LaRussa, Cardinals Knocked Off Perch

Six batters. Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa allowed reliever Mike Matthews to face six Arizona batters in the seventh inning Friday night.

Four of them got hits. Four of them scored.

And just like that, the Cardinals’ one-run lead evaporated like a drop of water on a hot radiator.

The Diamondbacks used that four-run surge to stun the Cardinals, 5-3, and take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five National League division series. Bud Smith will try to help the Cardinals stave off elimination today when he faces 19-game loser Albie Lopez.

The Cardinals almost rallied in the ninth to win, putting the first two batters aboard against Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim. But Kim froze catcher Mike Matheny on a slider and induced a double-play grounder from pinch-hitter Mark McGwire to end the game.

“We’ve had our hearts broken a few times this season,” La Russa said. “I’m confident we’ll come out very hard [today].”

Craig Counsell had the crucial blow for Arizona. His three-run homer off Matthews broke a 2-2 tie.

Counsell, who scored the winning run for Florida in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, said he was expecting a fastball from Matthews on a 3-and-1 count.

“With [Luis Gonzalez] on deck, I knew I’d get a real good pitch to hit,” Counsell said. “I don’t think I hit any no-doubters, but I thought I hit this one pretty good.”

Even after Counsell’s home run, La Russa left Matthews in the game. After he gave up an infield single to Gonzalez, La Russa was booed as he walked to the mound to take the ball.

Asked why he left a struggling Matthews in so long, La Russa said: “I’m wondering where the struggle is. He threw the ball well but fell behind Counsell and had to come after him. Counsell won the contest.”

The Cardinals had all the momentum--not to mention a two-run lead--through five innings.

Their defense set the tone early. After Darryl Kile walked Tony Womack to start the game, Matheny gunned him down attempting to steal.

Jim Edmonds turned in a defensive gem three innings later. With two out and runners at first and second, Steve Finley lined a single up the middle.

Mark Grace got a slow jump, but Diamondback third base coach Chris Speier waved him home to test Edmonds’ arm. The two-time Gold Glove winner fired a one-hop bullet to Matheny to cut down Grace.

The Busch Stadium crowd of 52,273 gave Edmonds a standing ovation as he jogged to the dugout.

They cheered even louder a few minutes later when Edmonds hammered Miguel Batista’s 2-and-2 hanging slider into the right-center-field seats to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

Batista, whose nondescript career has included stints with the Pirates, Marlins, Cubs, Expos and Royals, turned in a solid six-inning performance, giving up only three hits and a walk.

Gonzalez jump-started the Diamondbacks’ comeback, ending an 0-for-10 postseason slide by bashing Kile’s 1-and-1 fastball into the right-field foul pole in the sixth.

Kile was pulled from the game in the seventh after walking leadoff batter Matt Williams. He had thrown 97 pitches.

La Russa then watched as Matthews gave up four hits, including Counsell’s home run.

“He has been doing miraculous things for us all season,” Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said of Counsell. “He handles left-handed pitching well and he proved it tonight.”

Asked if he was surprised that La Russa left Matthews in, Brenly responded: “It’s not really my place to make a comment on that.”

Edgar Renteria cut Arizona’s lead to 5-3 in the seventh with a home run off Greg Swindell. But the Cardinals got no closer.

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Teddy Greenstein is a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune.