Chris Duncan is back and better than ever — at the plate, anyway.
Chris Duncan is back and better than ever — at the plate, anyway. Despite some adventuresome fielding, the St. Louis Cardinals are happy to have Duncan back in the lineup every day. "When he’s healthy, he’s clutch," manager Tony La Russa said Thursday after Duncan atoned for some adventurous fielding with a home run, two singles and three RBIs in the Cardinals’ 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. In winning for the seventh time in eight games, St. Louis struck first in a 16-game season series against its longtime rival. The Cubs’ frustration showed when Milton Bradley was ejected for arguing a called strike in the sixth inning. Things didn’t go as smoothly for Duncan in left field. He failed to catch a popup that led to the Cubs’ first-inning run off of Adam Wainwright, and he dropped a routine fly to get Wainwright in trouble in the sixth. Wainwright responded to the bases-loaded, one-out situation by striking out Bradley and getting Alfonso Soriano to fly out. Said La Russa: "I liked the fact that (Wainwright) picked up Chris on that play. Chris would have been walking the streets tonight if that leads to the inning that beats us." Instead, Bradley ended up being the angry one. Ever combative and combustible, the Cubs’ newest $30 million acquisition got in umpire Larry Vanover’s face after the strike-three call. Bradley had been on his best behavior since joining the team and had downplayed his reputation as a hothead. He left the clubhouse before the media was allowed to enter and was unavailable for comment. When asked about Bradley’s reaction to Vanover’s call, Cubs manager Lou Piniella said only: "What do you want me to say?" Though television replays made it appear Wainwright (2-0) received a generous call, he said the pitch "was too close to take." Bradley didn’t start for a third straight game due to a groin injury, and Piniella said it could be five days before he is ready to return to right field. Micah Hoffpauir got his first start in place of Bradley and went 0-for-4. Twice, a perturbed Piniella instructed pitching coach Larry Rothschild to make changes on the mound. Piniella, who like most managers usually makes such moves himself, later got more agitated when asked about it. "What’s the difference whether the pitching coach, the manager, the hitting coach or the third-base coach … makes pitching changes?" he said. "I’m not trying to make a point about anything. You guys want to make a big deal out of who makes pitching changes. It doesn’t matter. What matters is when the pitcher comes into the ballgame that he gets some outs.” ______ In photo: Chicago Cubs’ Milton Bradley, right, argues with home plate umpire Larry Vanover after being called out on strikes during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Thursday, April 16, 2009.
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