Derek Lowe watches Ryan Ludwick homer. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
For the second time in as many games, it was Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina coming through with the clutch hit. His tie-breaking hit gave the Cardinals the lead in an eventual 5-4 over the Atlanta Braves.
Molina singled in two runs with two outs apart of a four run sixth inning off Braves starter Derek Lowe. Lowe has struggled against the Cardinals during his career, but got off to a great start retiring the first 10 St. Louis hitters before Ryan Ludwick hit his fourth homer of the year.
That cut the Braves lead to 2-1 who scored two runs off Chris Carpenter in the second inning. Carpenter went six innings allowing just those two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out four on his 35th birthday. In the sixth, the Cards rallied. Ludwick doubled in Brendan Ryan to tie the game. Ludwick went 2 for 4 on the night. With Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday on first and second, Lowe threw a wild pitch advancing the runners with two outs, then walked Colby Rasmus to load the bases.
Wrong move to make against Molina who has earned a reputation at Mr. Clutch. He delivered at two out single putting the Cardinals up 4-2. David Freese would follow with another single to score Rasmus and make it 5-2.
In the seventh, Tony LaRussa used four pitchers to get out of the inning that saw Atlanta score two runs. Jason Motte pitched 1.2 innings to save the game in the ninth working Trever Miller out of an eighth inning game. It was Motte’s first save. LaRussa, Carpenter and Molina talk about Yadi’s clutch hitting
