Sports
Westplex Today Sports Page: July 4, 2008
By Jay Murry
Jul 4, 2008 - 11:27:42 AM

Westplex Today Sports Page:   July 4, 2008

Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes each drove in three runs as the Mets crushed the Cardinals 11-1 to earn a split of their four-game series at Busch Stadium.  Mike Pelfrey allowed just one run over seven innings to even his record at 6-and-6 on the season.  Pelfrey also had an RBI and scored a run.  Delgado clubbed his 15th homer of the year, while Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson each plated a run for New York .  Mitchell Boggs was torched for 11 runs, with 10 of them earned, on 10 hits over six innings to suffer his first loss of the year.  Chris Duncan drove in the Cardinals' lone run in the lopsided loss.

Carlos Zambrano returns from the disabled list this evening when the Chicago Cubs open a key three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.  Zambrano's return, though, will likely be overshadowed by Jim Edmonds' first appearance in St. Louis since the Cardinals dealt him to San Diego this past winter.

Edmonds struggled in San Diego and was designated for assignment by the Padres in May. He was signed by the Cubs shortly thereafter and has enjoyed a resurgence in the Windy City , hitting .294 with eight homers and 24 RBI in 36 games. The 38-year-old Edmonds was a six-time Gold Glove winner in St. Louis and was a three-time All-Star in his eight years there. His 241 home runs are also the fourth-most in team history.

Zambrano, meanwhile, will be pitching for the first time since losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on June 18. The big right-hander left that start with shoulder discomfort and was placed on the DL four days later.

He is 8-3 this season with a 3.13 earned run average.

Zambrano is 8-4 lifetime against the Cardinals with a 2.37 ERA in 19 games, 18 of which have been starts.

Chicago could use a big start from its ace tonight after losing for the sixth time in its last eight tries on Thursday to San Francisco . The Cubs fell, 8-3, in the rubber match of that one at AT&T Park .

Mark DeRosa drove in a pair of runs while Sean Gallagher (3-4) lost his third straight decision, giving up four runs -- three earned -- on four hits in five innings of work for the Cubs, who are 2-5 on their 10-game road trip.

St. Louis will pin its hopes tonight on right-hander Braden Looper, who is 9-5 with a 4.26 ERA. Looper received a no-decision on Sunday in Kansas City , as the Royals reached him for three runs (two earned) and six hits in just 3 1/3 innings. Looper also walked four, as the Cardinals pulled out a 9-6 win.

Looper has faced the Cubs 36 times, but just four times as a starter and is 3-3 with four saves and a 2.37 ERA against them.

St. Louis took two of three from the Cubs earlier in the season, but Chicago has won eight of its last 12 at Busch.

In the minor leagues:   the River City Rascals earned a split of a partial doubleheader against the Gateway Grizzlies Friday.   The Rascals lost the continuation of the Thursday game that was postponed because of rain, by a score of 9-5.   Then, the Rascals won the regularly-scheduled nightcap 4-1.   The split leaves the Rascals one game behind the three-way tie of Gateway, Windy City , and Southern Illinois .   The Rascals visit Southern Illinois tonight to begin a 3-game series.

The Rascals have also placed two players on the Frontier League West Division All-Star Team.   Mike Benacka, the Rascals’ top closer in franchise history, will be joined by pitcher Scott Fogelson.   The 16^th Annual Frontier League All-Star Game will be played July 16^th at 7:05 p.m.

The St. Louis Blues re-signed forward Yan Stastny to a two-year contract on Thursday.  Stastny posted one goal and one assist in 12 games after making his Blues debut in February of last season.  The 25-year-old has notched two goals and six helpers in parts of three pro seasons with Boston , Edmonton and St. Louis .

Top-seeded and world number-one Roger Federer is through to his sixth-straight Wimbledon men's final.  The Swiss star bested former world number-one Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the semifinals at the All England Club.  It was Federer's 40th consecutive win at Wimbledon and his 65th-stright win on a grass surface.  The 26-year-old is trying to become the first man in the Open Era to win six-straight titles at the All England Club.  He is tied with Bjorn Borg with five-straight Wimbledon titles.  Should Federer win in the finals, he will also tie Borg with a record 41-consecutive wins at the famed tournament.

On the women’s side, the Williams sisters will meet for a third time, in the championship match at Wimbledon tomorrow morning.   Venus Williams is seeded 7^th, despite being the defending champion.   Her sister Serena was seeded 6^th, but both powered their way through a women’s field that was decimated by upsets among the top 4 seeds up to the quarterfinal round.   It has been five years since both met for the Wimbledon title, and Serena won the two prior matchups in 2002 and 2003.

Olympic gymnast Morgan Hamm has tested positive for a prescribed substance without first getting the proper clearance.  The United States Anti-Doping Agency says the offense involved the use of a prescribed anti-inflammatory medication under the care of a physician without first seeking a therapeutic use exemption.  Such an exemption is required by the rules. 

The 25-year-old Hamm , who was chosen less than two weeks ago to his third Olympic team, is currently dealing with an ankle injury.  He has already overcome a torn pectoral muscle suffered late last year, and has accepted a public warning for his first offense.  USA Gymnastics says they will review the situation to determine how it may impact Hamm 's qualification to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

The U.S. Olympic Track & Field and Swimming Trials will conclude this weekend, in Eugene , Oregon and Omaha .   Top qualifiers will head to Beijing for the start of the Summer Olympics on August 8^th.

The 95th Tour de France begins Saturday in Brest , France and will conclude on Sunday, July 27th in Paris .  This year's tour will be made up of 21 stages and cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometers.

Robbie Knievel, the son of the late legendary stuntman Evil Knievel, amazed cheering fans at Six Flags St. Louis yesterday with his latest feat.  According to KTVI, the 46-year-old jumped over 25 Dodge Chargers.  Aboard his motorcycle, he traveled nearly 200 feet.  His previous best was 23 cars.  The stunt was a tune up for Knievel, who plans to jump Wembley Stadium in England , then use a Harley-Davidson to attempt a jump over Snake River Canyon , just like his dad.