Chris Carpenter wanted to prove in his last start that he was the best pitcher in the NL. But he may have generated more buzz with his bat. Carpenter was a regular Babe Ruth on Thursday when he single-handedly beat lowly Cincinnati.
Carp came into his last start with a career .105 average and 6 career RBI in 287 at bats. Last night, he added some major stats to that line by mashing the Reds. The Cardinals starter managed to belt a homer and drive in six runs in only three ABs.
The six RBI are the highest on record for a Cardinals pitcher since they started keeping the stat. Carpenter edged Bob Gibson’s five RBI effort in 1973 to set the mark.
Apparently, Carpenter had promised teammates that he’d hit a homer earlier in the week. He certainly made good on that promise. Oh yeah, he also won his 17th game and didn’t allow a run. Carpenter finishes with a 2.24 ERA which is the best in the National League.
Tags: baseball, chris carpenter, cy young, MLB, records, st. louis cardinals
