St. Louis Cardinals Sink On Ben Francisco's Home Run, Philadelphia Phillies Go Up 2-1

Read More: Ben Francisco (DH - TOR), Cole Hamels (P - PHI), Ryan Madson (P - CIN), Brad Lidge (P - WAS), Roy Oswalt (P - PHI), Edwin Jackson (P - WAS), Ryan Theriot (SS - SFG), Albert Pujols (1B - ANA), Jason Motte (P - STL), Jaime Garcia (P - STL), Fernando Salas (P - STL), Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

Jaime Garcia matched Cole Hamels for six scoreless innings until Ben Francisco's three-run pinch-hit home run staked the Phillies to a lead and the Cardinals' ninth-inning rally was too-little, too-late Tuesday afternoon. The Redbirds scattered 12 hits and wasted a three-double night from Albert Pujols—not to mention a four-hit day from platoon second baseman Ryan Theriot—managing just two runs from four hits against Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson in the eighth and ninth innings. 

Garcia was having one of his most economical outings of the season until the home run broke things up—he spread 100 pitches across seven innings, while the Cardinals got Hamels to throw 117 in six scoreless. Fernando Salas and Jason Motte each threw a scoreless inning in the loss.

The Cardinals will attempt to stave off elimination Wednesday at 5:00 CDT when Edwin Jackson toes the mound against Roy Oswalt, the Phillies' ersatz fourth starter. New Busch Stadium will get its second look at an elimination game—the first since they were swept in the 2009 NLDS, and got a single game on the field christened by the 2006 World Series championships.