So Taguchi wasn’t supposed to start so much, but you won’t hear manager Tony LaRussa complaining about it too much. With both Reggie Sanders and Larry Walker on the DL, the reserve outfielder continued to make the most of his playing time by leading the Cardinals to an 8-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium Tuesday.
Taguchi went 4-for-5 with three RBI’s and two runs scored. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is hitting .500 during the stretch. Taguchi scored two of the Cardinals’ first runs and knocked in three with doubles in the sixth and seventh innings. Taguchi’s bat has been about as hot as the temperature this August. So far this month, he’s hitting .460 with 13 RBI’s. His batting average for the season is .303.
Jim Edmonds had two RBI’s thanks to a bunt single in the first and another single in the fifth. Albert Pujols also drove in a run with a double in the third.
Starter Jeff Suppan (12-8) completed seven innings and allowed just two runs off five hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. Luis Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give Arizona its only runs of the night.