Associated Press
The baseball roundup …
NEW YORK ó Tim Redding pitched into the eighth inning for his first win with the Mets and substitute setup man Brian Stokes got Albert Pujols to ground into a crucial double play, leading New York past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Monday night.
Daniel Murphy homered and Omir Santos went 4-for-4 in an uplifting victory for the Mets, hours after they received another dose of disheartening news. All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran went on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise on his right knee, a huge blow to a team already decimated by key injuries.
Before the game, New York manager Jerry Manuel said he would keep a close eye on the spirit of his squad, also missing star shortstop Jose Reyes, slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado and three important pitchers.
But the Mets’ makeshift lineup responded with 14 hits and the pitching staff held a streaking Pujols in check. Alex Cora had a pair of RBI singles and Luis Castillo went 3 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk. Santos set a career high for hits, including a run-scoring single.
With John Maine and Oliver Perez close to coming off the disabled list, Redding could be bumped from the rotation as soon as this weekend. But he delivered a solid outing, throwing his first 15 pitches for strikes and allowing five hits.
Redding gave a tired Mets bullpen a much-needed rest. Stokes served as the eighth-inning setup man because Manuel was determined to give overworked relievers Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) and Pedro Feliciano a day off.
Parnell (2-3) faced four batters in Sunday’s 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay and allowed four hits, including a two-run homer by B.J. Upton. He was charged with four earned runs and saw his ERA soar to 5.00.
Regular setup man J.J. Putz has been on the DL since June 5.
Braves 2, Cubs 0
ATLANTA ó Javier Vazquez and three Atlanta relievers combined to shut out the Cubs.
In a makeup game caused by a June 4 rainout, the Braves won a series for the first time since completing a three-game sweep of Toronto on May 24. The Braves had gone 0-5-3 in their last eight series. Atlanta and Chicago split the first two games of the original series June 2-3.
Atlanta, which snapped a two-game slide, ended the Cubs’ four-game winning streak.
Vazquez (5-6) gave up nine hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The right-hander’s victory snapped a five-start streak in which he went 0-3 despite a 3.44 ERA.
Rafael Soriano, who gave up a single and a walk, struck out the side for his sixth save in seven chances.
Athletics 5, Giants 1
OAKLAND, Calif. ó Bobby Crosby drove in three runs, rookie Trevor Cahill won his third straight decision and the Athletics ended a five-game losing streak in the Bay Bridge Series with a victory over the Giants.
Travis Ishikawa hit a solo home run in the second to put San Francisco ahead but that’s all the offense the Giants could muster.
Rockies 11, Angels 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. ó Brad Hawpe celebrated his 30th birthday with a three-run homer, Seth Smith also went deep and the Rockies beat the Angels for their 17th victory in 18 games and club-record ninth straight on the road. The Angels tied a club record with six wild pitches.