By BARRY LEWIS Sports Writer on Oct 13, 2012, at 7:30 PM Updated on 1/14 at 3:58 PM
PRO BASEBALL
Former Oklahoma State lefty Tyler Lyons will make his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday at San ...
The San Diego Padres have signed former Booker T. Washington outfielder Mike Wilson to a minor league contract and assigned ...
Former Tulsa Drillers are coming and going all over the place in the majors today.
Colorado called up pitcher Rob Scahill ...
Owasso graduate Pete Kozma had to overcome long odds to even be in position to deliver the game-winning hit in St. Louis’ 9-7 comeback win over Washington in the National League Division Series’ finale on Friday night.
Kozma, who had the tiebreaking two-run single with two outs, would not be in the Cardinals lineup if:
1. All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal was not injured on Aug. 30 and lost for the season.
2. Former first-round draft choice Tyler Greene had taken advantage of his many opportunities to become a starter or key middle-infield reserve for St. Louis. He had a meltdown in an early August loss and was traded to Houston. Greene usually6 performed well at Triple-A Memphis but that didn’t translate into success in St. Louis.
3. Ryan Jackson had performed better during limited chances after being called up to replace Greene in early August. Going back to spring training, Jackson had moved ahead of Kozma on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Kozma didn’t get much playing time in spring training.
4. Veteran Skip Schumaker had played better during his time in the lineup at second base. That would have probably resulted in another Game 5 hero, Daniel Descalso, taking over at shortstop...
Friday was not the first time that Kozma had a good ninth-inning at-bat against Washington closer Drew Storen. On Sept. 29, Kozma ripped a single off Storen that helped St. Louis rally to send the game into extra innings of an eventual 6-4 loss...
Washington manager Davey Johnson should’ve walked Kozma intentionally in the ninth once Descalso stole second base. That would have forced St. Louis to pinch-hit for closer Jason Motte and use its last position player, Tony Cruz, who had not batted in nine days. Even if St. Louis had scored, no one else in St. Louis’ bullpen has any saves this season. The Cardinals didn’t have any trustworthy relievers left. The last time St. Louis tried someone else besides Motte in a save situation, Fernando Salas gave up a tying homer with two strikes and two outs in the ninth at Wrigley Field on Sept. 21...
It was a surprise that Johnson called on Game 3 losing starter Edwin Jackson to pitch the seventh inning in Game 5 instead of former Drillers reliever Ryan Mattheus, who was the Game 1 winner and had not pitched Thursday...
After watching St. Louis reliever Trevor Rosenthal fire more 100-mph fastballs on Friday, it’s amazing that Baseball America had eight prospects rated higher than Rosenthal in the Texas League this season...
Former Tulsa Drillers manager Tom Runnells interviewed for the vacant Colorado Rockies managerial position on Thursday. Runnells, who is on the Rockies coaching staff, managed Tulsa in 2004-05 and managed in the majors with Montreal in 1991-92.
-- Barry Lewis
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