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  Friday, Jul. 21 8:05pm ET
Renteria has four RBI in Cardinals rout
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

HOUSTON (AP) -- Rick Wilkins returned to the majors just in time for Rick Ankiel.

Wilkins, recalled from Triple-A Memphis earlier Friday, had a calming affect on the rookie Ankiel, who pitched perhaps his finest game of the season to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-1 victory over the Houston Astros.

Ankiel (7-5) tied his career high with 11 strikeouts and allowed only three hits over seven innings as he ended a personal two-game losing streak.

Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel tied his career high with 11 strikeouts, but more importantly he got back on the winning track.

"It's kind of hard to remember sometimes how young he is," manager Tony La Russa said. "He is still learning and improving.

"With him it's all about command. Wilkins did a real good job of getting him to use his curveball and mixing in a couple of changeups."

Ankiel walked only three as he won for the first time since June 20 against San Francisco.

"I think this was close to my best game," Ankiel said. "I was able to keep my rhythm and throw strikes. I've worked with (Wilkins) before. He did a good job of helping me keep my focus."

Wilkins, a veteran of 10 years who signed a minor league contract with the Cards in the off-season, was impressed with the 21-year-old left-hander.

"He stayed aggressive and was throwing strikes," Wilkins said. "He was hitting his spots with his sinker and giving those guys fits.

"All I was doing was helping him with some minor mechanics and slowing him down a little, keeping him in rhythm. He gets revved up in a hurry and wants to go get the batters. You've just got to calm him down a little."

It wasn't calming for the Astros.

"He had great stuff and he had the luxury of getting a lead," Houston manager Larry Dierker said. "Even when he walked a few guys, he didn't have to get upset with that lead."

"He hit his spots and he threw well," Astros second baseman Craig Biggio said. "He has a good future. He's got some good stuff.

"He threw a lot harder tonight than he threw (against us) in St. Louis. Tonight he was throwing 95 and 96 and was hitting his spots and he was getting ahead."

Edgar Renteria drove in four runs to pace the offense for the Cardinals, who stopped a three-game losing streak.

Scott Elarton (9-4) had a five-game winning streak snapped, losing for the first time since June 16. Elarton allowed five runs, only three earned, on seven hits and three walks with no strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals scored first when Fernando Vina led off the game with a single to right and scored on Thomas Howard's double to left-center. Fernando Tatis' single drove in Howard for a 2-0 lead.

Jeff Bagwell hit his 24th home run to make it 2-1 in the bottom of the first.

The Cardinals chased Elarton in the fourth when Renteria drove in Ankiel, who reached on an error by Biggio, with a single. Jim Edmonds doubled to right to drive in Vina.

Jeff Slusarski relieved and Renteria scored on an infield out by Howard to make it 5-1.

In the fifth, Ankiel's single off the left-field wall drove in Eduardo Perez. One out later, Renteria's three-run homer -- his career-high 12th -- made it 9-1.

Perez led off the seventh with a first-pitch home run, his third of the year. After Wilkins walked and Ankiel singled, Vina doubled, making it 11-1.

Game notes
Bill Spiers leads the Astros with eight pinch-hits and is hitting .348 (8-for-23) as a pinch-hitter ... Friday's attendance of 42,811 was the largest ever at Enron Field. It also was the fourth consecutive home sellout and 19th this season ... Renteria, who tied a career-high, also had four RBI April 11 against Houston. ... Ankiel also struck out 11 on May 25 against Florida and June 4 against Cleveland. ... The loss was the most-lopsided this season for the Astros.
 


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