Pu-pu-pujols!

The Cards nicely followed a blowout with a close victory over the Phils in Game 2 of their series. You’re not going to score more than a dozen runs every night, so they’re going to have to win some close ones. Pujols went yard again, which means he’s hit 5 homers in his last 5 regular season games (including the last 3 from 2005). It also means he’s hit 6 homers in the last 3 games, including the final spring game.

So the MVP is already in MVP form. More exciting, though, is the performance of the bottom-of-the-lineup newcomers.  In the second inning, Skip Schumaker singled, stole second, and eventually scored from third on a single by fellow newcomer Aaron Miles. Schumaker hit a solo homer in the fourth, and kept the game-winning two-out rally going in the ninth with a five-pitch walk.

The bottom four hitters in the lineup, Schumaker, catcher Yadier Molina, Miles and pitcher Mark Mulder reached base nine times, with two runs scored and three RBIs. Schumaker has three hits in six ABs over the first two games. Miles is hitting .600, with two doubles and a triple. If they can keep it up, Walt Jocketty will look like a genius. Juan Encarnacion is the only snag, as he’s just 1 for his first 9, and stranded 9 runners last night (0-4 with RISP).