Kyle Lohse reaches for a pitch and singles in a run. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
The Cardinals caught some breaks and hit some good pitcher’s pitches in a five run sixth inning that broke open Friday night’s game giving the Cardinals a 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.
The first break came when Albert Pujols smashed a hot grounder to second baseman Mark Ellis with runners on first and second and one out. Ellis was scooting back into position after keeping Rafael Furcal close to the base. The ball bounced off Ellis’ glove turning a sure double play into an RBI single for Pujols.
Matt Holliday then doubled in a run on a ball that bounced high over the third basemen’s head into the left field corner. After a Lance Berkman intentional pass, David Freese found a hole for a two run single. Even starting pitcher Kyle Lohse reached out and plunked a slider away into right field for an RBI. That finished Rockies’ starter Aaron Cook’s night.
“It’s very frustrating, but I’ve got to try to just laugh this one off and realize I know I made the pitches I wanted to make,” Cook said. “They were able to just find the holes to get the runs.”
It was a positive step for Lohse on the mound. He allowed a run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings and threw 91 pitches, 17 more than any of his three previous appearances.