Beatings, real and imagined

Take heart, Cardinals fans. The shellacking at the hands of the Detroit Tigers last night wasn't even the worst loss in the big leagues.

Oakland beat San Francisco 15-3, spoiling Barry Zito's return across the bay.

But it gets even better (or worse).

Neither one of those games could hold a candle to the worst beating in all of professional baseball Friday night.

In Class-A California League play, the Lake Elsinore Storm pounded the Lancaster JetHawks 30-0. That's right. T-H-I-R-T-Y.

The Storm, a San Diego Padres farm team, had 28 hits on the night, including six home runs.

14-4 doesn't sound so bad now, eh?

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Stopped short of what?

Understated headline of the day. "Cardinals stopped short in Detroit"

Leyland on Duncan

Tigers manager Jim Leyland on Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan.

"I saw Chris Duncan work his butt off with the determination that he wasn't going to be denied," Leyland said. "I remember him always working on something. To me, that's a great story because those are the kind of guys you pull for.

"His dad's a very good friend of mine, and I remember him as a little kid in Chicago when he and his brother would be running around the clubhouse in sandals. Those are the wonderful things that happen in baseball.

"However good he can be is what he will be."

Chris's brother, Shelley, is hitting .325 with 11 home runs for the Yankees Triple-A team.