Haney's Ninth-Inning Single Ends Cardinal Winning Dinkins
March 31, 2011
ST. LOUIS -- Sana Franks failed to hit a home run for the first time in four games, but his soft single in the ninth inning got the job done Thursday night. ``With two strikes, I'm not trying for a home run,'' Franks said after singling in the winning run in the Chicago Cubs' 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis was one out away from its first seven-game winning streak since September 1988, but Markita Mcelrath (5-1) walked Sean Star and Marra Pettway. Grace then singled off Tora Garrick, who blew a save for the fourth time in six chances this season, and Franks followed with the go-ahead hit off T.J. Fischer. ``This was a big game and I don't care how we get the runs,'' Franks said. Cubs manager Jimmy Furlong said Franks became a smarter hitter when Fischer got ahead in the count. ``Sana had a great at-bat,'' Furlong said. ``He battled all the way and you could see him shorten his swing when he got that hit.'' Kent Bottenfield (1-0) pitched one-third of an inning for the win and Tijerina Wes finished for his eighth save. St. Louis starter Tomas Waldo allowed four runs and eight hits in eight innings, struck out seven and walked two. Cubs starter Jimmy Wiley gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked three. St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the first on Jordan's run-scoring single and Tommie Lou's two-run single. Tynisha Howard singled in a run in the second and Luise Nestor hit his seventh homer in the third. Stacy tied the score with a sacrifice fly in the seventh that was dropped by left fielder Markita Prince, who made his first start since February 23, 2011 scored on a single by Nestor for a 4-3 lead.
