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Friday, July 19, 2002

By Paul Meyer, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The series: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pirates, three games at PNC Park.

The times: 7:05 p.m. today and tomorrow, 1:35 p.m. Sunday.

TV/radio: Today on Fox Sports Net, Sunday on WCWB; all games on KDKA (1020-AM) and Pirates Radio Network.

Probable starters: LHP Bud Smith (1-5), RHP Travis Smith (3-0) and RHP Andy Benes (0-2) for the Cardinals; LHP Joe Beimel (1-4), RHP Kris Benson (2-4) and RHP Josh Fogg (10-6) for the Pirates.

About the Pirates: Are 3-3 against St. Louis this season, including 1-2 at home. ... Beimel, who supplanted injured Dave Williams in the rotation June 7, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of his six starts but hasn't won a start since his first one. Fernando Vina is 1 for 7 lifetime against Beimel. The Cardinals are 13-8 when a left-hander starts against them. ... Benson lifetime against St. Louis is 4-3 in eight starts. In 47 2/3 innings, he has given the Cardinals 22 earned runs. In his past four starts overall this season, he has yielded six earned runs in 22 2/3 innings. Against Benson lifetime, J.D. Drew is 5 for 16, Jim Edmonds is 5 for 7 with a home run, Edgar Renteria is 5 for 21 and Vina is 2 for 15.

About the Cardinals: Are in a stretch of games in which they're scheduled to play 25 of 36 on the road. ... Will be back at PNC Park for a four-game series in less than a month. ... Seem to be assuming control of the National League Central despite the recent losses of broadcaster Jack Buck and RHP Darryl Kile and continuing injuries to their starting rotation. ... Were 21-21 on May 18 but have gone 31-19 since. ... Drew will be listed as day to day for the rest of the season because of tendinitis in his right knee. ... Smith is 1-4 with a 7.40 ERA on the road this season but is coming off a strong start in San Diego in which he allowed only three hits and no runs in seven innings. Current Pirates are a combined 11 for 43 against this Smith. The Pirates are 9-8 when a left-hander starts against them. ... The opposition is hitting .298 against Travis Smith. He's allowed eight home runs in 43 2/3 innings.

On deck: Pirates begin a three-game series Monday night in Cincinnati; Cardinals begin a four-game series Monday night in San Francisco.

Mike Williams seems a lock to set a Pirates record for most saves in a season. He got his 29th save Wednesday night. Jim Gott set the club record of 34 in 1988. How valuable is Williams to the Pirates? "I wish we'd have had him in 1992," Manager Lloyd McClendon said. "I guess that about sums it up." The reference was to that fateful seventh game of the National League Championship Series in Atlanta. The Braves scored three times in the ninth inning to deny the Pirates a trip to the World Series. Francisco Cabrera's two-run single off Stan Belinda drove in the winning runs. "Mike might have struck the guy out," McClendon said. "Cabrera was a fastball hitter." Williams' most effective pitch is his slider. McClendon said he thinks about that game "all the time. And will for the rest of my life." Does it ever get any easier to remember it? "Not to this point, it hasn't," he said.

The Pirates worked Wednesday night and yesterday to get an error charged to Pokey Reese changed to a hit for Austin Kearns. With Adam Dunn running from first base, Kearns hit a hard one-bouncer toward right field. Reese, who had broken to cover second, reversed his field, but the ball skipped off his glove. Official scorer Tony Krizmanich ruled the play an error. "I didn't like [the call]," McClendon said. "He was covering second on a hit-and-run. It was hard-hit ball. He had to stop and change directions. The ball handcuffed him. I just assumed it was a hit." Turned out it was Reese's second error of the season. Krizmanich did not reverse his call, but the Pirates can send videotape of the play to Major League Baseball's Official Scoring Review Committee. That group can change a decision.

NASHVILLE (49-48) beat Tacoma, 9-5. Starter Brian Meadows (9-6) allowed eight hits, a walk and three runs in six innings. 1B Chris Pritchett had two hits, including his seventh home run, and five RBIs. CF Tike Redman hit his first home run and drove in two runs. LF Adrian Brown had three hits, raising his average to .313. RF Armando Rios had three hits, including a double, and is 3 for 11 after three games of his rehabilitation assignment.

ALTOONA (46-48) lost at Binghamton, 2-1, on a two-run home run in the ninth inning off closer Chris Spurling. Starter Adrian Burnside allowed three hits, a walk and no runs in eight innings. SS Shaun Skrehot had two hits. 3B Joe Caruso drove in the Curve run.

LYNCHBURG (62-33) lost at Wilmington, 11-4. Starter Mike Johnston (4-2) allowed three hits, five walks and four runs in 3 2/3 innings. 2B Josh Bonifay had two hits, including his 15th home run, and three RBIs and raised his batting average to .299.

HICKORY (56-40) beat Lexington, 4-3, scoring two runs in the eighth inning. Starter Ian Oquendo allowed six hits, two walks and three runs and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings. 3B Jose Bautista had two hits and an RBI. Catcher Jose Hernandez had two doubles and two RBIs.

WILLIAMSPORT (18-11) lost to Brooklyn, 7-4. Starter Alex Hart allowed three hits, a walk and two runs in four innings. 2B Michael Collum had three hits and scored two runs.

BRADENTON (15-9) beat the Red Sox, 4-3. Starter Zach Day (3-0) allowed four hits, a walk and two runs in five innings. 3B Yoshiyuki Ohtsuka had three hits. 2B John Smith had two hits and an RBI. C Mike McCuistion had two doubles. 1B Tim Brown had two hits and an RBI.