WASHINGTON - The setting and the situation were so similar, Pete Kozma couldn’t help but recall what happened six months ago.
“I can think of one game,” he said with a deadpan facial expression.
With two runners on, No. 8 hitter Kozma came to bat for St. Louis in a tight game against the Washington Nationals, the Cardinals’ pitcher on deck. When that happened the last time these teams played a game that counted, it was Oct. 12, in Game 5 of an National Leag division series, and Washington pitched to Kozma, who delivered a go-ahead, two-run single.
On Monday night, the Nationals chose to intentionally walk Kozma and reliever Craig Stammen struck out Shelby Miller to end the inning. Earlier in the sixth, Yadier Molina drove in the tie-breaking run for St.Louis, backing Miller’s strong start, and the Cardinals beat the Nationals 3-2.
“Before the game, I got to thinking about it a little bit here and there,” Kozma said.
He was booed during pregame introductions and again when his name was announced before his first plate appearance, in the third inning. He singled to right in that at-bat, the ball landing not too far from where his go-ahead hit landed in October. This time, it was part of a two-run inning, with Kozma and Matt Carpenter coming home on Allen Craig’s double off the wall for a 2-0 lead.
When Kozma came up for the final time Monday, in the ninth, he was the first batter faced by Drew Storen, who was Washington’s closer Oct. 12. The Nationals led 6-0 after three innings that day, and were still ahead 7-5 with two outs in the top of the ninth, before Storen gave up a tying hit to Daniel Descalso and Kozma’s hit that made it 9-7 and ended the Nationals’ season.
After striking out Kozma on Monday, Storen got pinch-hitter Descalso to pop out to third base.
“All of that did flash before my mind when it was all coming up,” Nationals Manager Davey Johnson said.
Storen, by the way, said October, the Cardinals and Kozma were not in his thoughts at all.
“If it was,” he said, “I shouldn’t be out there.”
Miller (3-1) struck out 8 in 6 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs and 4 hits.
“He’s got a different look than the majority of the guys we have on our staff, and a lot of other guys in the league. He’s keeping people off balance with that,” Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny said.
“You can’t go out there and try and teach somebody deception, necessarily. The ball just comes out of his hand a little different.” PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 2 Jimmy Rollins hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning to lead host Philadelphia past Pittsburgh. Pirates starter A.J. Burnett (Central Arkansas Christian) gave up 2 runs and 5 hits, striking out 7 in five innings.
REDS 5, CUBS 4 Jay Bruce hit a tying double and scored on Cesar Izturis’ two-out single in the 13th inning, rallying host Cincinnati past Chicago. AMERICAN LEAGUE RED SOX 9, ATHLETICS 6 Mike Napoli hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, Will Middlebrooks busted out of a slump with a three-run home run and host Boston rebounded from a doubleheader sweep by beating Oakland.
ORIOLES 2, BLUE JAYS 1 Nick Markakis singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving host Baltimore a victory over Toronto.
RAYS 5, YANKEES 1 Matt Moore (4-0) became the first Rays pitcher to win his first four starts of a season, Ryan Roberts homered twice and host Tampa Bay beat CC Sabathia (3-2) and New York.
MARINERS 7, ASTROS 1 Felix Hernandez (2-2) pitched six scoreless innings for his 100th career victory and Seattle homered three times to back him up against host Houston.
INDIANS 3, WHITE SOX 2 Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run single in his return to the lineup and Cleveland used a throwing error by reliever Matt Thornton to rally past host Chicago.
Monday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2 St. Louis 3, Washington 2 Cincinnati 5, Chicago Cubs 4, 13 inn.
Atlanta at Colorado, ppd., snow Milwaukee at San Diego, (n) Arizona at San Francisco, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston 9, Oakland 6 Baltimore 2, Toronto 1 Tampa Bay 5, NY Yankees 1 Cleveland 3, Chicago White Sox 2 Seattle 7, Houston 1 Texas at LA Angels, (n) INTERLEAGUE Miami at Minnesota, ppd., rain
Sports, Pages 20 on 04/23/2013