Cardinals Stay in a Zone

The St. Louis Cardinals played it straight while toying with the Dodgers in the first two games of the National League division series.

The Cardinals acknowledged things looked easy for them again Thursday night in their second 8-3 victory in as many games at Busch Stadium.

They chased Dodger starter Jeff Weaver early in Game 2 after Odalis Perez’s work ended quickly in the opener. St. Louis also scored seven runs with two out -- continuing a troubling trend for the Dodgers -- and received another strong performance from their bullpen after starter Jason Marquis lasted only 3 1/3 innings.

The result is a 2-0 lead for the Cardinals in the best-of-five series that shifts to Chavez Ravine for Game 3 on Saturday. Of course, you wouldn’t know that from listening to the Cardinals.

They praised the Dodgers and insisted the series could turn at any moment, though it has appeared to be colored in red and getting darker by the moment.

“Well, they’ve still got great pitching and, if they get the lead, they’ve got the guy [closer Eric Gagne] to shorten the game, so we can’t take anything for granted,” St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen said. “We’ve done a good job of getting some big two-out hits and our bullpen has done the job.

“We’re just going to go out there and try to play the same ball we’ve been playing, but they could go and win two and then make us bring it back here. We’re not going to go out there laid back. We’re going to have to keep playing some good ball.”

That’s what the Cardinals have done to this point, frustrating the Dodgers in their first playoff series in eight years.

“You know that lineup over there is something,” said Dodger pitcher Jose Lima, scheduled to start Game 3 at Dodger Stadium.

“They’ve got Reggie Sanders batting seventh. Seventh! When you see a lineup like that ... you have to be real careful.”

The Dodgers weren’t careful enough Thursday against Sanders, who went three for three, was hit by a pitch and scored a run. With two two-run singles, No. 8 batter Mike Matheny also had a big game.

“Well, we wouldn’t be here without the bottom half,” Sanders said. “It’s gratifying to go out there and have the bottom of the order come through. The big three [Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds] has been the catalyst for us all year, and they’re definitely the reason why we’re here.

“But we definitely can’t hold the light off everyone else. This is a collective effort from everybody, from one through nine. All year we’ve been battling together and winning together. It’s always somebody different every night, so it’s everybody.”

Well put, Matheny said.

“It’s always nice to take a little pressure off those guys and not make them feel like they’ve got to carry us every game, and be able to throw a couple hits in a big situation,” said Matheny, considered one of the NL’s top defensive catchers.

“It’s amazing to sit and watch those guys day in and day out, how consistent they are about getting the big hit when we need it. They’ve done it all season, and we anticipate them doing the same thing.”