Washington: The St Louis Cardinals, powered by back-up player Matt Carpenter, beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 in a rain-delayed Game Three yesterday to seize a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.
Carpenter, who replaced injured outfielder Carlos Beltran, cracked a two-run home run in the third off Giants starter Matt Cain to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead and send the Cardinals on their way.
“I just go up there and battle and try to get a good pitch to hit, and today I was fortunate to get one of those,” said Carpenter, who improved to 5-for-5 against Cain.
St. Louis added another run in the seventh inning when they knocked Cain out of the game just before a storm created a three and a half hour delay.
Closer Jason Motte came on in the eighth and turned in a two-inning save to preserve the win for Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse, who gave up seven hits and five walks in five and two-thirds innings but held San Francisco to one run. Rain forced the postponement of Game Four of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers yesterday, ensuring baseball’s most successful franchise staved off post-season elimination for another day.
The Yankees, trailing the best-of-seven series 3-0, arrived at Comerica Park needing a win to extend their season but got a reprieve when a storm rolled into Detroit.
With the storm approaching, officials initially pushed back the start rather than have to call a rain delay and face a messy finish to a potential series clincher.
Agencies
