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GAME LOG
PHOENIX (AP) -- For someone who almost had to leave the game due
to injury, Tony Womack made quite a splash at the end.
Womack hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Dave Veres,
and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2
Thursday to make Randy Johnson the NL's first 15-game winner.
|  | | Tony Womack rounds third after belting a two-run, game-winning homer off Cardinals closer Dave Veres. |
"A walk-off home run? I've never heard that before," said
Womack, whose sixth homer tied his career high set in 1997.
"That's a good feeling. But Randy pitched a good game, and he
deserved to win."
In the seventh, the slender shortstop leaped high chasing Shawon
Dunston's double into the gap. When he came down, his left knee
buckled and he crumpled to the ground.
After conferring with manager Buck Showalter and trainers,
Womack stayed in the game.
"He landed awkwardly on his knee," Showalter said. "One thing
that gets missed with Tony is that he's a very durable player. He
answers the bell."
Eric Davis' sacrifice fly off Johnson (15-2) put the Cardinals
ahead 2-1 in the ninth.
But Veres (1-3) walked Hanley Frias to lead off the bottom half.
Jay Bell, batting for Johnson, sacrificed and Womack sent the ball
into the right-field seats. Veres blew a save for the fifth time in
23 chances.
"We stole one today, and we're very fortunate. I'm real
grateful to Tony, and Hanley, too," Johnson said
Frias, who made his first start since June 21, replaced Bell at
second base, and hit a solo homer -- the fourth of his career and
second this year.
"We've got some players that are making some good money, so
you've just got to wait for a chance to play, and then you've got
to do something with it," Frias said.
Johnson pitched a six-hitter for his major league-leading sixth
complete game -- the first since a 2-0 loss at Montreal on May 16 -- striking out 11 and walking one.
Johnson, 4-0 in five starts since losing to Colorado on June 24,
reached double-digit strikeouts for the 15th time in 21 starts this
season and the 140th time in his career. His 221 strikeouts lead
the majors.
Johnson struck out the first five batters and retired the first
15 before Eduardo Perez homered leading off the sixth.
Darryl Kile allowed one run -- on Frias' homer in the sixth -- and
three hits in eight innings, striking out nine and walking none.
Kile had no regrets about leaving the game.
"I'll hand the game over to Veres anytime," Kile said. "He's
great. He'll get the job done nine out of 10 times. Womack hits a
homer -- those things happen. It's just a fluke."
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 5
NY Yankees 3
Minnesota 5
Chi. White Sox 1
Boston 11
Baltimore 7
Baltimore 9
Boston 4
(2nd game)
Oakland 5
Seattle 4
Kansas City 10
Cleveland 6
Toronto 6
Tampa Bay 5
Anaheim 6
Texas 1
Montreal 4
NY Mets 1
Pittsburgh 9
Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Atlanta 5
Florida 3
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 3
St. Louis 2
San Francisco 7
San Diego 3
Houston 6
Cincinnati 2
Los Angeles 6
Colorado 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Randy Johnson says that the D-Backs stole the victory.
wav: 147 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tony Womack talks about his game-winning home run.
wav: 136 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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