Shaw, Dodgers Hit With a Water Bomb

ST. LOUIS — His teammates offered support through kind words, thoughtful glances and pats on the back.

It didn’t help.

Struggling reliever Jeff Shaw sat slumped in a chair in front of his clubhouse stall after Craig Paquette’s 12th-inning, one-out, three-run home run against him Friday night capped the St. Louis Cardinals’ 9-6 victory.

The recently demoted closer gave up the blast to left-center on a 2-and-2 pitch before 48,395 at Busch Stadium in a game delayed twice by rain. Paquette hit his seventh homer after Jim Edmonds led off the inning with a double and Shaw walked Mark McGwire intentionally.

Eli Marrero pinch-hit for pitcher Gene Stechschulte and reached base on a fielder’s choice.

Paquette then hit Shaw’s first pitch after the second rain delay to end the game. Dodger Manager Davey Johnson stayed with Shaw after the 19-minute delay because he had already used four relievers and Terry Adams had a tired arm.

“It was a tough situation for [Shaw],” said Johnson, whose team dropped to 38-33. “The rain came and it takes a lot out of you. Then another one came, and there was nothing we could do about it.

“The bullpen has been worked pretty hard, but they battled. It was just one of those things.”

Shaw (2-4) declined comment after his seventh blown save in 19 opportunities. Stechschulte (1-0) pitched two hitless innings to earn the victory for the Cardinals (42-30), who lead the National League Central division.

The Cardinals tied the score, 6-6, on J.D. Drew’s run-scoring hit in the 11th after the Dodgers went ahead on Paul LoDuca’s homer in the top of the inning. Shaw gave up a leadoff single to Placido Polanco, and Polanco advanced to second on Larry Sutton’s sacrifice bunt.

Edgar Renteria flied out with Drew on deck, and the first rain delay occurred with Drew batting and the count 1-and-1.

Drew sent the game to the 12th after the 22-minute delay. He singled into the right-field corner on a 3-and-1 count, and Polanco scored easily to get the Cardinals even.

Dodger right fielder Shawn Green nailed his counterpart at second on the play to end the inning. Drew also hit his 12th homer in the fifth and robbed the Dodgers’ Shawn Gilbert of an extra-base hit with a sliding catch in the 12th.

Shaw was recently removed from the closer’s role for the second time this season because of ineffectiveness.

Backup catcher LoDuca put the Dodgers ahead, 6-5, in the 11th with his second home run of the season. LoDuca, who ran for catcher Chad Kreuter in the ninth, hit a leadoff homer to left on an 0-and-1 count against Cardinal closer Dave Veres.

Alex Cora doubled and Veres was replaced by Stechschulte, activated before the game. Jim Leyritz walked after making his Dodger debut as a defensive replacement in the 10th at first base, and the runners advanced on a passed ball.

After Todd Hollandsworth struck out for the first out, Mark Grudzielanek, with the infield drawn in, grounded to Cardinal shortstop Renteria. He made a strong throw to nail Cora at the plate, and Sheffield popped out.

McGwire tied the score, 5-5, in the eighth with a leadoff homer to center against Matt Herges, and also had a two-run single in the first against starter Chan Ho Park. McGwire hit his 549th career homer on a 1-and-1 pitch, and took sole possession of seventh place on the all-time list. He had been tied with Mike Schmidt.

Green’s three-run blast in the eighth inning to left-center against reliever Matt Morris gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Leadoff batter Hollandsworth doubled to deep center and advanced to third on Grudzielanek’s bloop single to right. After Sheffield fouled out, Green hit a 2-and-0 pitch over the wall.

Green’s 12th home run extended his streak in which he has reached base with either a hit or walk to 53 consecutive games, and his timing was good again.

Green struck out twice and grounded into a double play against St. Louis starter Andy Benes, who had 10 strikeouts overall in seven strong innings.

Sheffield staked Park to a 1-0 lead in the first with his fifth homer--25th overall--in the last four games. He also increased his team-high hitting streak to 13 games.