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Healthy Carpenter makes Cardinals contenders

Pitcher admits he has 'a long way to go,' but he's close to 2006 form

Image: CarpenterAP
St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter won his first game since the 2006 World Series on Thursday.

So far, he has been better than anyone could have expected. He started his spring strong and got better each time out. Still, the Cardinals can't get too excited.

"I don't know the exact condition that exists, but I've been told it's not impossible for it to come back," Duncan said. "But it's also possible that it won't come back. You just hope that it doesn't."

Duncan wasn't hoping that Vazquez would end Carpenter's no-hit bid, but the hit certainly didn't bother the coach. With Carpenter at 92 pitches after seven innings, sending him out for the eighth would have been difficult even if the no-hitter were intact.

"I'm relieved we didn't have to deal with that," Duncan said.

La Russa said that Carpenter was tiring in the seventh and the choice to remove him would have been a no-brainer. The fact the Cardinals rallied in the seventh when Carpenter was removed for a pinch hitter "worked out nicely," La Russa said.

Not surprisingly, Carpenter said he was fine with whatever decision the coaching staff decided to make. He is just another guy out there doing his job.

"I take the ball no matter what the situation, and I take it as long as I can until they take it from me," Carpenter said. "It's been like that ever since I've been here. If the choice was to take me out, the choice was to take me out."

Carpenter, however, admitted it sure is nice to be able to give the Cardinals such a choice.

"Yes, it is," he said. And he almost smiled.

© 2012 Sporting News


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