Mike Maroth had pitched the least impressive 5 innings of 1 run ball I’d ever seen (5 H, 4 BB, 2 SO, 94 pitches) before So Taguchi dropped the 3rd out in the 5th and allowed 3 runs to score. Barry Bonds went 0 for 1 with 3 walks – failing to inch any closer to Hank Aaron’s record. The Cards mounted a 9th inning rally by scoring 2 runs on a Chris Duncan 2-out pinch-hit before So Taguchi flied out to left to end the game as the Giants held on to win 4-3.

Scott Rolen provided some come from behind heroics on this 4th of July evening against the Diamondbacks. With 2 on and 2 out in the 4th Rolen made an amazing throw from his knees to get the out at first, and later capped an 8th inning rally with an RBI double that gave the Cardinals the lead. Izzy allowed a lead off double in the 9th before striking out the side as the Cards held on to win 5-4.

Braden Looper pitched well in his return, keeping the Diamondbacks off the board through 5 innings before getting tagged for 3 runs in the 6th. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb was unlucky allowing a number of seeing eye hits and got pulled with the score tied at 3 in the 7th only to have his bullpen allow 8 runs over the next 2 innings. The Cardinals bullpen provided 3 perfect innings from Russ Springer, Ryan Franklin, and Randy Flores in beating Arizona 11-3.