Carpenter hammers Pirates over 7 innings

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chris Carpenter looked like his old self, the one with dominating form that won a Cy Young Award.

Following a pair of injury decimated seasons, Carpenter took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in his first start this year and combined with two relievers on a one-hitter to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Thursday.

“It was fun to get out there and pitch, compete in a real game, and give my team a chance to win,” Carpenter said. “This was the first time in a long time I felt as good as I do now.”

Carpenter was 51-18 from 2004-06 but then was 0-2 in 21 1/3 innings during the past two seasons. He had not won since Game 3 of the 2006 World Series.

“When he’s healthy, like he is right now, he’s as good as anybody,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He didn’t give them anything to hit.”

Carpenter (1-0) didn’t allow a hit until Ramon Vazquez singled just under the glove of second baseman Skip Schumaker with two outs in the seventh. Schumaker made a poor throw to second on a potential inning-ending double play the previous at-bat, nearly pulling shortstop Khalil Greene off the bag on Brandon Moss’ grounder and getting only a forceout.

Carpenter threw 92 pitches, and La Russa said he would have removed him no matter what after seven innings.

Pittsburgh had scored an unearned run in the third against Carpenter following an error by first baseman Albert Pujols.

“He was just filthy,” said the Pirates’ Freddy Sanchez of Carpenter. “He was throwing what he wanted when he wanted and you have to tip your hat. He was unreal.”

Carpenter struck out seven and walked two, improving to 10-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 12 starts against Pittsburgh.

Ryan Franklin and Dennys Reyes followed with an inning each of perfect relief, with Reyes getting his third career save, his first since Sept. 27, 1999 against the Cardinals in Cincinnati.

Yadier Molina and pinch-hitter Brian Barden had RBI singles in the seventh against Ross Ohlendorf (0-1), who allowed seven hits over six innings in his sixth major league start.

Sanchez was 0-for-4, ending a string of three multi-hit games to start the season for Pittsburgh, which had 17 hits in a 7-4 victory on Wednesday.