Evening the Scores

St. Louis Cardinal third baseman Gary Gaetti refuses to be bitter. He hates the notion of revenge. Yet he broke into a devilish grin at the mere thought.

“Hey,” Gaetti said, “I wonder what the Angels are thinking now?”

Gaetti, the scapegoat for all of the Angels’ woes during the Whitey Herzog era, leaped right onto center stage Thursday night as the hero in the Cardinals’ 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the National League championship series.

The crowd of 52,067 watched in stunned silence as Gaetti’s seventh-inning grand slam off Greg Maddux enabled the Cardinals to tie the series at one game each in this best-of-seven series.

It was the first home run permitted by the Braves’ pitching staff in 52 innings of postseason play and the most runs scored off Maddux in 241 career starts, dating to Game 1 of the National League championship series in 1989.

Who would have thought that the man responsible would be the same guy whom the Angels thought was washed up, released in 1993 with $4.5 million still left on his four-year, $11-million contract, and run right out of town?

“You know what it feels like after a real good meal,” Gaetti said, breaking into an expansive grin, “satisfying.”

Gaetti’s hometown of Centralia, Ill., went absolutely bonkers. Cars started honking. Strangers slapped high-fives. Everyone started telling their favorite stories of his childhood.

“Gee,” Gaetti said, “I hope mom and dad are all right.”

There certainly is nothing wrong with their son, who has hit 84 home runs and driven in 279 runs since his release from the Angels.

The way Gaetti figures it, he blew it by leaving the Minnesota Twins after the 1990 season and signing with the Angels. While the Twins celebrated a World Series championship in 1991, he was miserable in California, booed night after night. Now, another World Series appearance would provide redemption.

“I signed with California because I thought I was going to a better ballclub,” Gaetti said. “Guess I was wrong.”

Gaetti made sure not to make the same mistake when he became a free-agent again this winter. He left the Kansas City Royals and signed a one-year, $2-million contract with the Cardinals. He batted .274 with 23 homers and 80 RBIs during the season, hit the game-winning three-run homer against the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the division series, and now belted the home run that could be heard clear to St. Louis.

“This is sweet,” Gaetti said. “I can’t even tell you what I was thinking when I went up there. I’m not going to get in a guessing game with a guy like Maddux.

“I just wanted to get a good grip and swing hard in case I hit it.”

The situation unfolded in the seventh, just after the Braves had tied the score, 3-3, in the bottom of the sixth on Ryan Klesko’s bases-loaded single off Todd Stottlemyre.

Mike Gallego led off by slamming a single that caromed off Maddux’s cap. Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa summoned pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney, another Angel castoff. Sweeney popped up a bunt down the third-base line. Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones couldn’t come up with the ball. He hurriedly fired the ball over the head of second baseman Mark Lemke covering the first-base bag, enabling Gallego to reach third and Sweeney to reach second.

Maddux, who is yielding a 5.66 earned-run average in his career in league championship series play, then walked Royce Clayton, loading the bases. Ray Lankford hit a fly ball to center field, scoring Gallego. Maddux threw a wild pitch, permitting the runners to advance, but struck out Ron Gant for the second out. Now, with first base open, Maddux intentionally walked Brian Jordan, bringing Gaetti to the plate.

“If I was managing against the situation they were in,” Gaetti said, “I would have done the same thing. That was a no-brainer decision.”

Besides, Gaetti was hitting only .107 (three for 28) against the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and .200 (two for 10) against Maddux. Gaetti had grounded out twice and struck out in his first three at-bats.

“One more good pitch and I was out of the inning,” said Maddux, “but I hung a slider to Gaetti. I made a terrible pitch. And he took advantage of it.”

Gaetti slammed the pitch into the left-field seats, and just like that, the series was headed back to St. Louis, providing the Cardinals with new life.

“I knew we felt like we could beat these guys,” Gaetti said, “but doing it is another thing. I think we’re feeling pretty confident now.”

The Cardinals head back to St. Louis knowing they lost all six home games to the Braves this season, but suddenly, there is an aura of confidence. When you pound Maddux for nine hits and eight runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings, who can blame them?

“We just have that attitude now that we can’t be intimidated,” Lankford said. “Regardless of what people say, and what kind of chance we have, we’re here and we’ll do whatever we can to win ball games.

“We’re not going to go away.”

Cardinal starter Todd Stottlemyre exemplified this feeling. He entered the postseason with an 0-3 record and 10.26 ERA in four starts. Yet, there he was, yielding only four hits and three runs in six innings for the victory.

It was a night worth celebrating, particularly when one of your old teammates from the 1987 Twins’ World Series championship team happened to be watching the game in Colorado.

“I just got done saying to the boys, ‘Don’t try sneaking the high cheese past the Rat,’ ” said Kent Hrbek, Gaetti’s teammate with Minnesota. “My hair was rising out of my skin. I had to go take a shower. It was my first shower in two days.”

Yes, it was that big.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

GAME 2 AT A GLANCE

a-struck out for Perez in the 6th. b-safe at second on sacrifice plus error for Stottlemyre in the 7th. c-grounded out for McMichael in the 7th.

d-flied out for Petkovsek in the 8th.

E--Clayton (1), Gallego (1), Grissom (1), CpJones (1). LOB--St. Louis 6, Atlanta 7. 2B--Gant (1), BJordan (1), Pagnozzi (1). HR--Grissom (1) off Stottlemyre; Gaetti (1) off GMaddux. RBIs--Lankford (1), Gant (1), BJordan (1), Gaetti 4 (4), Grissom 2 (2), Klesko (1). SB--Clayton (1), Grissom (1). S--Sweeney. SF--Lankford. GIDP--Gaetti.

Runners left in scoring position--St. Louis 4 (Gaetti 3, Stottlemyre); Atlanta 3 (Dye, Pendleton 2).

Runners moved up--CpJones.

DP--Atlanta 1 (Lemke and McGriff).

*--*

St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Stottlemyre W, 1-0 6 4 3 3 3 8 97 4.50 Petkovsek 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 9.00 Honeycutt 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 14 0.00 Eckersley 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 20 0.00 Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA GMaddux L, 0-1 6 2/3 9 8 3 2 3 95 4.05 McMichael 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 7 0.00 Neagle 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.00 Avery 1 1 0 0 1 1 18 0.00

*--*

Inherited runners-scored--Eckersley 2-0.

IBB--by GMaddux (BJordan). WP--GMaddux. U--Hirschbeck, M., Davidson, West, Crawford; Left, Montague; Right, Runge. T--2:53. Tickets sold--52,067.

INNING BY INNING

FIRST INNING

Cardinals 1, Braves 0

Cardinals--Clayton singled to right. Lankford flied to center. Gant singled to center, Clayton taking third, then scoring on Grisssom’s fielding error, Gant taking second. Jordan flied to center. Gaetti grounded to second. One run (unearned), two hits, one error, one left.

Braves--Grissom fouled to the catcher. Lemke flied to right. Jones struck out. No runs, no hits.

SECOND INNING

Cardinals 1, Braves 0

Cardinals--Mabry grounded to first. Pagnozzi and Gallego grounded to second. No runs, no hits.

Braves--McGriff flied to center. Klesko and Dye struck out. No runs, no hits.

THIRD INNING

Cardinals 3, Braves 2

Cardinals--Stottlemyre lined to short. Clayton singled to right-center. Clayton stole second. Lankford hit into a fielder’s choice, Clayton out at third and Lankford taking second on the play. Gant doubled to left, Lankford scoring. Jordan doubled to left, Gant scoring. Gaetti grounded to short. Two runs, three hits, one left.

Braves--Perez walked. Blauser forced Perez. Maddux struck out. Grissom homered to left, his first. Lemke singled to left. Jones flied to left. Two runs, two hits, one left.

FOURTH INNING

Cardinals 3, Braves 2

Cardinals--Mabry grounded to third. Pagnozzi doubled to left. Gallego grounded to short. Stottlemyre flied to center. No runs, one hit, one left.

Braves--McGriff struck out. Klesko grounded to second. Dye flied to center. No runs, no hits.

FIFTH INNING

Cardinals 3, Braves 2

Cardinals--Clayton grounded to second. Lankford struck out. Gant singled to right. Jordan forced Gant. No runs, one hit, one left.

Braves--Perez flied to center. Blauser and Maddux struck out. No runs, no hits.

SIXTH INNING

Cardinals 3, Braves 3

Cardinals--Gaetti struck out. Mabry grounded to first, pitcher covering. Pagnozzi lined to third. No runs, no hits.

Braves--Grissom singled to left. Lemke walked. Grissom stole third. Jones grounded to first, Lemke taking second. McGriff walked. Klesko singled to right, Grissom scoring. Dye popped to Gallego. Pendleton, batting for Perez, struck out. One run, two hits, three left.

SEVENTH INNING

Cardinals 8, Braves 3

Cardinals--Gallego singled to short. Sweeney, batting for Stottlemyre, sacrificed and reached second on Jones throwing error, Gallego taking third. Clayton walked. Lankford flied to center, Gallego scoring. Sweeney took third and Clayton took second on Maddux’s wild pitch. Gant struck out. Jordan was intentionally walked. Gaetti homered to left, his first. McMichael replaced Maddux. Mabry singled to right. Pagnozzi struck out. Five runs (four unearned), three hits, one error, one left.

Braves--Petkovsek pitching. Blauser grounded to short. Polonia, batting for McMichael, grounded to the pitcher. Grissom grounded to second. No runs, no hits.

EIGHTH INNING

Cardinals 8, Breaves 3

Cardinals--Neagle pitching. Gallego struck out. Young, batting for Petkovsek, flied to left. Clayton struck out. No runs, no hits.

Braves--Honeycutt pitching. Lemke struck out. Jones reached first on Clayton’s throwing error. McGriff reached first on Gallego’s fielding error, Jones stopping at second. Klesko flied to left. Eckersley replaced Honeycutt. Dye flied to center. No runs, no hits, two errors, two left.

NINTH INNING

Cardinals 8, Braves 3

Cardinals--Avery pitching. Lankford walked. Gant struck out. Jordan singled to right, Lankford stopping at second. Gaetti grounded into a double play. No runs, two hits, one left.

Braves--Lopez singled to left. Blauser flied to right. Mordecai struck out. Grissom grounded SERIES AT A GLANCE * GAME 1--Braves 4, Cardinals 2

* GAME 2--Cardinals 8, Braves 3

* GAME 3--Saturday, Atlanta (Glavine, 15-10) at St. Louis (Osborne, 13-9), 1:15 p.m.

* GAME 4--Sunday, Atlanta at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m.

* GAME 5--Monday, Atlanta at St. Louis, 4 p.m.

* GAME 6--xWednesday, St. Louis at Atlanta, 1:15 p.m.

* GAME 7--xThursday, St. Louis at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

x-If necessary.