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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Darryl Kile finally reached a milestone he
dreamed about for a long time.
|  | | Darryl Kile's reaction to his first 20-win season: 'It's just an awesome feeling.' |
Kile joined the 20-win club for the first time in his career as
the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for two runs in the eighth inning
Thursday to beat the San Diego Padres 7-6.
Kile (20-9) survived a shaky outing as he surrendered a 5-2 lead
in the seventh before the NL Central champion Cardinals rallied.
"This is a game I will never forget," an emotional Kile said.
"It's something you dream about being able to happen. It's just an
awesome feeling."
When Kile entered the Cardinals clubhouse, his teammates shouted
during a 2-minute celebration.
"It was indescribable," Kile said. "It ranks right up there
with the day my children were born and my first day in the big
leagues."
Kile, traded from Colorado to St. Louis after going 8-13 last
season, became the third 20-game winner in the major leagues,
joining Toronto's David Wells (20-7) and Atlanta's Tom Glavine
(20-9).
In his previous start, Kile didn't get a decision against the
Chicago Cubs.
"He's been so clutch for us, that to come back and win it for
him is special," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
Backed by Will Clark's three-run homer, Kile won his sixth
straight decision and led St. Louis to a 9-0 sweep of the Padres
this season.
"Tony wanted to give me the day off and I told him, `No way,'
" Clark said. "I wanted to be in there when Darryl won his 20th.
In the time I've been here, he's been our go-to guy, so this felt
good."
Kile gave up all six runs and six hits in seven innings, taking
a 5-2 lead into the seventh before allowing Eric Owens' two-run
homer and Wiki Gonzalez's run-scoring triple.
Kile then balked home Gonzalez to give San Diego a 6-5 lead.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was ejected along with first-base
coach Dave McKay by plate umpire John Shulock after they argued the
call.
"I'm not sure if I balked there or not," Kile said. "But I
tried to make some pitches and be too fine."
St. Louis (94-65) is tied with Atlanta for second-best record in
the NL, one game behind San Francisco (95-64). Because the
Cardinals beat the Braves 4-3 in the season series, St. Louis could
start the playoffs at home next week.
Mark McGwire started the eighth-inning rally with a pinch single
off Kevin Walker, making him 4-for-12 since he was activated from
the disabled list.
Luis Saturria pinch-ran, advanced to second on groundout and
third on a wild pitch by Tom Davey (2-1), then scored on a pinch
single by Thomas Howard.
Mike Matheny and pinch-hitter Larry Sutton singled, putting St.
Louis back ahead.
Dave Veres pitched the ninth for his 29th save in 36 chances.
Ruben Rivera's two-run homer gave San Diego the lead in the
second, but the Cardinals, who have beaten San Diego 11 straight
times, closed in the fourth on a run-scoring error by third baseman
Phil Nevin.
"Any time you lose that many games to one team," Nevin said,
"that's as frustrating as it gets."
St. Louis took a 5-2 lead in the fifth on Jim Edmonds' RBI
single and Clark's homer, his 11th since the Cardinals acquired him
from Baltimore on July 31.
Game notes
Edmonds has a career-high 108 RBIs, one more than he had
with the Angels in 1995. Edmonds, who struck out three times, also
set a Cardinals' single-season strikeout record with 164. Ron Gant
held the previous record of 162 set in 1997. ... Rivera's home run
was the Padres' first at home since Sept. 6. Seven of Rivera's last
nine hits have gone for extra bases (three doubles, two triples and
two homers). ... Kile is 3-0 against the Padres this season, and is
6-2 at San Diego in his career. ... Since the beginning of division
play in 1969, the Cardinals had never swept a season series. ...
San Diego had been swept in a season series (longer than three
games) only once before, when Montreal won all 12 games in 1994.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
San Diego Clubhouse
RECAPS
Anaheim 6
Oakland 3
Texas 13
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NY Yankees 3
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Chicago Cubs 2
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St. Louis 7
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