REDBIRDS BLAST PHILLIES LATE Seven-Run Seventh Inning Turns Tight Ballgame Into St. Louis Rout

The Cardinals spent six innings digging themselves out of a hole Friday.

They spent one inning burying Philadelphia in it.

After falling behind 4-0 early, St. Louis stormed back with fourteen hits and a tremendous seven-run uprising in the seventh inning to overwhelm the Phillies, 12-4, before an enthusiastic Sportsman's Park crowd.

For much of the afternoon it looked as though the Cardinals might waste another opportunity to gain ground in the National League race.

Philadelphia jumped on Flint Rhem immediately, scoring three runs in the first inning and another in the third. The visitors appeared comfortable, while Cardinal supporters settled in for what looked like another frustrating afternoon.

Instead, the Redbirds answered the way contenders answer.

One run came home in the second inning.

Two more crossed in the third.

Another arrived in the sixth.

By then the Phillies could feel the pressure changing dugouts.

The game stood tied.

The crowd sensed it.

And then came the seventh.

What followed was the loudest inning Sportsman's Park has witnessed in several weeks.

Cardinal bats attacked from every corner of the lineup. Base hits rolled through openings. Runners swarmed the bases. Philadelphia pitchers lost command of the situation entirely.

By the time the inning ended, seven St. Louis runs had crossed the plate.

A close contest had become a runaway.

The Cardinals added another tally later for good measure and walked away with one of their most convincing victories of the season.

Lost in the offensive fireworks was another fine effort from Flint Rhem.

Though touched early, the right-hander settled himself after the rough opening frames and kept Philadelphia quiet long enough for the Cardinal offense to awaken. The victory was Rhem's seventh against only one defeat, a remarkable beginning to the season and one of the finest records presently found in the National League.

The fourteen-hit attack offered further evidence that this club may finally be finding its stride.

Rather than depending upon one mighty swing, the Cardinals manufactured pressure throughout the afternoon. Hit followed hit. Opportunities multiplied. Philadelphia eventually cracked beneath the weight of it all.

Most encouraging was the club's refusal to surrender after the poor start.

Only a few weeks ago a four-run deficit might have been enough to finish the afternoon.

Not this club.

Not this day.

The Cardinals fought back one inning at a time, trusted their pitching, trusted their bats, and eventually overwhelmed a Philadelphia club unable to stop the momentum once it began rolling.

The victory moved St. Louis to within one game of the .500 mark and guaranteed at least a split of the series.

More importantly, it provided another glimpse of the ballclub many expected to see when spring training ended.

If the Cardinals continue receiving pitching like this from Rhem and continue producing offense throughout the lineup, the clubs ahead of them in the standings may soon find company arriving from St. Louis.

For one afternoon at least, the Redbirds looked very much alive.

— Mike Allen

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