Saturday, May 11, 2002
Renteria the Reds-killer
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI — Edgar Renteria knows what it means when he hits a game-turning homer.
“I got lucky,” he readily admitted.
Renteria hit a two-run homer off closer Danny Graves in the eighth inning Friday night, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 victory Friday over the Cincinnati Reds.
It's unusual for Renteria to hit a homer in the late innings, but not unusual for him to get a hit that scuttles the Reds. He's a .313 career hitter against Cincinnati with five homers.
“Renteria always seems to get that hit against us in the end,” said Aaron Boone, who narrowly missed a tying homer of his own in the eighth.
Albert Pujols had three hits and Eli Marrero snapped an 0-for-30 slump with a single, but the Cardinals needed a homer from their light-hitting shortstop to end the Reds' three-game winning streak.
The Cardinals have won consecutive games for the first time since April 26-27.
A tight game turned on one decision by Reds manager Bob Boone.
Tino Martinez drew a one-out walk in the eighth from Gabe White (1-1) with Renteria on deck. Rather than letting Renteria face White — the shortstop is 0-for-4 career against the left-hander — Boone had already made up his mind to bring in Graves.
“I had my best pitcher in there,” the manager said.
Graves left his first pitch up and Renteria homered to right, leaving him 6-for-12 career against the closer. The slicing fly ball barely cleared the right-wall for the first homer off Graves this season.
“That was the game plan — if he's going to beat me, he's going to beat me going the other way,” Graves said. “I left the pitch up a little bit. I've thrown the ball out there before and he's gotten a single or a pop-up or a ground ball.”
Renteria doesn't hit many homers. On Monday in Chicago, he got his first since last Aug. 20. That put No. 2 in perspective.
“I was looking for a fastball outside and I was lucky enough to get it,” he said.
Notes: The Cardinals made another adjustment to their injury-depleted rotation. LHP Bud Smith, who was scheduled to start Sunday, was moved to the bullpen for the weekend series. RHP Travis Smith will take his place. Bud Smith has struggled, going 0-3 with a 9.72 ERA. ... Casey originally was in the Reds' starting lineup, but was replaced after his hamstring bothered him during pregame workouts. Casey strained his right hamstring while running to first base on Wednesday. ... Reds reliever Jose Silva threw 50 pitches in batting practice and was sent to Triple-A Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment. He'll pitch one inning Monday. Silva had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow on March 4.
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Renteria the Reds-killer
