Cardinals One Short Stop Away

Getty Images

To a man, the defending World Series champions kept their latest victory in perspective Thursday night, before cashing in another wild-card run to a second straight pennant, they've still got to beat the San Francisco Giants one more time.

"We're not taking the last game to get into the World Series for granted," Matt Holliday said after an 8-3 win put St. Louis up 3-1 in the best-of-seven NL championship series with a chance to wrap it up at home. "The Giants have proven they're a great team and they had their backs to the wall against the Reds."

Seated next to Holliday on the podium, Adam Wainwright chimed in: "Well said."

The Giants won three straight to eliminate Cincinnati in the division series. Now they have to do it again against a team that appears to have everything working.

"They do have something, there's no getting around that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's not over. We've been in this position. We know it's an uphill battle, but we've been here before."

The Giants are in a hole after Wainwright threw seven innings of four-hit ball and St. Louis' offense roughed up Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco bullpen.

"This is where we are and what we've got to deal with," Hunter Pence said. "The last series we were down in a similar situation, but this is a new series."

The Cardinals can close it out at home Friday night in Game 5. Lance Lynn faces Giants lefty Barry Zito, and a St. Louis win would set up a 2006 World Series rematch with Detroit.

Plus, the Cardinals could have Carlos Beltran back in the lineup. Beltran missed virtually all of Games 3 and 4 with a left knee strain but is optimistic about playing in Game 5 after doing some jogging and hitting indoors Thursday.

"Right now, the plan is to come in tomorrow and do what I have to do in order to be in the lineup," said Beltran, who is batting .375 in the postseason with three homers and six RBIs. "Today was a better day for me, better than yesterday.

"Tomorrow is the day I need to go for it."

Holliday, Jon Jay and Yadier Molina had two RBIs apiece to lead a 12-hit outburst by a team that batted just .198 through the first three games of the series.

Lincecum was a bust in his first postseason start since the 2010 World Series clincher over Texas, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

"That second inning was a little bit laborious, but the third and fourth were a little bit better and I thought I was going to carry it further in the game," Lincecum said. "I ran into some bumps in that fifth."

The two-time Cy Young Award winner with the quirky delivery earned a shot based on nearly spotless relief work earlier in the postseason but reverted to regular-season form, when he was 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA, worst among qualifying starters in the National League.

Wainwright was a glorified cheerleader while rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery during the Cardinals' improbable title drive last fall. They earned the wild card on the final day of the season and then upset the favoured Phillies, Brewers and Rangers to give manager Tony La Russa a chance to retire on top.

Under rookie manager Mike Matheny, the 88-win Cardinals were the final team to qualify this year, too. Once again, they've stepped up their game.

Wainwright bounced back from a poor outing in Game 5 of the NL division series against Washington, striking out five and walking none for his first postseason victory as a starter.

"It was a big motivator," he said. "I know that I'm good enough to pitch in the postseason, to carry this team deep into the game, give them a quality game, a quality outing. Last time I didn't do it, but I knew tonight if I just believed in myself and went out there and executed pitches I would be in good shape."

The lone damage against Wainwright came on Pence's first homer and RBI of the postseason, a second-inning clout estimated at 451 feet that soared over the visitor's bullpen into the left-center bleachers to cut the Cardinals' lead to 2-1.

Now, the 14-game winner can just about taste his first World Series as an active player since striking out Brandon Inge as the stand-in closer for injured Jason Isringhausen in the 2006 clincher over the Tigers.

"This whole experience is so special as it is," Wainwright said. "But to get back to that World Series is always the way to go."

Holliday wasn't surprised by Wainwright's strong performance.

"You expect Adam to pitch well and pitch like an ace, and he did," Holliday said. "His curveball was really good. He located his fastball. No surprise. We all expect Adam to pitch the way he pitched tonight, but sometimes things like the Washington game happen. But he's tough as nails. We knew he'd pitch well."

Just 12 pitches in, the Cardinals had two hits and the lead, and Lincecum got a visit from pitching coach Dave Righetti. Jay opened the first with a single, Matt Carpenter walked on four pitches and Holliday singled up the middle for the lead. Allen Craig tacked on a sacrifice fly.

Lincecum escaped trouble in the second after issuing two more walks, one of them on five pitches to Wainwright. The Cardinals missed a chance to add on after Pete Kozma reached on third baseman Pablo Sandoval's fielding error to open the inning when he was thrown out trying to steal.

Lincecum had retired eight in a row before running into trouble in the fifth.

Carpenter doubled off the top of the wall in right-center with one out. He held up until Holliday's single fell in front of fast-charging center fielder Angel Pagan, but third base coach Jose Oquendo aggressively waved Carpenter home.

The relay from shortstop Brandon Crawford was in time, but it short-hopped catcher Hector Sanchez and Carpenter scored on a headfirst slide to make it 3-1. Molina's two-out RBI single made it 4-1 and was the knockout blow for Lincecum.

"He gave us all he had out there," Bochy said. "That was his last inning and he was close to getting out of that inning. He made a great effort on that ball and good throw. We had him at home plate and it's still 2-1. That's a big play in the game."

Pence, who called himself "the goat" of Game 3 after stranding seven runners, hit the second-longest home run by an opposing player at 7-year-old Busch Stadium with a drive that sailed over the visitor's bullpen into the bleachers in left-center.

Holliday's RBI single was the first RBI by a Cardinals starter since Beltran's two-run homer in the fourth inning of Game 1. Holliday entered 2 for 12 in the NLCS with no RBIs.

Sandoval hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but the NL West champs are on the brink of elimination.

"We have all the confidence in Barry," Bochy said. "We do need to get the bats going. They've been shutting us down."

Related articles

• Cardinals Beat Giants 8-3 To Take 3-1 Lead In NLCS
• Cardinals beat Giants 8-3 to take 3-1 lead in NLCS
• Cardinals take commanding NLCS lead
• Cardinals near return trip to World Series after Game 4 rout
• Cardinals beat Giants 8-3 to take 3-1 lead in NLCS
• Lincecum Struggles, Giants One Loss Away From Elimination

Barry Giants Bound Bonds

Barry Bonds is publicly referring to himself as a convicted felon these days, and he's quick to point out that conviction was never for steroid use.

He appealed his obstruction of justice conviction from April 2011 on one count of giving an evasive answer to a 2003 grand jury investigating illegal steroids distribution.

"I went through the system. And that's what it is," Bond said Monday, attending the Diamondbacks-Giants while doing charity work through Big Brothers and Sisters of the Bay Area. "And that's what I got. I went through the system. I'm in an appeal process right now. I was never convicted of steroids."

The slugger said he met recently with Giants president and CEO Larry Baer about working for the club in some capacity, and Bonds has a personal services contract the Giants have said could go into effect once his legal proceedings were in the past.

When asked if he regrets any connection to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, Bonds said: "Do I have any regrets? What happened happened. It's there. It is what it is. I live with it. I'm a convicted felon for obstruction of justice, and that's who I am. I live with it."

The 47-year-old home run king, looking especially lean at about 212 pounds from his new love for cycling, also spent a stint in the broadcast booth during San Francisco's 4-2 win.

"It's always a treat when he comes around," winning pitcher Barry Zito said. "I love Barry."

While Bonds will long be remembered for his surly nature and mighty swing, he acknowledges he brought on many of his issues himself. Still, dealing with all of the court dates and speculation of his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs did take a toll.

"I gave my life and soul to that game. That's what's heartbreaking. That's the hard part of it," he said. "My (reputation) was kind of iffy anyway. I created that guy out there for entertainment only. Whether you hated me or liked me, you were there. And I only wanted you there. I just wanted you to see the show. That was it. All I ever wanted was for people to have a good time and enjoy it. It was fun to come out and people would boo or yay or whatever. They all showed up to see whatever would happen next and it motivated me to play hard."

It's unclear when Bonds might begin work with the Giants, though he doesn't figure the timing would work this season.

He said he would expect his job to be different from the varying roles of former Giants first baseman J.T. Snow.

"I think my role is a little higher than that," he said, laughing. "I love J.T. a lot, though."

Bonds said if struggling two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum sought his advice, he'd provide it.

"If Lincecum wants the answers, I'll give them to him," Bonds said.

Manager Bruce Bochy said he would welcome Bonds' input if he takes a job with the club.

"We have a great hitter here who has really accomplished so much," Bochy said.

The seven-time NL MVP is busy rehabilitating from two surgeries over the past six weeks -- one for a disk injury in his lower back sustained while running and also a procedure on his hip and quadriceps area. He is scheduled to be examined by doctors Tuesday.

"I work out every day. That never changed," he said. "I'm going to die training. That's what I love to do more than anything in the world."

Bonds hasn't played since 2007 and sees no reason to formally retire just yet -- and insists his Hall of Fame chances are far from his mind.

"That's up to the writers to worry about that stuff. I'll be at home having a good time with my life and my kids. That'll take care of itself," he said. "I don't try to predict the future or analyse how other people are thinking or how it's going to turn out. I face my opponents as they come. It would be very sad if it didn't happen. That's why I don't need to comment on it. There's really no need."

He said the legal issues he has faced in recent years will always stay with him.

"It'll never go off your mind," he said. "You don't ever forget those things. You move on. I'll never forget it."

Tyler Stow Makes Giants First Pitch

Bryan Stow needed only three words to move an entire ballpark at the San Francisco Giants' home opener.

Nearly beaten to death in an attack outside Dodger Stadium last year, Stow's surprise appearance live on the centre-field videoboard before Friday's 5-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the home opener might have been emotional enough. Instead, he also stirred fans and players with a touching family moment.

As the entire Giants team stood atop the mound for the ceremonial first pitch, Stow, sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a San Francisco shirt, suddenly appeared on the screen with his mother, Ann. Then he struggled to get out a few words short words to his 13-year-old son, Tyler, who was standing on the mound at AT&T Park next to Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

"Good luck, son," Stow said.

Tyler tossed the pitch a little high and outside -- but it didn't bounce, and it didn't really matter where it landed. The improvements from his father were enough, coming nearly a year after the attack in Los Angeles that left Stow in a coma.

"For me to stand with his son and to be able to see that Bryan is speaking a lot better than the last time I saw him, he moved his hand, he handed the ball on the screen and to see his son throw the way he did is pretty awesome," said Affeldt, who has visited Stow and his family several times. "It was a good tribute to his family and to the fans in general, too, because they've been through this whole loss with him."

Stow, a Giants fan and father of two young children, spent months in a medically induced coma after being punched in the head, kicked and slammed to the ground outside Dodger Stadium last March. Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood are charged in the beating. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Stow's family has said the 43-year-old former paramedic from Santa Cruz is undergoing aggressive therapy to help him become more independent. He now shares an apartment with two other patients, and they have full-time assistance.

His mother thanked fans for their support before Stow spoke on the video screen. She also said the family hopes to bring Stow to a Giants game at some point this season.

"We had hoped that Bryan would be here today with you, but he is working on his rehab," she said.

The Dodgers-Giants rivalry is one of baseball's oldest and fiercest, dating back decades to when the teams were in New York. Stow's attack turned into a rallying cry for fan safety -- with both teams coming out against violence at games -- and spawned an outpouring of support.

Giants third base coach and musician Tim Flannery -- who caught Tyler's ball -- has held two benefit concerts. Home run king Barry Bonds also has contributed to a college fund for Stow's children, and Giants ace Tim Lincecum gave $25,000 to the Bryan Stow Fund to help with medical bills and other expenses last year.

The Giants also raised approximately $70,000 for the Stow fund last year, partnering with his employer, American Medical Response, to gather donations at AT&T Park before the start of a series with the Dodgers in April. The total included a $10,000 donation from the team.

"Our dream was to have Bryan drop the ball into Buster's mitt," Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said, referring to catcher Buster Posey. "What we clearly did not want to do was disrupt his treatment or disrupt his progress by doing something that was going to be invasive to move him here. ... What we wanted to do was find a way for him to say thank you. It was a two-way feeling that fans wanted to say, `We love you, Bryan, and keep fighting the fight,' and he and the family wanted to say thank you to everybody. How could we do that? The clear way to do that was to have him on the screen."

Source: AP