Hancock 'scare' preceded tragic car accident
Before a noon game against Cincinnati on Thursday, teammates frantically and unsuccessfully tried to reach Hancock on his cell phone when he was late.
''That's why it's so different here, because of what happened with Darryl,'' Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen -- the only pitcher on the team who also was with the Cards in Chicago in 2002 -- said Thursday. ''So everybody worries. That's got more to do with it than oversleeping.''
Hancock eventually showed just before game time, explaining that he overslept and his phone was off.
CHANGE OF PLANS: Cubs right-hander Angel Guzman, who joined the team in St. Louis over the weekend to prepare for a start Tuesday in Pittsburgh, will return to Class AAA Iowa to make his start there instead as a result of Sunday's postponement, manager Lou Piniella said.
Piniella said he's leaning toward bringing Guzman back to start Sunday at home against the Washington Nationals, a move that would allow him to split the rotation's two left-handers.
Piniella has wanted to put a right-hander between lefties Rich Hill and Ted Lilly since the Cubs-Astros postponement April 11 created the back-to-back issue. They've pitched in the same series twice since then and will do it for a third time against the Pirates. Hill, who was scheduled to start Sunday, opens the three-game series tonight, with Lilly pushed back to Tuesday.
Guzman had a 2.45 ERA in relief before being optioned to Iowa two weeks ago to prepare for the fifth-starter role. He had not been added to the 25-man roster since joining the team Saturday.
Piniella said if he doesn't bring Guzman back for that start against the Nationals, he would return May 12 to start at Philadelphia.
''It'll probably be the former,'' Piniella said.
SHORT HOPS: Reliever Bob Howry is expected to be 100 percent for the Pittsburgh series after getting the weekend off following his ''barbecue-grill'' injury on Thursday's day off. Howry tweaked his upper back while moving his grill at home and had improved enough over the weekend that he was considered available Sunday before the postponement.
• • No makeup date has been scheduled for Sunday's game. The teams aren't scheduled to meet again until after the All-Star break, with their next series scheduled for July 24-26 in St. Louis.
• • Piniella on the game being postponed: ''Without question it's the absolute, right thing to do.''