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Sunday, Jun. 25 2:10pm ET
Sutton comes through in a pinch | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Luckily for Larry Sutton, he checked his cell phone before driving back to the minors. Sutton, recalled earlier in the day, singled home the winning run in the ninth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat Los Angeles 2-1 Sunday for a three-game sweep of the Dodgers. He was optioned to Triple A-Memphis on Saturday but never got a chance to leave town. When Eduardo Perez injured his hamstring Saturday on his first day after being called up, general manager Walt Jocketty tracked down Sutton while he and his wife were packing their belongings. "So many things were going through my mind I didn't have my cell phone turned on," Sutton said. "I turned it on about 11:30 last night to tell my dad the bad news, and there were about seven urgent messages left by the club saying, 'Hey, don't leave town yet.' Wouldn't you know it? It feels great." Sutton's hit on a 3-2 pitch glanced off the glove of second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and made him 4-for-9 as a pinch hitter with three RBIs. "If it gets through, the game's over anyway," Grudzielanek said. "You've got to get that ball and keep it in the infield. I didn't think I needed to dive for it, but maybe I should have, to make sure." Edgar Renteria walked with one out off Antonio Osuna (0-4) and advanced when Mike Matheny sacrificed. Renteria scored from second on Sutton's hit, giving the NL Central leaders their 11th victory in 13 games. Heathcliff Slocumb (2-3) gave up two hits in two scoreless innings, helping send the Dodgers to their fourth straight loss. St. Louis swept Los Angeles for the first time since August 1992. Starters Kevin Brown and Rick Ankiel dominated. Brown, who gave up a season-high four runs in his previous start, allowed one run and five hits in eight innings and struck out nine. He has 56 strikeouts and five walks in eight starts since May 21. "What a waste of a great pitcher," Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. "Brownie was spectacular." Ankiel allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, matching his season high. He is 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA Busch Stadium but 1-3 with a 5.38 ERA on the road. Ankiel threw seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers on May 13, also allowing four hits. He didn't get a decision in that game, either. Ankiel was more excited about ending an 0-for-16 slump with a single off Brown's leg in the fifth. He has two homers and five RBIs. "I felt strong all day and I got a hit, so I'm pumped about that," Ankiel said. "It's been way too long, so that's going to have me on cloud nine probably for a couple days." St. Louis gave Mark McGwire a day off due to general fatigue. It hasn't been affecting his bat -- he had homered in the three previous games, taking over the major league lead with 28. Brown worked out of trouble in the first after he hit leadoff batter Shawon Dunston and J.D. Drew singled to put runners at the corners. Brown retired nine of the next 10 hitters before the Cardinals took the lead in the fourth. Thomas Howard, subbing for McGwire in the cleanup slot, singled to start the inning, stole his first base with one out and scored on Renteria's two-out hit. Shawn Gilbert tied it in the fifth with his first homer since July 3, 1997. He had been 0-for-14 since being called up June 2. "The bad thing is it was the only run we got," Gilbert said. "Other than that, it was a good feeling." Game notesBrown is 3-0 his last four starts against the Cardinals, allowing seven earned runs in 31 innings. ... The Cardinals' Shawon Dunston, who started at third, left after two innings with a sore right elbow. He was hit by a pitch in the first. ... Gary Sheffield, who was 25-for-50 during a 13-game hitting streak before Saturday, is 0-for-5 with three walks in the last two games. ... Renteria is 6-for-14 against Brown. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Los Angeles Clubhouse St. Louis Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 2 Detroit 1
St. Louis 2
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