Adam Ulrey's Montreal Expos Diary

August 7, 2002 - Game 113
Expos continue to rain on Cardinal's parade, win 4-1

The Expos continue to be a thorn in the side of the Central division leading Cardinals, they have taken the first two games of the series with their 4-1 win on Wednesday night. Vladimir Guerrero supplied all the hitting they would need in the top of the first with his 29th homer, a two-run shot of Jason Simontacchi (7-4). Guerrero also saw his average rise to .322 and gathered his 76th and 77th RBIs on the year. It was the seventh straight loss for the Cardinals, their longest drought since they loss seven straight in August of 1999. Their once comfortable lead of five games is gone, with the hot pitching of the Astros only one game out, and the Reds just two games back. St. Louis has been outscored 45-14 during the slump and has scored only one run in each of its last four games.

Tomo Ohka got his ninth win against just six losses in going 5 2/3 innings giving up just six hits and one run. His ERA dropped to 3.52 on the year, second only to Bartolo Colon for the best ERA amongst the starters. Scott Stewart came on in the eighth to gain his 15th save in 17 opportunities. He struck out one and walked one in closing the door on the Cardinals.

With Guerrero's blast he now needs just one more homer to become the fifth player to hit 200 before his 27th birthday, which will be Feb 9. Jose Macias has been the hottest bat in the lineup as he got three more hits and drove in one. He is 7-for-10 in the first two games of this series, raising his average some 28 points to .287. Macias doubled and scored in the first, singled in the third and hit an RBI single in the seventh.

"Macias does whatever he has to do," Robinson said. "He got three hits and I was a little disappointed he didn't get a fourth."

As good as Ohka was, it was the bullpen that got the job done. The bullpen, which has been brilliant at times and other times they look like they can't get anybody out, pitched the final 3 1Z�2 innings without giving up a hit. Joey Eischen has quietly put together a fabulous year with a team leading ERA of 1.53. He has tooling around the minors for years after getting a shot with the Dodgers years ago, and now is pitching the best baseball by far of his career. The win gives the Expos a 57-56 record. �