Pujols’ blast hurts Bailey’s left foot as Cards topple Reds

Carpenter has another masterful performance as he stays unblemished on season vs. Cincy.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey heads for the locker room after leaving in the first inning with a leg injury in a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009 in St. Louis.

AP Photo by Tom Gannam Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey heads for the locker room after leaving in the first inning with a leg injury in a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009 in St. Louis.

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 1:10 AM Thursday, August 13, 2009

ST. LOUIS — When the Cincinnati Reds gave up three runs in the first inning to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Busch Stadium, they had a better chance of claiming the Gateway Arch on waivers than winning the game.

They were facing Chris Carpenter, 2-0 already against the Reds this season and 11-3 with a 2.26 earned run average against everybody.

And so be it: St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 2.

Things got complicated early when Reds starter Homer Bailey got knocked out of the game, literally, in the first inning when Albert Pujols scored a direct hit on Bailey's left foot.

Bailey walked off and X-rays were negative, no fractures, but Pujols fractured the Reds, as he generally does.

Bailey gave up back-to-back singles to open the game and Pujols crushed one through the box that exploded off Bailey's foot and rolled toward home plate. Although Bailey had no chance to get Pujols, he reacted instinctively and UPSed a throw into right field, permitting both runners to score.

Carlos Fisher replaced Bailey and quickly gave up a run-scoring double to Matt Holliday on a ball that Willy Taveras should have caught but played circle-the-wagons while chasing it and missed it.

That made it 3-0 and was the century mark — the Reds have given up 100 runs in the first inning this year, most by far in the majors. In their 114 games, they've been scored upon in the first in 50 games.

"It's hard to spot the best pitcher in baseball a 3-0 lead because he certainly knows what to do with it," said manager Dusty Baker.

Bailey said he has a deep bruise, but he was walking and standing after the game and he had his boots on.

"I knew it wasn't broken because I was walking on it," said Bailey. "But the first time I lifted my leg to take a practice throw it was like a balloon went off and it swelled up right away. Not broken, great news.

"I never saw the ball. It got to me in about .0004 seconds," he said. "If it doesn't hit a fat size 13 shoe, if it's not in the way, it's a double play."

Bailey said he had never been hit on the mound by a batted ball, "Just a few go off my glove or glance off my shoe. Never got hit square. But that guy has a little power and it got to me before I saw it."

Both Bailey and Baker said he isn't likely to miss his next start.

Pujols put his special mark on the game in the third when he whacked a Fisher 3-and-0 fastball into the left field seats, his 38th home run.

The Reds had no runs and two hits through five innings, then bunched four hits in the sixth for two runs, both scoring on a Brandon Phillips single.

And the Reds actually threatened in the seventh, putting two on with two outs. After Carpenter fell behind Taveras 3-and-0, he pumped three straight through the strike zone and Taveras took all three to become Carpenter's 10th strikeout victim.

"Carpenter is not going to walk many (none on this night) and we went down looking (Taveras)," said Baker. "Hate to see guys go down looking. If you're going to go down, go down swinging.

"Carpenter is one of the best there is in baseball and if you can pitch your way out of trouble the way he can, well, that's what makes him one of the best pitchers in baseball," Baker added. "He isn't 12-3 for nothing. It isn't just us. And he doesn't have a 2.20 ERA for nothing. It isn't just us."

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