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Chris Carpenter News & Rumors

After slow start, Carpenter finishes with a flourish
October 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Back in March, if someone told you Chris Carpenter would finish 2011 with a 15-9 record, you would have believed it, give or take a decision or two. You would never have believed how he got there. Carpenter has had a number of ups and downs in his career, seasons in which he has won more than 20 games and a Cy Young Award (2005), seasons in which he has led the league in earned-run average (2009) and seasons in which he hasn't pitched at all (2003). This season, he rolled the best of times and worst of times into one package. He was the good, the bad and sometimes even the ugly for the first 3½ months. Carpenter struggled to find his stuff. After giving up 10 hits and five runs in eight"
'Our guy' Carpenter gets series-clinching victory
October 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter can relax now, three days, four days, whatever he needs. The Cardinals' righthander put aside rest as an issue by beating the Texas Rangers and guiding the Cardinals to an improbable World Series championship win Friday. The questions about his ability to work on anything less than standard rest are no longer relevant. No doubt more than a few Cardinals fans experienced stomach upset when they learned sometime Friday afternoon that Carpenter would be the club's Game 7 starter. The 36-year old Carpenter pitched seven innings Monday at Texas, and previously had demonstrated some problems working on short rest. The only shortwave assignment of his career came in the division"
Carpenter to start Game 7
October 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals have decided on Chris Carpenter to start tonight's Game 7. In two starts, including a win in Game 1, Carpenter allowed four earned runs total in 13 combined innings against the Rangers. In Game 5 on Monday at Texas, Carpenter pitched seven solid innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Carpenter was the team's choice over Edwin Jackson or Kyle Lohse. Although no announcement was made after the team's dramatic Game 6 win over Texas, he's the man. "I've got to think about it," La Russa said shortly after his team's improbable Game 6 victory. "We're going to put it all together and see what makes the most sense.""
Carpenter says he would be ready
October 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Heading into the bottom of the 11th inning with a tie score and a World Series game in the balance, Chris Carpenter nudged lefty Jaime Garcia in the dugout and made a prediction as David Freese stepped to the plate. "One hundred percent, I swear," Carpenter said. "I told him, 'He's going to hit a homer and we're going to go home.'" Now it's everyone else's turn to make a prediction. In the clubhouse after Freese did indeed send the Cardinals to a Game 7 with a walk-off homer, Carpenter again said he would be ready to serve as the Game 7 starter on short rest, an offer he has made to both pitching coach Dave Duncan and manager Tony La Russa. The official starter was not announced by the"
Carpenter for Game 7? La Russa won't say
October 28
MLB.com
 
"Chris Carpenter has already told Cardinals manager Tony La Russa in no uncertain terms that he is ready, willing and able to start Friday's Game 7 of the World Series against the Rangers. In the immediate aftermath of Game 6, La Russa was still unwilling to name Carpenter his starting pitcher. But all evidence points in one direction. "Why wouldn't you want the ball?" Carpenter said. "If you don't, then you might as well go home.""
Carpenter declares himself available to pitch
October 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Less than 24 hours removed from throwing seven innings in Game 5, Chris Carpenter did his usual post-start workout at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. He got in a run. He played some catch. And he declared himself ready and willing for whatever is next. "I think everybody is available for the rest of the year, don't you?" Carpenter said. "Whatever he (manager Tony La Russa) needs me to do." La Russa offered no hints about his plans for who will start Game 7 on Thursday, if the Cardinals are able to win tonight and force the winner-take-all finale to the World Series. He smiled when asked if Carpenter would be available for Game 7, offering only that the Cardinals "need to get there first." The"
A postponed Game 6 could result in another start for Carpenter
October 26
Dallas Morning News
 
"Right-hander Chris Carpenter could have one more start in this postseason. If Wednesday night's game were postponed because of rain, an if-necessary Game 7 would be pushed back to Friday. Carpenter indicated that he would be willing and able to start that game on three days of rest. "I'm prepared for anything," said Carpenter, who showed up at Busch Stadium for a throwing session. Carpenter held the Rangers to two runs in seven innings during a no-decision Monday. He has allowed four runs in 13 innings during two starts in the Series."
Carpenter again gets ball in a critical situation
October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter enjoys all types of music, especially classic stuff. So he could appreciate the Tim Hardin composition that has been recorded by artists as diverse in style as Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash and Dropkick Murphys. You know how it goes. C'mon, sing along: If I was a Carpenter, And you were the Rangers, I'd bury you anyway, You'd be in danger. For seemingly the umpteenth time in the past few weeks, the Cardinals tonight face a monumental baseball moment. And stepping to the main stage, playing lead, is Carpenter."
Quality start for Cardinals in Series
October 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"On a four-letter night spelled c-o-l-d, Chris Carpenter responded to the first question of a closely matched World Series. He answered loudly, sometimes profanely and once with his face planted beside the first-base bag. Ultimately the Cardinals' signature starter held the Texas Rangers' nitric offense long enough that a sixth-inning, pinch-hit RBI and three innings of shutout relief translated into a 3-2 win in Game 1 at Busch Stadium. Carpenter turned Tuesday's question mark into Wednesday's exclamation point. He pitched effectively despite pitching behind so often that he was unable to break out his curveball for much of the first three innings. Emotion is rarely far from the"
Carpenter, Cards win opener 3-2
October 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"On a four-letter night spelled c-o-l-d, Chris Carpenter responded to the first question of a closely matched World Series. He answered loudly, sometimes profanely and once with his face planted beside the first-base bag. Ultimately he held the Texas Rangers' offense long enough to see a sixth-inning pinch RBI and three innings of shutout relief translate into a 3-2 Cardinals win in Game 1 at Busch Stadium. Carpenter constructed a quality start from five hits and a walk before five relievers conspired for the night's final nine outs. The Cardinals produced their-game winning run when pinch-hitter Allen Craig sliced a two-out, sixth-inning single to score David Freese."
Carpenter says he's OK to start Game 1
October 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter downplayed any issues with his elbow and said he would be starting Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. "My elbow's fine," Carpenter said. "Tony and Dunc wouldn't be throwing me out there if I wasn't. I'm fine for Wednesday." Manager Tony La Russa said: "If he wasn't sound, he wouldn't pitch tomorrow.""
Game 1 falls on Carpenter's turn to start
October 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Dave Duncan retired the trophy for Understatement of the Year on Monday when he described the Cardinals' blueprint for success in the NL championship series as "a little unorthodox." Next thing you know, the Cardinals pitching coach may suggest Nyjer Morgan is a bit talkative. The Cardinals are NL champions and face the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night because of a bullpen that pitched 4 1/3 more innings than its starting rotation in the six-game series, which fell their way late Sunday night at Miller Park."
Carpenter primed for key postseason start
October 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Soaked in champagne and hesitant to talk about the Texas Rangers or anything else that can wait until the morning, manager Tony La Russa conceded to one moment of thinking ahead late Sunday night. He toyed around with a World Series starting rotation. And he quickly saw the luxury of avoiding a Game 7 in the National League championship series against Milwaukee. "I started messing around with the rotation if we won (Game 6) or (Game 7), and it was real important that we won (Game 6)," La Russa said. "That's all I'm going to tell you." Clinching the National League pennant on Sunday night bought the entire rotation an extra day of rest, and it will allow the Cardinals to reorder the"
Gallardo, Carpenter are all set to duel
October 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Over the past three weeks, few pitchers in the National League have thrown the ball better than Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo and St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter. In that regard, their pitching matchup in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium would seem to assure a tight, low-scoring game. But is that necessarily the case? With the exception of one game on May 7 of this season, when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 4-0 victory, Gallardo has not fared well against the Cardinals. He is 1-3 with a 5.70 earned run average in four starts this season and 1-7 with a 5.66 earned run average in 11 career appearances."
Carpenter delivers a Phillie-buster
October 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals concluded a once-a-decade resurrection Friday night by winning a once-a-generation matchup. A game that extended his team's improbable season also burnished Chris Carpenter's reputation as his three-hit domination of the Philadelphia Phillies offered most of what mattered in the Cardinals' 1-0 elimination of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of a riveting NL division series. Carpenter, the key piece in manager Tony La Russa's pitching gambit for the series, followed his win on the final day of the regular season with a shutout on the final day of an unforgettable series. "The magnitude of this game was the same as it's been for the last month and a half with our"
Carpenter's gem beats Phillies
October 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals concluded a once-a-decade resurrection Friday night by winning a once-a-generation matchup. A game that extended his team's improbable season also burnished Chris Carpenter's reputation as his three-hit domination of the Philadelphia Phillies offered most of what mattered in the Cardinals' 1-0 elimination of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of a riveting NL division series. Carpenter, the key piece in manager Tony La Russa's pitching gambit for the series, followed his win on the final day of the regular season with a shutout on the final day of an unforgettable series. "The magnitude of this game was the same as it's been for the last month and a half with our"
In Game 5, friends face off on mound
October 7
Courier-Post
 
"A few days ago — before they were tabbed for a head-to-head matchup in a winner-take-all game in the National League Division Series — Roy Halladay invited his friend Chris Carpenter on an offseason fishing trip. The two have been close since their days in Toronto more than a decade ago, and while they spent many nights helping each other develop as pitchers, they've always had a rivalry when it comes to fishing. "It's a toss-up," Halladay said when pressed on which of the two was a more formidable angler. "I think I've been practicing more than he has lately.""
In one game, there's no certainty
October 7
Courier-Post
 
"This series was destined to go the full five games the minute Cliff Lee couldn't hold that four-run lead in Game 2 and the Phillies offense went into a three-game slumber. So here we are, back at Citizens Bank Park for the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS. The Phillies have their ultimate trump card in Roy Halladay pitching tonight, not to mention their sold-out, raucous crowd behind them. And yet, you can't help but notice this underlying sense of dread, that this team built on money and pitching and great expectations might somehow find a way to disappoint the masses."
Old pals Halladay and Carpenter relish competition
October 2
CSN Philly
 
"When the Phillies season ended much sooner than anticipated last year, Roy Halladay took off to Mexico for a long golf and fishing trip with one of his best friends in the game… The Cardinals' Chris Carpenter. Carpenter and Halladay go back to the minor leagues when they both were coming up through the Blue Jays system. That's not where the similarities end, either. Both pitchers are righthanded and had early struggles in their big league careers that resulted in a trip back to the minors. Better yet, both pitchers bonded over the book, The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement, by the mental skills coach, Harvey Dorfman. Both Carpenter and Halladay figured out"
Cardinals' Carpenter quiets Phils
September 19
Courier-Post
 
"Twenty-four hours after clinching the National League East, manager Charlie Manuel sent a a Phillies team onto the field that included six regulars along with starting pitcher Cole Hamels among the starting nine Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park. Catcher Carlos Ruiz got a rest, and first baseman Ryan Howard only sat out because of a foot injury that will be treated with a cortisone shot today. The Phillies still have work to do in their effort to claim the National League's best record and ensure home-field advantage throughout when the playoffs start Oct. 1. In addition, Manuel said, the Phillies owe it to other teams still competing for postseason berths, such as Sunday's visitors from"
Cards announce Carpenter extension
September 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"As first reported by the Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss on Monday, the Cardinals have extended righthander Chris Carpenter's contract through the 2013 season. The official announcement will be made at 2 p.m. (Central time) today at PNC Park by general manager John Mozeliak. Carpenter, who will start tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, is believed to have agreed to a two-year, $21 million deal."
Cards, Carpenter agree on two-year extension
September 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Intent on transacting as much business as possible before dealing with Albert Pujols looming free agency, the Cardinals have reached agreement with 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter on a two-year contract extension worth about $21 million, according to sources familiar with the situation. The club intends to announce the deal later this week after finalizing formalities associated with the deal. However, terms of the deal are in place and Carpenter last week passed a physical required for insurance. The extension rolls the clubs $15 million option on Carpenter for 2012 into a longer structure that allows the club about $4 million in annual savings over Carpenters salary for"
Carpenter reaches a milestone
September 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Lost amid the controversial end to Chris Carpenter's 2-0 lockdown of the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night was his quiet eclipse of 200 innings pitched. Carpenter, 36, passed the threshold in the third inning of his complete game and entered Saturday with 206 1/3 innings, third in the National League behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay. Carpenter finished last season with 235 innings and currently owns 634 innings from 2009-11. The figure is even more impressive against the backdrop of 2008-09, when Carpenter virtually lost two seasons because of elbow issues that eventually required surgery and a dysfunctional nerve that fed his"
Carpenter reaches a milestone
September 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Lost amid the controversial end to Chris Carpenter's 2-0 lockdown of the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night was his quiet eclipse of 200 innings pitched. Carpenter, 36, passed the threshold in the third inning of his complete game and entered Saturday with 206 1/3 innings, third in the National League behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay. Carpenter finished last season with 235 innings and currently owns 634 innings from 2009-11. The figure is even more impressive against the backdrop of 2008-09, when Carpenter virtually lost two seasons because of elbow issues that eventually required surgery and a dysfunctional nerve that fed his"
Carpenter reaches a milestone
September 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Lost amid the controversial end to Chris Carpenter's 2-0 lockdown of the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night was his quiet eclipse of 200 innings pitched. Carpenter, 36, passed the threshold in the third inning of his complete game and entered Saturday with 206 1/3 innings, third in the National League behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay. Carpenter finished last season with 235 innings and currently owns 634 innings from 2009-11. The figure is even more impressive against the backdrop of 2008-09, when Carpenter virtually lost two seasons because of elbow issues that eventually required surgery and a dysfunctional nerve that fed his"
Once again, Cards can't take the fifth
September 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Seven times this season, the Cardinals have had the chance to win a fifth game in succession, a modest streak for a team purporting to contend for a title. Seven times they have failed. Righthander Chris Carpenter has been the starting pitcher on four of those occasions and, though he had a strong stretch in the middle of his stint Friday, he also gave up five runs in the second inning, not helped by his defense. The Cardinals rallied from 5-0 and 6-5 deficits, but rookie Yonder Alonso's two-run homer off lefthander Marc Rzepczynski in the seventh put the Cincinnati Reds ahead to stay. The Cardinals' longest winning streak remained at four as the Reds posted an 11-8 win at Busch"
Tony pulls Carp, Dodgers pull out a win
August 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"For eight innings Monday, Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter was in unyielding command and the Dodgers could do nothing to loosen his grip on the game. It took manager Tony La Russa's decision to do that. Three outs shy of what could have been his first shutout since 2009, Carpenter was removed from the mound with a 1-0 lead and the tying run at first base. Two batters later, Dodgers infielder Aaron Miles laced a game-tying triple to the wall, and the next batter brought Miles home for Los Angeles' 2-1 win at Busch Stadium. It took Carpenter eight shutout innings and seven strikeouts to make Lance Berkman's homer the difference in a possible victory. It took one hit off three relievers to"
Carpenter comes on strong
August 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Veteran righthander Chris Carpenter, who has a prestigious corner locker in the Cardinals' clubhouse, was conducting some inventory the other day. "I was cleaning my spikes out of my locker ... I got a whole bunch of new spikes that came in ... and I'm thinking, 'I'm going to have to clean everything out,''' said Carpenter. "Usually, I just throw all my stuff in there for the next year. I'm going to be like everyone else, boxing everything up and taking it in my car." Carpenter, who first signed with the Cardinals in December 2002, is finishing up a five-year contract extension this year. The club holds an option at $15 million for next year, but the 36-year-old Carpenter might be an"
Cards ride Pujols blast, Carpenter start to 4-1 win
July 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"A 116-pitch,eight-inning start by Chris Carpenter and the third home run from first baseman Albert Pujols in four games propelled the Cardinals to a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds Saturday night at Great American Ball Park. Carpenter, hurt only by some third-inning defensive shenanigans, overcame three fielding errors -- including one of his own -- to secure his fourth consecutive win while impoving to 14-4 lifetime against the defending NL Central champions. Pujols drove his 20th home run -- and 11th since June 3 -- an estimated 379 feet into the left field bleachers to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 fifth-inning lead. Pujols has managed four extra-base hits and seven RBI in his last"
Carpenter outduels Cueto as Cards win 1-0
July 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Three times Monday evening, head groundskeeper Bill Finley ran onto the field between half innings to notify crew chief Dale Scott of an approaching storm. The tarp was uncovered, a cloudburst approached, yet Busch Stadium stayed dry while a classic pitching duel continued without interruption. Nothing stopped Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter - not some stray cumulo nimbus, not a tedious 27-pitch first inning, not two difficult fly balls driven over right fielder Jon Jay, not the uncertain run support that has tracked him for much of this season. Instead, two weeks after heavy gloom settled over an injury-depleted clubhouse, the clouds separated with a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati"
Showdown today: Cueto vs. Carpenter
July 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cincinnati Reds return to St. Louis this afternoon, and their rotation allows for a reunion more than 10 months in the making. For the first time since the brawl last August, Reds righty Johnny Cueto will start against the Cardinals. It was during that game, which the Cardinals won, that Cueto began wildly kicking at Cardinals, dragging his cleats across Chris Carpenter's back and giving catcher Jason LaRue a concussion. LaRue retired last fall as a result of concussion-related symptoms."
Carpenter says shoulder can take the workload
July 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"A couple days after throwing 132 pitches in his win last week at Baltimore, Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter cut short a question about how, in previous seasons, he would have to alter his between-start work to recover from so many pitches. It wasn't a concern. He would never have thrown that many pitches. "I don't think I could. Not effectively," Carpenter explained. "It used to take days for the soreness and aches and pains to go away. I don't have those issues (now). Knock on wood. I threw 130 pitches the other day and I woke up with minimal soreness. The last few years before this it was, 'Holy crap, am I going to make it to the next one?'" Carpenter has thrown at least 124 pitches in"
Rasmus, Carpenter stifle O's for 5-1 win
June 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter's nine-inning stand following a nervous opening made the Cardinals' early offense stand up for a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night at Camden Yards. Carpenter slipped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the fifth inning to preserve a 5-1 lead, then threw three more efficient innings before coming out to work his 31st career complete game. Carpenter (3-7), who had thrown a total 250 pitches in his previous two starts, embraced catcher Yadier Molina after striking out Blake Davis with his 131st offering. Center fielder Colby Rasmus again served as offensive catalyst by launching a two-run home run to right field in the second inning. Three consecutive hits capped"
How many wins should Carpenter have?
June 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Derrick Goold
"St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter floats into the Inner Harbor this evening fishing for something he hasn't seen since early August of last season: a winning streak. The Cardinals' righthander will start his 17th game of the season as Exhibit No. 495,609 of why a pitcher's win-loss record is misleading. Six times this season, Carpenter has pitched what we call around here a Gibby -- that is, at least seven innings and no more than three earned runs. Undone by run support or defense, Carpenter has gone 1-1 in those six starts with four no decisions. He could be 5-1 in those games. While we've had a good debate on Twitter this season about the value of wins - I believe they remain"
Carpenter touches base with roots
June 25
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Righthander Chris Carpenter has been a professional baseball player for 18 seasons, exactly split at nine apiece for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cardinals, who are meeting in St. Louis for only the second time and in new Busch Stadium for the first time this weekend. Before Friday's game, Carpenter visited with some of the Blue Jays' personnel, which includes former Cardinals pitcher Pat Hentgen, a teammate of Carpenter's with Toronto and now the Blue Jays' bullpen coach. The nine-year time frame with the Toronto organization encompassed six seasons as a major leaguer and Carpenter admitted, "It seems like a long time ago." But Carpenter hasn't forgot. "They gave me the opportunity to be"
Carpenter reminds us he's still the ace
June 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"For three months, Chris Carpenter couldn't catch a break. Sometimes the Cardinals failed him in the field, booting ground balls. Sometimes their offense failed to support him with enough runs. Sometimes the bullpen let him down. Sometimes Carpenter just wasn't good enough himself. Sometimes a combination of all four factors got him down. "You can get beat if your offense doesn't score or your defense doesn't play, even if you do your part," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told reporters during his postgame news conference. "It's happened to him a lot." It all added up to a 1-7 record and a 4.47 earned-run average through the better part of three months. Yet Carpenter soldiered on,"
Carpenter finally gets another win
June 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Maybe it was inevitable Chris Carpenter would win another game at Busch Stadium. Maybe it had to happen on a night in late June that the Cardinals would play competent defense while generating some offense with a kick. But Carpenter could be forgiven for having his doubts. Threatened with a three-game sweep, Carpenter (2-7) did what stoppers do: Facing a team carrying the game's best record, Carpenter pitched well and worked deep into a 12-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 40,532 who witnessed his first win at Busch Stadium since Sept. 30. He used 124 pitches to complete a seven-inning outing that included just five singles, one walk and one run against him. A pitcher who entered"
Carpenter hits wall
June 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Whether he pitches well or he doesn't - and Saturday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers actually falls somewhere near the former - Chris Carpenter, who had been the top won-lost percentage pitcher in Cardinals history for those with 100 games started, can't win anymore. Carpenter entered this season with a .718 winning percentage as a Cardinal even though he lost four of his last starts in 2010 to fall to 84-33 for his St. Louis career. He and Adam Wainwright were considered co-aces and, in that regard, the Cardinals were the envy of nearly every other team but Philadelphia. But two weeks removed from the halfway point of the season, the two Cardinals aces have won one game. And"
Carpenter persists in the face of adversity
June 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"Chris Carpenter faced a typical 2011 challenge Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Once again he had to pitch under trying circumstances. He drew Carlos Zambrano, the only Cubs starter with a winning record, as his pitching opponent. Cards slugger Lance Berkman sat out the game with his nagging wrist injury. Center fielder Colby Rasmus took a powder, too, getting a rare day of rest. With Matt Holliday, David Freese and Nick Punto on the disabled list, manager Tony La Russa crafted a less-than-imposing lineup. It featured Jon Jay playing center field and hitting clean-up; recent call-up Matt Carpenter playing third base and hitting second; Skip Schumaker playing right field and hitting"
Another no-win situation for Carpenter
June 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After hitting another walk-off home run Sunday, Albert Pujols said that pitcher Chris Carpenter was perhaps the player of the game. "The player of the game shouldn't have been myself," said Pujols, whose 10th-inning homer gave the Cardinals a 3-2 win over the Cubs. "Chris threw a complete game. I'm kind of at the point, I keep telling him, 'Man, we need to score some runs for you.' "He's pitching pretty well out there. But he knows it's a long season too, and he's just like me ... as long as we win the game. It doesn't matter if you go 0 for four or pitch nine innings and don't get the win, but as a team we get the win. That's the most important thing." Carpenter tossed nine innings before"
Carpenter is Cards' fall guy again
May 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter has convincingly played all the roles: innings monster, ERA leader, staff ace, Cy Young Award winner. Now he has become that guy. From 2004 to 2010, the Cardinals were 109-52 (.677) behind Carpenter, who picked up the 2005 National League Cy Young Award along the way. During the run, Carpenter crafted an individual 84-33 record, making him the game's highest percentage pitcher (.718). This season, including Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park, has represented payback. Carpenter (1-5) paid more for the sins of a halting offense, at least one missed sign and strange eighth-inning flurry as the offensively dormant San Diego Padres stymied the Cardinals 3-1 before a crowd of"
Cards' Chris Carpenter 'owns' Reds
May 15
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"That Chris Carpenter dominates the Reds is undeniable. Why he's so much more effective against Cincinnati than he is against almost every other team is less clear. The 36-year-old right-hander was scheduled to start today's series finale for the Cardinals against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, and if any of the weekend's games shaped up as a sure win for the visitors, it was today's. Since starting the National League portion of his career with St. Louis in 2004, the 6-foot-6, 233-pound Carpenter has logged an impressive 12-3 record and 2.07 ERA in 19 starts against the Reds. That includes his 5-0, 1.76 effort over five starts last season, when he extended to 10 his streak of"
Carpenter gets first win
May 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals traveled the extra mile with Chris Carpenter Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. At the end of the journey they happened upon a win the hard way. Twice denied wins this season when allowing only two hits, Carpenter (1-2) slogged to his first victory in eight starts while allowing a career-most 13 hits - all singles. Rookie third baseman Daniel Descalso's two-out, two-run eighth-inning single forgave the starting pitcher an earlier stumble and provided the difference in a 6-4 win before 34,249 at Wrigley Field. "I'm not worried about what the score is, the situation in the game," said Descalso, who delivered against reliever Kerry Wood. "I'm not trying to let that get in my head."
Carpenter takes blame in Cards' loss
May 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cards manager Tony La Russa was asked before Wednesday's game with the Marlins if ace Chris Carpenter should have two or three wins this season. "He should have more than zero," La Russa said. But that's where Carpenter's win count remains after he got his fifth no-decision in seven starts as the Cardinals lost to the Marlins 8-7. This one was a bit different from most of the others, though. While Carpenter has been victimized by lack of run support in many of his outings — the Cardinals have scored three runs or fewer in four of those starts — there was no denying his role Wednesday. In six angst-ridden innings, he allowed six runs on 10 hits and walked three, along with making two"
As predicted, Carpenter bounces back
April 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter answered his roughest start as a Cardinal with one of his most effective. Carpenter followed last Tuesday's four-inning, eight-run performance with seven shutout innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers. The outing supported his claim that his loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks was more a product of being too strong than a physical problem. "I was ahead in the count for the most part. I was locating and getting ahead in the count. I was able to dictate the pace," Carpenter said. Sunday's start lowered Carpenter's ERA from 5.82 to 4.13. He has struck out 20 in 24 innings while walking only five."
Carpenter to start his fifth opener for Cards
March 31
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"For an ace who has already pitched himself into Cardinals history as one of two to win the National League Cy Young Award, Chris Carpenter has a pragmatic view of his fifth opening day start for the franchise. "I just know that I get to go first," he joked. "That's pretty fun." Going first this season puts him into a tie for second all-time in Cardinals history. With five opening day assignments for the club, Carpenter ties Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean, who started five consecutive for the Gas House Gang club of the 1930s. The only Cardinals ace with more opening day starts than Carpenter is Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who has 10, including nine consecutive. Gibson is also the only other"
Carpenter 'happy' with his return outing
March 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Standing in almost the same spot where three years earlier he fielded questions about the injury clause in his new contract, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, his arm in an articulated brace, conceded the hypothetical has become reality. And he insisted he's still content with his contract, including its $21-million two-year option that hinges on his health. "I'm actually really happy that I have that option, that I have that clause in there right now," Wainwright said Wednesday morning at the Cardinals' spring training clubhouse. "One way or the other, if I'm hurt and I can never come back, I would feel bad taking that much money from a team I couldn't help. If (the Cardinals) don't want"
Carpenter's outing goes OK
March 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals' No. 1 pitcher, was good enough Wednesday. At the same time, Albert Pujols, the Cardinals' No. 1 hitter, who smacked his first homer of the spring, was striving not to feel "too good." Carpenter, making his first exhibition appearance since March 1 when he suffered a strained left hamstring, said he felt good (leg, arm) in throwing 57 pitches over four-plus innings in the Cardinals' 9-4 exhibition win over the Detroit Tigers. Carpenter, who will be the opening day starter for the Cardinals on March 31 against San Diego, was charged with three runs on six hits as he worked into the fifth inning. Two of the runs came in the first when Carpenter fell behind"
Chris Carpenter: Mad on the mound
March 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Ten days since last facing a hitter, Chris Carpenter and his cooperative left hamstring climbed the mound Friday for live batting practice. He worked without a screen, without reservation, apparently without patience. The previous time Carpenter saw hitters, he walked from the mound unable to put weight on his landing leg. He missed two Grapefruit League starts, one due to discomfort, the second as a precaution. But on a chilly, gusting morning on a remote field against minor-leaguers Adron Chambers, Pete Kozma, Bryan Anderson and Tony Cruz, nothing else mattered to Carpenter except that he couldn't throw his fastball for strikes. Carpenter cursed three pitches into the process and slapped"