ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996 TAG: 9609250069
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PITTSBURGH
SOURCE: Associated Press
The St.Louis Cardinals began the 1996 season with a new owner, manager, cleanup hitter and closer. They're ending it with a new title: National League Central Division champions.
Ray Lankford's bases-loaded single drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh following Gary Gaetti's tying homer, and the Cardinals clinched their first division title since 1987 by beating Pittsburgh 7-1 on Tuesday night.
It was the sixth division championship for Cardinals manager Tony La Russa - his first in the NL - and St.Louis' fifth since divisional play began in 1969. It was the Cardinals' first since they moved into the NL Central in 1993.
St.Louis, the fifth team in 12 years to clinch a division title at Three Rivers Stadium, was shut out for six innings by Esteban Loaiza (1-3), but tied it on Gaetti's 21st homer. Gaetti's blast seemed to take the pressure off the Cardinals, who had been limited to two hits by Loaiza.
After Chris Peters replaced Loaiza, Luis Alicea doubled ahead of Ozzie Smith's two-out walk and Lankford's go-ahead single. Willie McGee was thrown at the plate by right fielder Orlando Merced as he tried to stretch the lead to two runs.
Brian Jordan took care of that in the eighth with his 17th homer, off reliever Marc Wilkins. Alicea's double - his second in as many innings - drove in two runs to make it 5-1. Jordan added a sacrifice fly in the ninth and third baseman Carlos Garcia lost a ball in the lights for a run-scoring error.
The Cardinals' rally made a winner of Andy Benes (18-10), who limited Pittsburgh to five hits and a run in six innings before he was lifted for a pinch hitter.
Three relievers combined for two shutout innings before Dennis Eckersley finished the ninth with his 31st save, starting a joyous on-field celebration by a team that finished 19 games under .500 last season.
It was fitting that Benes won the Cardinals' clincher, even if he wasn't on the mound at the finish. His turnaround from a 1-7 start to win 18 of his past 21 decisions is emblematic of a team that was laboring in last place until early June before rebounding to win its division.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB