had a two-run single during Florida’s five-run rally in the third inning, which started with a two-out single by pitcher Scott Olsen (3-1), who gave up four runs – two earned – and 10 hits in six-plus innings.
Carlos Beltran was 4-for-5 with a home run for New York, his third four-hit game this season, and Jose Reyes added three hits and two RBIs.
Park was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans to start in place of Orlando Hernandez, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with bursitis in his right shoulder. Park retired his first eight batters but lasted only four innings, allowing seven runs and six hits.
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