big league home run on this date. >> jon: and only 510 more after that. 511. right. >> jon: and there have been times on sunday night baseball when we played the old videotape with ernie hitting his 500th at wrigley field and jack brickhouse shouting "hey, hey," a very exciting moment. and the cub probably have more of a video archive than any team in baseball. every once in a while they put together a ret prospective -- retrospective and it's enormously intaining. and now jake fox who has a potent bat. 10 home runs in the big leagues this year and kind of a guy

without a position, more of a designateded hitter type. but he has hit so well and lou piniella has taken great pains to find a spot for him on the field. >> joe: and they talked about second base. i guess they think anybody can play second base. >> steve: i guess so, joe. that's what i have heard. listen, i know today is an anniversary for ernie banks. but yesterday was special for you. >> joe: the birthday. i have had a lot of them. and i thank the crew for the cake. >> jon: how many now is that? >> joe: i can't remember. you know me, jon. i lose track. i am not good on dates. >> steve: the smoke alarm went off from the candles on the cake. >> joe: but i did get them all out. i hope the wish comes true. >> steve: okay. >> jon: so fox is aboard.

and fukudome coming up. and fox back to the bag at first and it could be reyes, the left-handed specialist who said, "i would would rather take the chances with the left-hander, fukudome, not the right-hander who can take me out of the yard." fastball a little bit too high. i remember when reyes first came up, he was a dodger and they used him as a starting pitcher and he reminded everybody of fernandez valenzuela. he comes from mexico. he is bigger than fernando but there was something about his build and delivery that reminded a lot of people about fernando. and molina will go out to chat.

sam fuld, another left-hander, is on deck. boggs is up in the pen. i am jon miller and joe morgan and steve phillips, happy birthday, joe, yesterday. sunday night baseball and those old school rivals, the cubs and cardinals, battling one another from the cities of st. louis and chicago since the 19th century. and lou piniella has his become out again. -- his book out again. maybe it's tony la russa's book. what is he gonna do next? >> steve: he has made so many moves, it's got to be somewhere in the book. >> jon: 3-3, the score in the ninth. the cardinals getting close to wrapping up the central dition. -- division.

and that one goes right by yadier molina. on ball four to fukudome. so with two down and nobody on, reyes has walked two in a row. and now fuld, a left-hander, is due up. piniella doesn't have that many able-bodieded players to go to at this point. and maybe why go to somebody? why not keep reyes in the game? >> steve: duncan will have a conversation. you send the pitching coach out to fix this guy. and duncan, an outstanding pitching coach out to talk to him and you look at the cardinals as they look ahead to the play-offs and beyond, free agents ahead and speculation to tony la russa may stay but the pitching coach may be moving on and leaving the organization.

an awfully tough loss to see one of the best pitching coaches in the game. you look at the potential free agents there and you look at the decisions they have to make, one thing they have to keep in mind, albert pujols is a free agent after the 2010 season. they cannot lock up any long term dollars that cost them any way of keeping albert pujols in a cardinal uniform. and matt holliday, obviously the biggest price tag there. >> joe: no doubt you have to save money for pujols or go ahead and sign him early. >> jon: and the general manager there of the cars thards, mozeliak. and helping him out here is aaron miles, the pinch hitter for sam fuld. lou piniella checked the book and decided to go with the former cardinal, miles,

hitting .181. >> steve: hurt a good part of the season. >> jon: 0-1, the count and chase the low slider. strike two. he is not seeing the ball real well. >> joe: you are exal right. re-- exactly right. reyes was having trouble throwing strikes. he has helped him out. >> jon: quickly 0-2 to aaron miles. who hit .317 for the cardinals last year. .181 for the cubs. off the outside. 1-2. the cubs looking for that big hit and with derrek lee on deck, they may just want him on base. take the chance with derrek lee, having a big year. fox at second. fukudome at first and again he tries the back door slider that

stays outside. 2 balls, two strikes. >> steve: and the approach the bench hit situation, if milton bradley was on the bench, he would be available but suspended before the game today. >> jon: suspended for the rest of the season by general manager jim hendry. 2-2, the count. strike three called! [cheers and applause] so it goes for the former cardinal. miles. now a cub. two men strand. top of the order. schumaker, derosa, pujols. another walk off? we'll see. ( thumping )

( rhythmic clapping ) ( chanting ) ( shouting ) gatorade-- that's "g." >> jon: sunday night baseball, last of the ninth inning from st. louis and the cardinals, who have already won two games breaking a tie in the last inning, friday night, matt holliday at the plate. last of the ninth and somehow

the line drive over the wall into the bullpen, game over. the cardinals with a 3-2 won and then yesterday it was brendan ryan against marmol, a base hit and that broke a 1-1 tie. mark derosa scored and the cardinals with a 2-1 victory and now sunday night baseball, the last time the cardinals had three consecutive so-called walk-off wins was 9 years ago. at the beginning of september against the mets and, of course, the mets that year ended up in the world series, the subway series against the yankees. but for 3 days in the beginning of september, you wouldn't have thought so. maybe you recall. >> steve: i do those days. and the mets with the september swoon. and you saw marshall. coming out of the bullpen, as they added depth to the rotation. and lou piniella has call on him

quite a bit this year. the left-handed batter and can get the right-handers out, as well. >> joe: and the cubs, it hasn't been the pitching. the earned run average last year, 3.87 and 3.89 at the start of the day so they have pitched well enough to win. just haven't hit with runners in scoring position. so it's more the offense than it is the pitching. >> jon: and a lot of key offensive figures down with injury. right through the legs and schumaker has a base hit to center field. his second hit of the night. fukudome by the way, back in center field. jake fox, after pinch-hitting for the pitcher, stayed this the game to play left field and taguchi has moved to right field. you got that?

>> steve: got it. >> jon: so it's -- [laughs] >> joe: we talk about the hitters on the cardinals team but skip is having a real good year, schumaker, hitting ov over.300. >> jon: and the right-hander, heilman, is being brought in and sean marshall apparently is not gonna play left field. >> joe: [laughs] as he did last time we were in chicago. interesting here. what do you do if you are tony la russa? you have mark derosa coming up. do you hit and run? do you bunt him over? and say, okay, if they walk pujols i have matt hale coming up. -- holliday coming up. >> jon: he has 21 home runs. >> steve: i believe on friday or saturday he did bunt and he failed and got on base and then scored on the brendan ryan babet

but now in a different part of the lineup. >> jon: if he bunts him, they walk pujols. >> joe: that would be the normal thought because holliday can hit into a double play and you can get out of it only facing the one batter. but i don't know. tony does things his own way sometimes. i am not sure. >> jon: so i am thinking hit and run? >> joe: now you are thinking like i think. i think the hit and run. >> jon: i change it. i think he is gonna -- [laughs] >> joe: though. >> jon: i think the hit and run makes sense. >> joe: i do, too. i think that's the way you go. and the cardinals don't have a lot of speed. albert pujols really has been their best base stealer. but schumaker, although he is aed leadoff guy, only stolen two bases. so aaron heilman with albert pujols looming large, on deck and derosa coming up. derosa has had a long chat with

the third base coach who has been telling him, i guess, what tony la russa has in mind. >> joe: even if they hit and run and execute it properly, they are still gonna walk albert. so either way you look at it, he may not bat this inning. >> jon: and by the way, he mentioned the reworked cubs outfield. and theriot stays in to play shortstop and blanco has moved from shortstop to second base. they have only got to two nonpitchers left, hill, the backup catcher. so here we go. let's find out what tony la russa has in mind. and is that throw to see if he indicate bunt? >> joe: they were trying to find out what tony la russa was doing, as well. and a good job by derosa, if he is bunting, not to give it away.

>> jon: if you hit and run, at least you could stay out of a double play. >> joe: yeah. >> jon: give albert a chance to swing. he's gonna bunt. and he bunts it foul. he has not had a successful execution of a sacrifice bunt as a cardinal. he did get one down for cleveland earlier this year. >> steve: kind of jabbing at the ball, keeping it back behind hissed body, just -- his body. >> joe: one thing, that tells you that matt holliday has made a big difference as far as the club is concerned because without holliday, no way you would will bunt in front of him to take the bat out of his hands. >> jon: aramis ramirez shortened up at third. derrek lee on the bag at first with schumaker. he would get a later break if he

is still bunting because he has a hold against the runner until the pitch is thrown. mark derosa hit one well his last time, deep to left. it turn into a nice catch by bobby scales who was out there at this time. now it's fox in left and fukudome in center and tags tag in right. -- taguchi in right. he is showing bunt and gets this one down. and slipped, regained his footing and the put-out at first base from blanco, the second baseman. >> steve: well executed, mark derosa made heilman make the play and in the past aaron heilman had difficulty fielding it and throwing it to base. and able to put it in play and heilman not as athletic as some other pitchers. >> joe: and the fans are excited, thinking that albert is gonna hit. >> steve: and heilman may have

rolled his ankle. it kind of rolls on the ground and catches him. >> jon: they are booing now as albert pujols is definitely being walked. no surprise there. >> joe: they were all excited thinking that albert would will get a chance to drive in the winning run, but no such luck. >> jon: just like the cubs to walk albert. are you kidding! cardinal fans outraged. but tony la russa is not surpriseed. and tony la russa his strategy led to this so obviously, as you said, joe, he figures matt holliday at the plate with the game on the line? i will take those odds. and lou piniella is not gonna let heilman face him, though. >> joe: i would think he wouldn't bring anyone in, until it's marmol. and marmol is not not throwing.

>> jon: it's number 33. >> joe: that's interesting. >> jon: so. matt holliday, who ended the game with a home run on friday, with a chance to get another walk-off tonight. 3-3. we'll be right back. f

>> jon: lou piniella has made the move and it was not carlos marmol in relief of the veteran, heilman, but rather a rookie, esmailin caridad. recalled from triple a and pitched briefly in august but i think we are a little bit surpriseed that heilman, the veteran right-hander is out of the game but we saw the replay

where heilman rolled his ankle. >> joe: but what i saw was when lou piniella went out to the mound and made the call he was telling soto, watch. "i want somebody who can throw the ball." i am gonna go after him with fastballs. he wants somebody with a good enough fastball that he thinks they can challenge holliday. so we'll see what happens. but that's what he was talking. "i want somebody that can let it go." that's what he said. >> jon: so you don't think it has to do with getting hurt. he wants a different kind of a pitcher. now caridad to matt holliday. >> joe: comes right after him and i think so that's what he wants. a lot of teams feel that holliday doesn't handle the fastball in as well as he does a lot of the other pitches. >> jon: possible. >> joe: and back inside. >> jon: the possible winning run at second base and that one just a little bit off the corner. >> joe: and they set up inside and will pitch him saided in. >> steve: holliday questioned

the first high fastball and we have seen todd tichenor call that. the fastball down looked like a pretty good pitch but didn't get the call. >> jon: schumaker at second, the man holliday is trying to get home. >> joe: and they are trying to stay in with the fastball. that one was out over the plate but they still feel if you have a good enough fastball, you can channel matt holliday. >> jon: the first half of the year when he was with obalgd, the frustration with oakland was that he was not able to catch up with the high heat. >> joe: that's what they think here. >> jon: and fouled back to the screen. >> joe: it's interesting that lou piniella would will do that on the mound in plain view because i was watching him and i saw him do it. i knew exactly what he meant. "i want a good fastball." and that's why he made the change. >> jon: i guess he figured he didn't have to keep it a secret.

it would be evident soon enough. and a 2-strike count, he hit him! and instead of putting him away, he puts him on. the bases loaded. and the veteran trainer is outer to see if holliday is okay. >> joe: jon, that's one of the reasons i do not like the catcher to stand up. we see a lot of catchers stand up because they want a high fastball. he wanted a high fastball there. but he stood up and i think it gives the pitcher a different look, as well. watch. he want the high fastball. -- he wants the hivel -- well, he gave the motion before he threw the pitch. see how he raises up? i just think that you are giving the pitcher a different target. he had thrown three straight strikes and holliday had not cat up with any of them. let it go. >> steve: one of the advantages

now for the cardinals ludwick is the most significant fly ball hitter in the league. his rare ratio is the highest so you look for a sacrifice fly, you have the right guy at the plate. >> joe: and two strikeouts and two fly outs. so if he can put it in play, the chances are he will hit a fly ball. >> jon: and one was a 2-run triple or double in the making until fukudome made the catch. and ludwick hitting .341 with runner in scoring position, only one cardinal has done better in the club at-bats and his name is pules. -- albert pujols. the outfielders are in this catch the fly ball and keep schumaker from scoring. the middle infield, though, will try to turn a double play. they are not all the way in.

the outfielders are very shallow. this could be two. there's one. theriot to first and off the bag, the tag -- he's safe! the ball game is over! [cheers and applause] >> jon: derrek lee missed the tag. [cheers and applause] >> joe: jon, what happened there -- >> jon: wait a minute. wait a minute. >> joe: yeah. that's what i was gonna say. >> jon: the second base umpire is coming over, marty foster and he might say that holliday had no chance to touch the bag and it becomes a double play. >> joe: that is exactly what happened. holliday was getting a big lead at first base and he was gonna be down, you know, come roosez and put pressure on theriot. >> jon: well, la russa is going out with marty foster to second base. and i guess foster is showing

the skid marks, the evidence. >> steve: the mark right here which is too far away from the base and that's where matt holliday went to break up the play. >> jon: you have to make contact with the bag when you are trying to take out the infielders. >> joe: he had a big lead, almost down there already and comes across and does not go near the bag. you can see he is aiming directly at theriot and there you see. look where he is laying on the ground. no way he could reach the bag. theriot comes across and there he is, right there. but i still thought theriot had time enough to get rid of the ball before he got there. >> jon: you see right after the play, marty faster says no, no, no. he is out the first and that's the penalty if you can't actually -- if you go after the infielder without a chance to

tag the bag at second, is automatically is a double play, regardless of the throw. so holliday a little overaggressive there. trying to break up the double play and turns out ironically creating a double play. >> joe: it was interesting because before the next pitch i wanted to meng they were playing -- mention they were playing all or nothing and putting a lot of pressure on the infielders because hale was getting a -- holliday was getting a big, big lead. >> jon: and maybe theriot could be made the throw. >> steve: i think what happens, he comes across the bag and holliday is right in his face and he loses sight of first base because hale is right in his line of sight and has he throws the ball, he throws down the line and derrek lee comes off, not able to make the tag. the call at first base by danley

was safe, until overruled. >> joe: if you are the middle infielders, theriot, everyone knows you are supposed to throw at his head. and you are not necessarily throwing around him and make a wild throw to first base. you are supposed to force him to get down and i think if he would have thrown right at him, he would be made him duck. >> jon: and lou piniella has been out with the plate umpire, the todd tichenor, trying to figure out the latest round of la russa's moves, looking for a loophole, perhaps, and/or another rule that could work in his favor against the man who actually passed the bar exam, la russa. and he first became a manager,

whenever another manager said, "tonight we play lawyer-ball." and you saw the changes for the cardinals, skip schumaker, who became a second baseman this year. and he becomes an outfielder here at this time 10th. the big hitters are up against boggs. julio lugo at second base in the number 9 spot of the order. >> jon: ryan ludwick removed from the game in the double switch. and he is not due up until ninth.

ludwick hit the double play to end the inning. >> steve: and he started 9 games this year, and a guy that can give length, if needed. >> jon: derrek lee, right through the middle, base hit. derrek's first hit. and the slugging cleanup man, aramis ramirez will come up. ramirez, who suffered a shoulder separation earlier this year, diving for a ground ball. and he really has not been at 100 percent efficiency since coming back, although the numbers are pretty good. . .320 batting average and at one point they thought he might need more surgery in the off-season to clean up the shoulder area but now the off-season of rest, he should be

at full strength. >> steve: when he follow through with the left arm, it looked like something bothered him. sometimes hyperextending that shoulder. >> jon: right to the shortstop. caught. back to first. double play! [applause] >> steve: that's just bad base running from derrek lee. >> joe: and the cubs as a team are a group of bad base runners. they do not go from first to third when they should and do not take the extra base. that is not a ball you should be doubled off of. first, you look where the infielders are playing and the outfielders are playing and if that happens, you will not getting doubled off in that situation. it's a line drive at the shortstop. >> jon: taguchi shows bunt and takes a slider for a strike.

both of these teams are running short on nonpitchers available on the bench. position players. the cardinals, by my reckoning only have larue because glaus is on the roster but not available. he is hurt. and marmol up this the cubs bullpen with two down and nobody on. strike 2, to taguchi. ta taguchi got a pinch-hit in the eighth. the cubs have jeff baker, infeeder and the backup catcher, koyie hill. a sharp bribbeaking ball there,o low. 2-2.

the cardinals have left 11 men on base and the cubs eight. did he swing? an appeal. no says danley. >> joe: it looked like the barrel of that bat went too far from my vant age point. >> jon: 3-2. and that is a big call. taguchi, who might have been out, got a reprieve and now he is aboard. as a possible go ahead run with an infield hit. >> steve: taguchi not a burner but a guy who could steal a base. let's see if lou piniella tries to manufacture a run here, get him in scoring position. >> joe: i don't think with yadier molina back there, you better just sen anybody. >> steve: with two outs.

>> jon: yadier is a weapon. >> joe: let's see if he can catch him over there. >> steve: you saw the thumb sign he gave to the pitcher, that meant throw to first base. >> jon: geovany soto, 0-4 in the game. molina. fastball in for a strike. against the cardinals this year, there have only been 36 bases stolen by all the teams in 150 games. and not just molina but all the cardinal catchers have known at 25. -- thrown out 25 so a low success proposition to begin and. >> joe: a lot of it has to do with the pitchers holding runners, as well. carpenter, wainwright, a lot of these guys make sure that they

are conscience of the fact if they give molina a chance, he will throw someone out. >> jon: now the cardinals, rick ankiel, yadier molina, brendan ryan, looking for the walk-off win. 10th inning, 3-3.

>> jon: sunday night baseball, cubs and cardinals going overtime. i am jon miller with joe morgan and steve phillips from busch stadium, st. louis. in the ninth inning the cardinals had a chance and we thought for a moment they had one when the runner at first was called safe. but at second base, holliday broke the rules and it was scored as a double play as a result. he obstructed the shortstop tieing to make the play illegally.