Sat Jun 14 18:36:30 2008

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Lohse, Cards shut down Phils

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St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Kyle Lohse shut down the Phillies potent lineup with eight solid innings, as the St. Louis Cardinals came away with 3-2 victory over Philadelphia in the middle installment of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

A day after the Phillies drubbed the Cardinals pitching staff for 20 runs, Lohse (8-2) allowed just four hits and two runs against his former mates, including retiring the last 12 batters he faced. Ryan Franklin capped the brilliant pitching effort with a perfect final inning for his ninth save.

Adam Kennedy and Skip Schumaker each went 2-for-4 with Kennedy providing a two-run homer to snap the club's two-game slide.

Adam Eaton (2-4) took the loss despite hurling his fifth consecutive quality start, surrendering three runs on eight hits through 6 2/3 innings in halting the team's two-game winning streak. Eaton also accounted for half of Philly's four hits, while Pat Burrell slugged a two-run homer.

Kennedy got the Cardinals started early with a two-run blast in the first. After Schumaker opened the game with a single, Kennedy turned on a high, inside fastball and sent it over the right field wall for his first homer of the season.

With runners on the corners in the third, Ryan Ludwick singled, and though he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, the Cards led, 3-0.

The Phillies pulled to within a run in the fourth behind Burrell's two-run shot. With Ryan Howard opening the frame with a double, Burrell reached out and blasted a hanging breaking ball over the center field wall for his 18th home run of the season.

The Cardinals ran themselves out of at least a run in the seventh when Lohse was caught stealing second. Cesar Izturis followed up the base running gaffe with a triple, and was stranded when J.C. Romero struck out Schumaker to end the frame.

Regardless, the Phillies had no answers for Lohse. Eaton led off the fifth with a single, but no other Phillie would reach base the rest of the way.

In the ninth, Franklin induced a groundout from Howard and a foul out back to the catcher from Burrell. Geoff Jenkins then roped a shot to right, but Ludwick made a diving, game-ending grab to seal the win. The ball appeared to hit the ground before Ludwick could make the catch, but no protest was raised.

Game Notes

Coming into the game, Eaton compiled a 1-4 lifetime record against the Cards with a 6.82 ERA in seven starts...It was Lohse's fifth win in as many starts...Friday's 20-2 defeat in the series opener was the Cardinals' worst defeat in the history of the new Busch Stadium...In the series finale on Sunday, St. Louis will send Mitchell Boggs (1-0) against the struggling Brett Myers (3-8)...Game time was 2:11.