The Cardinals have taken a one game to none lead over the Padres National League Division Series. They beat San Diego 8-5 win over the Padres at Busch Stadium. Reggie Sanders set an NLDS record with six RBIs’. In the fifth inning he hit a grand slam to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead.
Jim Edmonds got the Cardinals on the board with a solo home run in the first inning. In the third David Eckstein scored on a wild pitch from Padres starter Jake Peavy. Later in the third, Sanders drove two with a single that scored Edmonds and Albert Pujols. That made it 4-0 Cardinals.
St. Louis starting pitcher Chris Carpenter had almost complete control of the Padres on the mound. He lasted six scoreless innings and surrendered just three hits and three walks with three strikeouts. But Carpenter was replaced by rookie reliever Brad Thompson to start the seventh because of cramps in both of Carpenter’s hands.
The bullpen struggled after Carpenter’s departure. Thompson, Randy Flores, Cal Eldred and Jason Isringhausen all allowed runs. Eldred was charged with two of them. San Diego scored three times in the ninth inning. The Padres loaded the bases with two outs, but Isringhausen struck out Ramon Hernandez to end the game.
Edmonds was 3-for-4 in Game 1 and scored three times to accompany his home run in the first.
Game 2 is on Thursday in St. Louis. Matt Morris will start against Pedro Astacio.
Earlier in the game, Jim Edmonds hit a solo home run