Cardinals-Pirates: Chris Carpenter Parties Like It's 2005

7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K,  0.00 ERA

Chris Carpenter gave Cardinal fans a 2005 flashback.

And St. Louis picked up a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Carpenter had himself a game Thursday night. Although I would like to blame the struggles of the middle of the Pirates' batting order, I have to give the credit to Carpenter here.

Cardinal fans might have thought it was 2005 all over again, as Carpenter’s no-hitter went into the seventh inning. Ramon Vasquez provided the lone hit, as he squeaked a dribbler past the glove of converted second baseman Skip Schumacher. It was also Schumacher that prolonged the inning as he botched a double play with a bad throw to shortstop Khalil Greene that prevented the out at first.

This start is definitely the news the Cardinals wanted. It would have been an awfully long season for them with a starting rotation highlighted by Adam Wainright and Todd Wellemeyer. A healthy Chris Carpenter means that the Cardinals can contend.

Carpenter takes no-hit bid to seventh inning. [Yahoo Sports]