ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa ended a 13-game run of batting his pitcher eighth in an effort to get slumping leadoff man Skip Schumaker going.
Schumaker was hitting seventh and Colby Rasmus leadoff for the first time this season in the opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. Schumaker was batting .217 with one homer and five RBIs and was 5 for 23 during the team’s just completed seven-game trip.
La Russa said he didn’t want to move Schumaker down to ninth, his so-called second leadoff slot, because that would put his only left-handed hitters together. Rasmus, batting .304 with six homers and 15 RBIs, is the only other left-handed hitting regular.
The Cardinals were 8-5 with the pitcher batting eighth.
