contributing

Craig Biggio didn't get hit by a pitch last night, but he did go 3 for 5 with a double, and 3 RBI including a bottom of the 9th, game winning, walk-off RBI single. That was Biggio's 15th career walkoff RBI. In Biggio's post-game interview he mentioned that the Cardinals losing pitcher Braeden Looper nearly broke his forearm last year - that was plunk #257 on April 13, 2005 at Shea Stadium. Looper is the 3rd pitcher to give up a walk-off RBI to Biggio having already plunked him in his career. The other two pitchers to do so - Jeff Brantley and Pedro Astacio both plunked Biggio again sometime after giving up a walkoff hit to him - although in Astacio's case, he plunked Biggio 3 times before and 4 times after. The only other pitcher to both plunk Biggio and give up a walkoff was Jose Jimenez. He only got around to throwing Biggio an HBP after he lost a game on a Biggio walk-off, but he did them both in the same season. That walk-off against Jimenez was the most recent before last night.

Today the Cardinals are expected to throw Anthony Reyes at the Astros. Carlos Reyes and Al Reyes have plunked Biggio, but Anthony Reyes has not. Anthony Reyes has hit 7 batters in his career - all this season.

Sunday, Jeff Weaver will take the mound for the Cardinals. Weaver hit Biggio with a pitch on August 28, 2005 but Umpire Doug Eddings decided it didn't count because it didn't meet the requirements for "degree of difficulty" or something. Weaver has thrown 109 plunks that actually did count in his career, but only 9 - a career low - this season.

Biggio has never been plunked on September 23rd, but on September 24, 1997, Mark Clark threw plunk number 118.