Pat Hentgen is hitting his stride at the right time. Hentgen fired a three-hitter and shut out the Cubs 4-0 as the Cardinals moved two steps closer to clinching the Central division. The Reds lost, knocking the Cards’ magic number down two notches to five. Since the all-star break, when he was 8-6 with a 5.16 ERA, Hentgen is 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA. The Cardinals now have three 15 game winners, as Hentgen struck out a season-high nine batters and tossed his first shutout since 1997. J.D. Drew and Craig Paquette homered in the win. Britt Reames pitches for the Cards tonight against Jon Lieber.
