Cardinals Get First Division Title Since ’87

After ending April in last place, the St. Louis Cardinals finished with a super September and as National League Central champions.

Ray Lankford’s bases-loaded single drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning following Gary Gaetti’s tying homer and the Cardinals clinched their first division title since 1987 by beating the Pirates, 7-1, Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.

“This is the way to win it. This is the way to do it,” said reliever Dennis Eckersley, who won four division titles with St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa in Oakland before accompanying him to St. Louis. “Those other titles [in Oakland], we were supposed to win. I like this better. This was serious pressure.”

Brian Jordan hit his 17th homer and Andy Benes (18-10) gave up five hits and a run over six innings as St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa won his sixth divisional title and the Cardinals’ fifth since divisional play began in 1969. It was the Cardinals’ first since they moved into the NL Central in 1993.

“To look in Ozzie Smith’s eyes and see how happy he is, to win this in his last season, makes it real special,” Benes said. “It’s a great night for the Cardinals.”

The Pirates have lost two in a row since winning a major league season-high 11 in a row.

Montreal 6, Philadelphia 2--The Expos maintained pressure in the NL wild-card race, stopping a four-game losing streak by beating the Phillies behind Rondell White’s two-run double at Philadelphia .

Both starting pitchers were ejected following a fifth-inning brawl: Montreal’s Pedro Martinez and Philadelphia’s Mike Williams. Also ejected were Expos catcher Tim Spehr, Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling and Phillies manager Jim Fregosi.

Jeff Juden (5-0), who replaced Martinez, struck out four and gave up one run in three innings.

New York 4, Houston 0--The Astros were eliminated from the pennant race by St. Louis’ win over Pittsburgh and then lost to the Mets at Houston.

“There are no excuses and there never will be none,” Houston Manager Terry Collins said. “We had some chances and we didn’t get it done. We have no one to blame but ourselves.”

Bobby Jones gave up four hits in his first shutout of the season as the Mets handed the Astros their ninth consecutive loss. Houston is scoreless in 23 innings and has just two runs in its last 39.

Florida 12, Atanta 1--The Marlins tied a team record with seven consecutive hits, knocking out Steve Avery in the first inning, as they defeated the Braves at Miami.

Cuban defector Livan Hernandez pitched three scoreless innings, singled and scored in the seventh. Josh Booty, the Marlins’ top draft pick in 1994, singled as a pinch hitter in the fifth and later scored.