YES!! part deux
ST. LOUIS - Chicago has been playing without its All-Star first baseman for more than a month. The Cardinals are concerned they might be without theirs for a while, too.
Aramis Ramirez hit a grand slam and St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols strained his right oblique muscle in the second inning of the Cubs’ 8-5 victory Saturday. Pujols, who leads the major leagues with 25 home runs and 65 RBIs after winning the NL MVP award last year, will be re-evaluated on Sunday but is expected to go on the DL.
“Obviously, we have significant concerns about the severity,” team physician Dr. George Paletta said. “This injury can put you out for weeks.”
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Paletta said Pujols, who pulled up and grabbed his right side while chasing a foul pop by Ramirez in the second, could be out for as long as six weeks.
“If you told me right now he’d be out two weeks, that’s a lot better than the rest of the year,” manager Tony La Russa said. “I just don’t think after talking to Dr. Paletta that two weeks from now, Albert will be ready to go.”
Phil Nevin, acquired on Wednesday from the Rangers, added a two-run homer in his first start with the Cubs. Nevin is expected to help make up for the loss of first baseman Derrek Lee, who is sidelined with a broken right wrist.
“I haven’t been nervous in a game in a long time,” Nevin said. “I had a little bit of that today.
“I keep looking down and seeing ’Chicago,’ it’s pretty cool.”
ALSO ON THIS STORY
* Cubs-Cardinals box score
* Vote: Can Cards hang on without Pujols?
* Sound off on injury to Pujols on Cards' discussion board
* Cubs push Wood's next start back
The Cubs took advantage of three errors to score five runs in the fourth against Mark Mulder, including third baseman Scott Rolen’s second fielding error in two games. Chicago has taken the first two games of the three-game series, the Cardinals’ first home series loss after a 9-0 start at new Busch Stadium, and is 6-2 against St. Louis overall this year.
“They helped us with some errors by guys that don’t make them,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Maybe it’s just our time to get some breaks, but we capitalized on them.”
Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures
Heat center O'Neal watches shot against Pistons during Game 1 in Auburn Hills
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• The Week in Sport Pictures
May 22 - 28: Shaq attack, happy Hornish, dying Ducks, Barry’s da bomb, and more.
Mulder (5-4) lost his third straight start and allowed eight runs and 12 hits, five of the runs earned, in 6 2-3 innings. Since throwing 8 1-3 scoreless innings against the Mets on May 17, he has surrendered 19 runs, 16 earned, in 17 1-3 innings.
Glendon Rusch (2-5) started for the first time since April 29 and earned his first victory since April 16. In five innings he gave up three runs and four hits while avoiding the long ball.
Entering the game, he was among the NL leaders with 13 homers allowed in only 37 innings. More important, his stint provided some relief for the bullpen after a 14-inning victory on Friday night.
“I was happy to get us into the middle of the game, especially after everybody we used yesterday,” Rusch said. “It was just a great game all around.”
Yadier Molina hit a two-run single off Scott Williamson in the ninth to cut the Cubs’ lead to 8-5 but Bob Howry got Aaron Miles to ground out with Molina on first for his first save.
Williamson injured his elbow throwing a breaking ball on his last pitch and trainer Mark O’Neal recommended that the reliever be placed on the 15-day disabled list. O’Neal characterized the injury as tendinitis unrelated to Williamson’s two previous elbow reconstructions.
Aramis Ramirez hit a grand slam and St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols strained his right oblique muscle in the second inning of the Cubs’ 8-5 victory Saturday. Pujols, who leads the major leagues with 25 home runs and 65 RBIs after winning the NL MVP award last year, will be re-evaluated on Sunday but is expected to go on the DL.
“Obviously, we have significant concerns about the severity,” team physician Dr. George Paletta said. “This injury can put you out for weeks.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement
Paletta said Pujols, who pulled up and grabbed his right side while chasing a foul pop by Ramirez in the second, could be out for as long as six weeks.
“If you told me right now he’d be out two weeks, that’s a lot better than the rest of the year,” manager Tony La Russa said. “I just don’t think after talking to Dr. Paletta that two weeks from now, Albert will be ready to go.”
Phil Nevin, acquired on Wednesday from the Rangers, added a two-run homer in his first start with the Cubs. Nevin is expected to help make up for the loss of first baseman Derrek Lee, who is sidelined with a broken right wrist.
“I haven’t been nervous in a game in a long time,” Nevin said. “I had a little bit of that today.
“I keep looking down and seeing ’Chicago,’ it’s pretty cool.”
ALSO ON THIS STORY
* Cubs-Cardinals box score
* Vote: Can Cards hang on without Pujols?
* Sound off on injury to Pujols on Cards' discussion board
* Cubs push Wood's next start back
The Cubs took advantage of three errors to score five runs in the fourth against Mark Mulder, including third baseman Scott Rolen’s second fielding error in two games. Chicago has taken the first two games of the three-game series, the Cardinals’ first home series loss after a 9-0 start at new Busch Stadium, and is 6-2 against St. Louis overall this year.
“They helped us with some errors by guys that don’t make them,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Maybe it’s just our time to get some breaks, but we capitalized on them.”
Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures
Heat center O'Neal watches shot against Pistons during Game 1 in Auburn Hills
Launch
• The Week in Sport Pictures
May 22 - 28: Shaq attack, happy Hornish, dying Ducks, Barry’s da bomb, and more.
Mulder (5-4) lost his third straight start and allowed eight runs and 12 hits, five of the runs earned, in 6 2-3 innings. Since throwing 8 1-3 scoreless innings against the Mets on May 17, he has surrendered 19 runs, 16 earned, in 17 1-3 innings.
Glendon Rusch (2-5) started for the first time since April 29 and earned his first victory since April 16. In five innings he gave up three runs and four hits while avoiding the long ball.
Entering the game, he was among the NL leaders with 13 homers allowed in only 37 innings. More important, his stint provided some relief for the bullpen after a 14-inning victory on Friday night.
“I was happy to get us into the middle of the game, especially after everybody we used yesterday,” Rusch said. “It was just a great game all around.”
Yadier Molina hit a two-run single off Scott Williamson in the ninth to cut the Cubs’ lead to 8-5 but Bob Howry got Aaron Miles to ground out with Molina on first for his first save.
Williamson injured his elbow throwing a breaking ball on his last pitch and trainer Mark O’Neal recommended that the reliever be placed on the 15-day disabled list. O’Neal characterized the injury as tendinitis unrelated to Williamson’s two previous elbow reconstructions.