ST. LOUIS — There was comfort in his command. There was something in the thick, sticky air at Busch Stadium that made Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick feel as if he could work with control.
Proof of his efficient seven-hit, four-strikeout complete game — the first of his career — was seen when he walked toward his clubhouse stall following the Phillies' 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Two large icepacks were wrapped around his right shoulder and elbow, signs of an effort that he ranked among the best of a six-year career spent shuffling between the bullpen and starting rotation. He turned to a small crowd before him after snapping a career-long four-game losing streak feeling right at home.
"This is one of my favorite parks to pitch in — Atlanta and here," said Kendrick, who improved to 1-4 this season. "It's warm. I like the humidity. … I would probably say, yeah, this is one of my best."
One of Kendrick's best efforts was enough to accomplish two things: It clinched a series victory over the cooling Cardinals, who are 5-11 in their last 16 games, and it gave him a model of what he can accomplish as he continues to appear in the rotation in place of injured right-hander Vance Worley.
Kendrick's line Saturday was telling of his potential during his sixth start of the season. He brushed aside hitters with 94 pitches, 70 of which were strikes. He kept batters guessing with a game plan that called for many first-pitch changeups. He knew the Cardinals would be aggressive at the plate, so he sought to use the approach against them by mixing up his offerings.
"He's got some good stuff," Phillies catcher Brian Schneider said. "Hopefully after tonight, he can realize if he throws strikes and stays ahead, he can do some good things."
Kendrick hopes those good things lead to more opportunity later in his career. The 27-year-old Houston native revealed some ambition in his postgame remarks Saturday. He's comfortable with being a placeholder in the Phillies' starting rotation, but he said he's a different pitcher than he was just two seasons ago.
With time, he envisions earning a consistent starting job. Of course, his preference would be to have that chance be in Philadelphia.
Kendrick has shown progress of late working toward that goal. Entering Saturday, he allowed three earned runs or fewer in 13 of his last 14 starts dating to the 2011 season. He allowed seven earned runs in three innings during a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 23 in his first start of the season. However, he came into Saturday's game posting a 2.25 ERA since then.
"It's a learning process," Kendrick said. "This game is a lot of ups and downs. You try to get better every day and learn from your mistakes."
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel never saw Kendrick better. The victory made the pitcher 5-1 against the Cardinals and 3-1 at Busch Stadium for his career.
Afterward, the skipper leaned back in a chair in a small room and praised Kendrick's ability to handle the moment. Then he was asked if the outing was the pitcher's best in a Phillies uniform.
"That's one of his better games that I've seen him pitch," Manuel said.
"It's his first shutout of his career," someone said. "How much better has he been?"
"Well," Manuel said, a few chuckles filling the room, "that was his best game."
Kendrick thought a shutout could be possible by the sixth inning's end. At that point, he noticed his pitch count hadn't passed 50. He trusted Schneider, who played in place of a resting Carlos Ruiz, to manage the situation from behind home plate.
Kendrick enjoyed a better night than the one experienced by Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia. Garcia entered 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA in six career regular-season games against the Phillies. But Philadelphia's four earned runs Saturday surpassed the combined total (three) that the Phillies produced in Garcia's four previous regular-season starts against them.
As Garcia struggled, Kendrick impressed eyes in both dugouts. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny admired the opposing pitcher's consistency.
"That was Pitching 101," Matheny said. "That's how you control a game. He did a nice job using his offspeed. He just kept us off balance. The movement in the bottom of the zone got him a lot of ground balls. That was the difference. … He was good. He made a lot of pitches when he had to. He had good movement, good sink and controlled the counts. He didn't throw many balls outside the zone. The swings we took — we had a few hits but just couldn't pile them together at the right time."
No, they couldn't. When David Freese struck out looking to end the night, Schneider tossed Kendrick the ball as a keepsake, gave the pitcher a high-five and hugged him near the mound.
The shutout marked a career milestone, yes, but it was far from a defining moment for a man who views his development as a work in progress. After all, Kendrick planned to "celebrate" by watching a movie in his hotel room later that night.
"I can do it," Kendrick said. "I can pitch nine innings and have good results. It's (about) working quick, getting early contact, pitching to contact — pitching to the bat instead of pitching away from it."
Yes, he can do it. And he did Saturday in a place that makes him comfortable.
