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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Luckily for Larry Sutton, he checked his cell
phone before driving back to the minors.
Sutton, recalled earlier in the day, singled home the winning
run in the ninth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat Los Angeles
2-1 Sunday for a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.
He was optioned to Triple A-Memphis on Saturday but never got a
chance to leave town. When Eduardo Perez injured his hamstring
Saturday on his first day after being called up, general manager
Walt Jocketty tracked down Sutton while he and his wife were
packing their belongings.
"So many things were going through my mind I didn't have my
cell phone turned on," Sutton said. "I turned it on about 11:30
last night to tell my dad the bad news, and there were about seven
urgent messages left by the club saying, 'Hey, don't leave town
yet.' Wouldn't you know it? It feels great."
Sutton's hit on a 3-2 pitch glanced off the glove of second
baseman Mark Grudzielanek and made him 4-for-9 as a pinch hitter
with three RBIs.
"If it gets through, the game's over anyway," Grudzielanek
said. "You've got to get that ball and keep it in the infield. I
didn't think I needed to dive for it, but maybe I should have, to
make sure."
Edgar Renteria walked with one out off Antonio Osuna (0-4) and
advanced when Mike Matheny sacrificed. Renteria scored from second
on Sutton's hit, giving the NL Central leaders their 11th victory
in 13 games.
Heathcliff Slocumb (2-3) gave up two hits in two scoreless
innings, helping send the Dodgers to their fourth straight loss.
St. Louis swept Los Angeles for the first time since August 1992.
Starters Kevin Brown and Rick Ankiel dominated.
Brown, who gave up a season-high four runs in his previous
start, allowed one run and five hits in eight innings and struck
out nine. He has 56 strikeouts and five walks in eight starts since
May 21.
"What a waste of a great pitcher," Dodgers manager Davey
Johnson said. "Brownie was spectacular."
Ankiel allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, matching
his season high. He is 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA Busch Stadium but 1-3
with a 5.38 ERA on the road.
Ankiel threw seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers on May
13, also allowing four hits. He didn't get a decision in that game,
either.
Ankiel was more excited about ending an 0-for-16 slump with a
single off Brown's leg in the fifth. He has two homers and five
RBIs.
"I felt strong all day and I got a hit, so I'm pumped about
that," Ankiel said. "It's been way too long, so that's going to
have me on cloud nine probably for a couple days."
St. Louis gave Mark McGwire a day off due to general fatigue. It
hasn't been affecting his bat -- he had homered in the three
previous games, taking over the major league lead with 28.
Brown worked out of trouble in the first after he hit leadoff
batter Shawon Dunston and J.D. Drew singled to put runners at the
corners. Brown retired nine of the next 10 hitters before the
Cardinals took the lead in the fourth.
Thomas Howard, subbing for McGwire in the cleanup slot, singled
to start the inning, stole his first base with one out and scored
on Renteria's two-out hit.
Shawn Gilbert tied it in the fifth with his first homer since
July 3, 1997. He had been 0-for-14 since being called up June 2.
"The bad thing is it was the only run we got," Gilbert said.
"Other than that, it was a good feeling."
Game
notes
Brown is 3-0 his last four starts against the Cardinals,
allowing seven earned runs in 31 innings. ... The Cardinals' Shawon
Dunston, who started at third, left after two innings with a sore
right elbow. He was hit by a pitch in the first. ... Gary
Sheffield, who was 25-for-50 during a 13-game hitting streak before
Saturday, is 0-for-5 with three walks in the last two games. ...
Renteria is 6-for-14 against Brown.
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