Rockies' bats come alive in win over Cardinals

Published May 12, 2013

Sports Network

St. Louis, MO –  After being silenced by the Cardinals' starting pitching the last two days, the Rockies got an outstanding effort from one of their own.

Jorge De La Rosa took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Colorado's offense awoke from its slumber as the Rockies came away with an 8-2 victory over St. Louis in the finale of a three-game set.

The Cardinals saw starter Shelby Miller retire 27 straight batters on Friday and Adam Wainwright come five outs away from a no-hitter the following day. On Sunday, though, the Rockies were the ones stifling St. Louis.

De La Rosa (4-3) struck out seven and didn't surrender a hit until David Freese lined a single past first baseman Jordan Pacheco with two away in the seventh.

The Colorado lefty issued three walks, but his efforts were key in helping the Rockies end their season-long four-game losing streak.

Troy Tulowitzki smacked a three-run homer and Charlie Blackmon stroked a two- run shot in his return to the big-league level. Blackmon was called up Sunday when the Rockies placed first baseman/outfielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list.

St. Louis didn't score until the ninth, when they were able to plate two runs.

Jamie Garcia (4-2) lost for the first time in four starts, surrendering both homers as well as eight hits over six innings. He struck out seven in the defeat.

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Cardinals guard Smith establishing himself as tournament's top player for top-seeded Cardinals

Published March 26, 2013

Associated Press

Drop in any barber shop and sports is usually a hot topic.

That's especially true these days at Big Russ' Barber Shop in Harlem, N.Y., where folks are buzzing about the owner's son — Louisville guard Russ Smith.

Of course, they're somewhat biased toward the Brooklyn native, but they're not alone in their praise of the 6-foot-1 guard.

Smith, considered the best player on the top-seeded team in the NCAA tournament, has garnered attention for his dominating play on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 25.0 points and 5.0 steals per game.

Playing the best he has all year, Smith and the Cardinals (31-5) will take on 12th-seeded Oregon (29-8) in the round of 16 Friday in Indianapolis.

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Cardinals place Carpenter on 60-day DL

Jupiter, FL –  The St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher Chris Carpenter on the 60-day disabled list, the team announced on Friday.

The former National League Cy Young award winner's career going forward is uncertain, as he continues to experience irritation in his cervical spine and right shoulder.

"We felt that it was best to make an official announcement on Carp's roster status today from both the administrative standpoint and also from a roster flexibility standpoint," stated general manger John Mozeliak.

The 37-year-old underwent surgery last July in an attempt to repair the nerve- related issues and actually returned to make three regular-season starts near the end of the 2012 campaign, as well as three postseason starts.

However, after intensifying his throwing program in preparation for spring training, the right-hander experienced setbacks and at a Feb. 5 press conference, Mozeliak called it "very unlikely" that Carpenter will pitch in 2013.

A three-time All-Star, Carpenter received Cy Young honors in 2005 and won the 2009 NL Comeback Player of the Year award after returning from elbow problems that caused him to miss large portions of the 2007 and '08 campaigns. He also played a large role in helping the Cardinals to World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.

The veteran has tossed over 2,200 innings during a 15-year career with St. Louis and Toronto and owns a 144-94 overall record with a 3.46 ERA.

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