Cardinals 6, Cubs 4
Chris Carpenter finally notched his first win as the first-place St. Louis Cardinals knocked off the host Chicago Cubs 6-4 at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.
Playing without manager Tony La Russa, who is sidelined indefinitely with shingles, the Cards built a 4-2 lead for Carpenter through six. The veteran couldn’t hold it, allowing two runs in the seventh, but St. Louis promptly answered in the eighth when third baseman Daniel Descalso drove in two with a single to right.
Eduardo Sanchez pitched a hitless ninth for his fourth save.
Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with a run scored, raising his average to
.268 and giving St. Louis fans hope that the hitting machine is finally
getting comfortable. Nick Punto added an RBI triple and Yadier Molina an RBI double for the Cards.
Aramis Ramirez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Chicago.
Bench coach Joe Pettini managed the Cards Tuesday and probably will manage the whole three-game series, given La Russa’s condition.