Phillies vs. Cardinals: St. Louis Makes A Game Of It In Fourth

The story of the first three innings for St. Louis was missed opportunities. In the top of the first, the Cardinals wasted a leadoff triple. In the top of the second, they wasted a leadoff double. In the top of the third, they wasted a two-out walk, which...well it isn't much, but it isn't nothing. And while the Cardinals were busy wasting baserunners, the Phillies were driving a lot of theirs in, and Philadelphia went up 4-0.

But in the top of the fourth, the Cardinals pulled themselves right back into this game. Lance Berkman led off with a walk, and two batters later, Yadier Molina hit a sharp grounder up the middle just too far away for a diving Jimmy Rollins to handle. That gave the Cardinals a run-scoring situation, and for the first time, they took advantage, as Ryan Theriot laced a double just inside the right field line to make it 4-1.

And they weren't finished. Two pitches later, Jon Jay yanked a grounder into right field to score a second run, and Jay scampered all the way to second on the play.

Up came Nick Punto to pinch-hit for an ineffective Chris Carpenter, and it looked like Lee would stop the bleeding there when he struck out Punto swinging. But with two outs, Rafael Furcal laced a single into left, plating the Cardinals' third run of the inning.

The good news for the Phillies? Furcal's single scored Theriot, but it didn't score Jay, who was thrown out at the plate by Raul Ibanez. Carlos Ruiz absorbed a wicked collision but managed to hold on to the ball for the final out.