Ankiel, Cards, Blank Padres

The Cardinals ride Rick Ankiel’s pitching to pull within one game of the Giants for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Cardinals beat the Padres 3-0…Ankiel and four relivers combined for the shutout. It’s the third win in four games for s.tLouis… Will clark doubled home the only run the Cardinals needed. Eric Davis’s two-run single gave the birds the rest of their runs. Ankiel is now 11-7….gave up five hits, got eight strikeouts..in six innings. He now has 193 strikeouts, which breaks Dizzy Dean’s single-=seasons trikeout record for a rookie. He set it at 191 in 19-32. Dave Veres picked up save 28. Cardinals are now 28 games above .500, their best of the year.