unsung hero

In what might have been the game of the year in the big leagues on Tuesday night, Ole Miss product Lance Lynn played a large if somewhat unheralded role as St. Louis took an 8-7 win over Milwaukee in 11 innings. The game between the two National League Central title contenders — the Cardinals moved within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Brewers with the win — had home runs, hit batsmen, great plays, bad plays, a big comeback and an ejection. Pretty much everything. Lance Berkman, the former Jackson Generals star who is having an MVP-type season, knocked in the game-winning run, slicing an opposite field single to shallow left to score Matt Holliday in the top of the 11th. Octavio Dotel, a trade deadline pickup by the Cards, notched the save. But give props to Lynn, the rookie right-hander who entered the game for St. Louis in the midst of a mess in the seventh inning. St. Louis had just tied the score at 7-all in the top of the frame. Jason Motte hit Ryan Braun to start the bottom of the seventh, clearly a retaliatory measure after Cards star Albert Pujols had been plunked previously. Motte was lifted — not ejected — and Marc Rzepczynski came on to walk the next batter. Enter Lynn. An infield hit loaded the bases with none out. Lynn then got a pop up, a ground-ball force at home and a strikeout to end the frame. A truly pivotal moment. Lynn has posted a 3.48 ERA in 15 games since he made his debut on June 2. Opponents are hitting just .214 against him, and he has 32 strikeouts in 31 innings. Good starting pitching is essential for a contender, and you’ve got to have a reliable closer who throws strikes. But those guys who work the middle innings, guys like Lynn, are pretty valuable, as well.