Crucial decision doesn't work for Cardinals

ST. LOUIS Cardinals manager Mike Matheny elected to intentionally walk a guy hitting .186 in his last 21 games to face a guy batting .409 in his last six games in the tenth inning of a tie game Saturday night. It didn't work. Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki lined a two-out, two-run double into the gap in left center off reliever Fernando Salas after the Cardinals decided not to face the struggling Danny Espinosa and the home team suffered a tough 6-4 loss at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals trailed 4-0 in the seventh inning before scoring three runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to tie the game. But a walk by Sam Freeman to start the tenth opened the door for the Nationals winning rally and the questionable pitching decision that eventually followed. The scenario unfolded when Washington had a runner on second base and two outs in the top of the tenth inning with Espinosa due up. The second baseman entered the at-bat with a .186 average (13-for-70) in his last 21 games and had s...