When the St. Louis Cardinals scored nine runs in the sixth inning Thursday night at Houston, it was the club’s single largest one-inning offensive explosion in almost four years. It was their biggest inning on the road in over six seasons.
It was also one of the 13 top-scoring innings since Tony La Russa became St. Louis’ manager to start the 1996 season. The details of the first 12 are provided below, courtesy of researcher Tom Orf.
The largest frame during the La Russa era was 11 runs, accomplished five times during those 15 years and once previously on July 18, 1964. That is the all-time club record for runs scored in a single inning.
Three of the four times in team history when 10 runs crossed the plate in one inning were also on La Russa’s watch. The other was in 1982.
One of the games, on April 23, 1999 in Dodger Stadium, is the famous contest in which Fernando Tatis hit two grand slams in the third inning – both against Chan Ho Park.
As a footnote, the most runs scored in an inning by a Cardinals opponent was set by the San Diego Padres when they crossed the plate a baker’s dozen times in their home park during the first inning on August 24, 1993.
St. Louis Cardinals, nine-or-more run innings, 1996-present
| 6/16/2007 | Top of the 5th, Cardinals Batting, Ahead 5-3, Athletics’ Ruddy Lugo facing 4-5-6 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Kiko Calero | |||||||||||
| RBI: Miles, Stinnett, Ryan, Taguchi (2), Encarnacion, Duncan (4) | |||||||||||
| 10 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Cardinals 15, Athletics 3. | |||||||||||
| 5/8/2005 | Bottom of the 1st, Cardinals Batting, Tied 0-0, Padres’ Tim Redding facing 1-2-3 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Randy Williams | |||||||||||
| RBI: Pujols (2), Edmonds (2), Rolen (4), Marquis (2) | |||||||||||
| 11 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Padres 0, Cardinals 11. | |||||||||||
| 4/18/2005 | Top of the 9th, Cardinals Batting, Ahead 2-1, Pirates Brian Meadows facing 7-8-9 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong | |||||||||||
| RBI: Walker, Eckstein, Pujols, Edmonds, Taguchi (2), Cedeno (3) | |||||||||||
| 9 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Cardinals 11, Pirates 1. | |||||||||||
| 8/19/2003 | Bottom of the 8th, Cardinals Batting, Behind 3-5, Pirates’ Joe Beimel facing 2-3-4 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Julian Tavarez, Pat Mahomes | |||||||||||
| RBI: Rolen (5), Taguchi (2), Hart, Renteria (2) | |||||||||||
| 10 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Pirates 5, Cardinals 13. | |||||||||||
| 9/23/2002 | Bottom of the 7th, Cardinals Batting, Ahead 3-1, Diamondbacks’ Mike Koplove facing 2-3-4 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Greg Swindell, Matt Mantei | |||||||||||
| RBI: Cairo, Renteria, Matheny, Vina, Marrero (3), Taguchi, Pujols, Perez | |||||||||||
| 10 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Diamondbacks 1, Cardinals 13. | |||||||||||
| 9/26/2002 | Bottom of the 3rd, Cardinals Batting, Tied 0-0, Cubs’ Alan Benes facing 9-1-2 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Jesus Sanchez, Will Cunnane | |||||||||||
| RBI: Marrero, Pujols (4), Martinez (2), Andy Benes, Vina, Edmonds (2) | |||||||||||
| 11 runs, 9 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Cubs 0, Cardinals 11. | |||||||||||
| 8/29/2001 | Bottom of the 2nd, Cardinals Batting, Behind 0-4, Padres’ Bobby Jones facing 4-5-6 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Chuck McElroy | |||||||||||
| RBI: Renteria, Marrero (2), Vina, Polanco, Drew (2), Edmonds (2) | |||||||||||
| 9 runs, 7 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Padres 4, Cardinals 9. | |||||||||||
| 4/23/1999 | Top of the 3rd, Cardinals Batting, Behind 0-2, Dodgers’ Chan Ho Park facing 1-2-3 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Carlos Perez | |||||||||||
| RBI: Tatis (8), Marrero, Bragg, Renteria | |||||||||||
| 11 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Cardinals 11, Dodgers 2. | |||||||||||
| 9/17/1999 | Bottom of the 4th, Cardinals Batting, Behind 0-4, Astros’ Jose Lima facing 4-5-6 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Brian Williams | |||||||||||
| RBI: Drew, Kennedy, McGee, McGwire (4), Howard, Tatis | |||||||||||
| 9 runs, 9 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Astros 4, Cardinals 9. | |||||||||||
| 8/7/1998 | Bottom of the 1st, Cardinals Batting, Behind 0-3, Cubs’ Steve Trachsel facing 1-2-3 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Dave Stevens | |||||||||||
| RBI: McGwire (2), Tatis, Bottenfield (2), Ordaz, Kelly (2), Lankford (3) | |||||||||||
| 11 runs, 6 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. Cubs 3, Cardinals 11. | |||||||||||
| 5/7/1997 | Bottom of the 7th, Cardinals Batting, Tied 5-5, Phillies’ Reggie Harris facing 2-3-4 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Jerry Spradlin, Eric Plantenberg | |||||||||||
| RBI: Gant, Mabry, Gaetti (3), Lankford (4) | |||||||||||
| 9 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Phillies 5, Cardinals 14. | |||||||||||
| 5/9/1996 | Bottom of the 8th, Cardinals Batting, Behind 5-8, Giants’ Rich DeLucia facing 6-7-8 | ||||||||||
| Other pitchers: Mark Dewey, Doug Creek, Jeff Juden | |||||||||||
| RBI: McGee, Alicea (2), Sweeney (2), Mabry, Pagnozzi, McGee (4) | |||||||||||
| 11 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Giants 8, Cardinals 16. | |||||||||||
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