Cardinals 6, Dodgers 4 … and the 3B battle takes an ugly twist

Within 15 minutes of each other, both Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche had left the game with hand-related injuries, and both were taken for X-rays, the results of which we are awaiting now. Nomar got hit by a pitch between his right hand and wrist in the fourth inning (after hitting a HR in the second) and was in obvious pain. LaRoche pinch ran for him and stayed in at 3B. In the top of the fifth, with runners on first and third, catcher Danny Ardoin tried to pick D’Angelo Jimenez off third. But LaRoche, who might have been screened out by Jimenez trying to get back to the bag, was hit in the right wrist by the throw. LaRoche was then on the ground for a few seconds before getting up and walking off. Will let you know when we have the X-ray results. … James Loney, Andruw Jones and Andre Ethier, who today comprised the three, four and five spots in the order, were a combined 6 for 12 with a double and two home runs today. Each was 2 for 4. Loney had the double. Jones and Ethier had the homers. Chad Billingsley was roughed up for three runs on five hits over three innings. Dodgers fall to 3-6-1.