St. Louis Cardinals Attempt Comeback, Lose in Extra Innings

After spotting the Washington Nationals a seven-run lead early in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals attempted to make a comeback.

They slowly chipped away, helped by none other than their pitching staff. Starter Mike Parisi atoned for an awful pitching performance by drilling a two-run double in the fourth to make the score 7-3, after third baseman Troy Glaus hit a solo shot.

In the sixth inning, the comeback was in full swing. Relief pitcher Mark Worrell, in his first major league at-bat, hit a three-run job sending Tim Redding out of the ball game.

The Cardinals, down to their last out, plated two to tie the game at eight in the top of the ninth. The Nationals could do no damage in the ninth and to extra innings it went.

Redbird callup Joe Mather smacked his first major league home run in the top of the 10th, completing the comeback for the Cardinals, putting them just three outs away from the miraculous victory.

After Christian Guzman singled to lead off the 10th inning, red hot Elijah Dukes stepped in. Dukes ended the night 4-6, with a walk-off home run to send the Cardinals packing for Houston.

This was a deflating loss for the Redbirds. They marched all the way back from a poor outing from Parisi to lose in extras.

I feel especially bad for Mather and Worrell as they hit historic first home runs. But when they tell their children about this day 20 years from now, it will be with an extremely bitter tone, as the Cardinals lost a heartbreaker.

Closer Ryan Franklin has looked shaky to say the least in his last couple outings, and tonight was no different. Dukes crushed a shot over the wall to win the game, and Franklin looked visibly unshaken.

I'm not sure if this is an attitude thing, but it needs to get fixed.

Also, Parisi's situation is an area of concern for Cards’ fans. He has looked downright pitiful in his two starts, and if it means calling up Anthony Reyes for a spot start, so be it.

We need someone who can come in and throw strikes and get outs, not like Parisi's four walk, one strikeout performance tonight.

Changes need to be made.  That's pretty clear. But this one will hurt for sometime, especially with a tough series coming up in Houston.

It's just too bad that the Redbirds climbed back so far to fall so quickly.