Rookie Is a Cure for Cardinals

A 28-year-old rookie gave the pitching-strapped St. Louis Cardinals a huge lift.

Jason Simontacchi, signed as a minor league free agent in the off-season, worked seven strong innings in his major league debut in a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

“He was just relentless,” Manager Tony La Russa said. “He didn’t have a lot to work with so the pressure was always on him. The composure was outstanding and the quality of his pitches was outstanding.”

Kerry Robinson, Tino Martinez and Placido Polanco drove in a run apiece for the Cardinals, who have won only six of their last 19 but ended the Braves’ three-game win streak. The Cardinals have six pitchers, five of them starters, on the disabled list.

The Cardinals purchased the contract of Simontacchi, 28, from triple-A Memphis to fill the latest vacancy in the rotation and optioned another rookie, Josh Pearce, to Memphis. Simontacchi, the 11th starting pitcher the Cardinals have used in 30 games this season, gave up two runs and five hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

“I started getting the jitters when I came out of the game,” Simontacchi said. “I wasn’t nervous, I was more excited to get the job done.”

Jason Isringhausen worked the ninth for his fifth save.