Saturday, October 05, 2002
World champions try to avoid first-round sweep
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
ST. LOUIS — The defending World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks are facing first-round elimination and they don't have one of their aces to bail them out.
After losing the first two games of their best-of-five series with World Series co-MVPs Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling pitching, the Diamondbacks send out Miguel Batista to start Game 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.
“We're not stupid, we understand what we're up against,” manager Bob Brenly said Friday. “But we also understand there's nothing more you can do than give your best effort.”
Brenly said he didn't consider using Johnson, who was shelled in Game 1, on three days' rest in Game 3. He expressed confidence in Batista, 8-9 with a 4.26 ERA in the regular season.
“Our feeling over the last couple of years is that Randy is much more effective when he's able to maintain his regular routine,” Brenly said. “We also feel Curt Schilling is the guy who is best-suited to handle short rest if we do need to bring somebody back to pitch a potential Game 5.
“That's been our policy and we stick with it.”
The Diamondbacks faces three potential elimination games in last year's title run, but each time they sent one of their aces out to the mound. Schilling beat St. Louis in Game 5 of the division series, Johnson won Game 6 of the World Series and then relieved Schilling to win the seventh game against the Yankees.
Certainly, the Cardinals want to avoid seeing either Johnson or Schilling again.
“I don't think there's any question we'd like to finish it off,” Game 3 starter Andy Benes said. “They're a good team and you never want to give them any reason to think this thing could continue.
“It'll be up to me to put up some zeros and give our offense a chance.”
Brenly said the rest of the team probably is pressing to fill the void left by Luis Gonzalez's injury. The Diamondbacks have scored only three runs the first two games without their leading RBI man.
“I think it's just human nature for everybody to try to make up for the loss of such a key piece as Luis Gonzalez, and the staff has tried to impress upon these guys that they don't have to do anything more than they're capable of doing,” Brenly said. “We're not going to ask Mark Grace to steal bases. We're not going to ask Tony Womack to hit home runs.”
Players aren't sure that's the problem.
“That could be it,” Junior Spivey said. “But we really haven't had opportunities with runners on base to put something together.”
The Diamondbacks got next to nothing against Benes the last time they saw him in a 3-2 loss on Sept. 24. Benes allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings, allowing only one baserunner past first, in the latest in a string of dazzling outings along his comeback trail.
“We'd better make some adjustments,” Brenly said. “Andy was a different pitcher when we saw him most recently than at times we've seen him in the past or even when he was with the Diamondbacks in the past.”
Benes nearly retired in April because of an arthritic right knee that saddled him with a 10.80 ERA after three starts, but had a stingy 1.86 ERA after the All-Star break. Now he'll be facing the team he played for in 1998 and '99, filling in for the injured Woody Williams.
Williams had been La Russa's choice to pitch Game 3, but still is bothered by a sore left side and isn't on the roster for the first round.
“I've been filling in for someone all year, so this is no different,” Benes said. “I'm a gap-filler and I'm all right with that. I stay humble and don't worry about it.”
———
Rolen out for series against Diamondbacks
Scott Rolen will miss the rest of St. Louis' first-round playoff series against Arizona after injuring his shoulder in Game 2.
“He's out for this series,” trainer Barry Weinberg said Friday. “His future status will be determined later.”
Manager Tony La Russa said Friday he didn't know when his third baseman would be available. The team released a brief statement that said a CT scan revealed a moderate shoulder sprain and an MRI revealed no additional injury.
The Cardinals led the best-of-five series 2-0. If St. Louis wins one of the nest three games against the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals would advance to the NL championship series, which begins Wednesday.
“I just know that I don't think he'll play the rest of this series, and that's enough for now,” La Russa said.
On Thursday, the team described the injury as a sprained shoulder. Rolen was hurt in a seventh-inning collision with Diamondbacks pinch-runner Alex Cintron.
La Russa said he wasn't sure what he would do in Game 3 Saturday, mentioning Albert Pujols and Miguel Cairo as possible replacements.
“I'll just look at the alternatives,” La Russa said. “I don't want to announce what I'm going to do tomorrow because I don't know.”
Teammates were disappointed to lose Rolen, who helped the team win the NL Central after arriving in a trade-deadline deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Anytime you take out a premier player in the middle of your lineup, it's going to hurt,” pitcher Andy Benes said. “It's going to be an opportunity for somebody else to step up and maybe be a hero.”
Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly said he could empathize with La Russa, having lost Luis Gonzalez with a separated shoulder the final week of the regular season.
“When you reach this level you want to compete against the best the other team has to offer, and you hope you have the best team you can put on the field,” Brenly said. “As an opposing manager it didn't hurt as bad, but putting myself in Tony's shoes and what I've been through this year with injured players, I know exactly how much that hurts.”
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World champions try to avoid first-round sweep
