THE St. Louis Cardinals took a 2-0 lead over the Padres with a 2-0 win in San Diego as veterans Jeff Weaver and lefthander David Wells engaged in a tight pitcher’s duel for 5 innings. The Cards scored the only runs of the game off of losing pitcher Wells in the 4th inning as 1st baseman Albert Pujols and centerfielder Jim Edmonds each had RBI singles.  Winning pitcher Weaver and the Cardinals bullpen combined to toss the shutout while the Padres bullpen shut down St. Louis through the final 4 innings on 3 hits and one walk. 

The site for game 3 now switches to St. Louis as the Padres need a victory to stay alive.

IN New York, 40-year-old veteran lefthander Tom Glavine, with 290 major league wins, shut out the L.A. Dodgers for 6 innings and the bullpen held the Dodgers to 1 run over the final 3 innings while Mets shortstop Jose Reyes drove in Runs in the 1st and 6th innings as the Mets defeated the Dodgers by a 4-1 score at Shea Stadium.

Winning pitcher Glavine gave up but 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2.  Reliever Aaron Heilman gave up the Dodgers only run, a 7th inning, one out solo blast by 3rd baseman Wilson Betemit. 

Young Dodger lefthander Hong-Chih Kuo was the losing pitcher giving up single runs to the Mets in the 4th and 5th innings.

In the 3rd inning, Reyes drove in a run with a groundout to shortstop.
In the 5th inning, catcher Paul Lo Duca drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.  Both runs scored off of Kuo who was relieved by Brett Tompko.  In the 6th inning, Tomko got into a none out bases loaded jam.  Mark Hendrickson relieved Tompko.  Hendrickson got the 1st out on a groundout, with the runner on 3rd base out at home.  Aged, but youthful veteran pinch hitter  Julio Franco (Me and Julio, Down by the Ballpark) grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice and Jose Reyes singled in the Mets 4th run.  Hendrickson got the final out of the inning on a ground ball.  Both runs were charged to Tompko.  The Dodgers bullpen shut down the Mets the rest of the way.

Mets closer Billy Wagner pitched the 9th inning and recorded his 2nd save of the post-season.

THE Detroit Tigers pulled even at 1 game apiece with the New York Yankees with a tight 4-3 win at Yankee stadium. 

Detroit DH Marcus Thames, who went 3 for 4 for the game, got the Tigers on the board in the 2nd inning off of Yanks starter and losing pitcher Mike Mussina.  The Yanks then scored on a 3 run shot by centerfielder Johnny Damon in the 4th inning off of Tigers starter Justin Verlanger to take the lead.

But Detroit’s centerfelder Curtis Granderson drove in a run in the 5th inning with a sacrifice fly and tripled in a run in the 7th while a solo blast by shortstop Carlos Guillen was sandwiched in between in the 6th inning.

Mussina gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in 7 innings for the innings. The Yanks bullpen shut down the Tigers the rest of the way. 

Verlanger was pulled with 1 out in the 6th inning in favor of lefthander  Jamie Walker who retired one of the AL’s leading hitters, 2nd baseman  Robinson Cano (.342 BA).  Walker retired the side in the 6th and retired the lead-off hitter in the 7th inning.  He was followed by rookie reliever  Joel Zumaya who overwhelmed the Yanks with heavy heat striking 3 in his 1 2/3 innings.  Yahoo sports reporter Jeff Passon wrote;

Depending on the radar gun, it sat around 100 mph, crept to 102 mph, might have tickled 103 mph and, to the Yankees … couldn’t touch it – Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez among them.

Tigers closer Todd Jones shut down the Yankees in the 9th inning and was credited with the save.

For full recaps, box scores and play-by-plays of Thursday’s Divisional Series games, click here.

On Friday, Minnesota travels to Oakland trying to stay alive in their series with a win.  Brad Radke goes for the Twins vs Dan Haren for the Athletics.

The Yankees travel to Detroit for Friday’s game, a battle of lefthanders as  Randy “Big Unit” Johnson is opposed by Kenny Rogers for the Tigers.

On Saturday, there is a full battery of games as all 8 teams play.

For full coverage of all of Friday’s and Saturday’s Divisional Series games in both leagues; previews, recaps, box scores and play-by-play coverage click here and here.

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 6th, 2006 at 8:18 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary
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