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The St. Louis Cardinals recalled starter Anthony Reyes early Saturday following a 14-3 thrashing at the hands of the Oakland A's during which Braden Looper left in the fifth inning with shoulder stiffness after giving up 8 hits and 8 runs (7 earned) and utilityman Scott Spiezio took the mound in the final frame.

The club optioned reliever Kelvin Jimenez to make room for Reyes and promoted Brendan Ryan to help fill in for David Eckstein, the 2006 World Series MVP who has been hobbled by persistent back pain.

Reyes was intended to replace Kip Wells in the rotation Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. But Looper's injury complicates that plant, writes Joe Strauss in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Tony LaRussa's return to Oakland was miserable. The Cardinals are 3-10 this year in interleague play and have been outscored 103-70 in those games. They have been outscored 31-11 in the past two losses, including Thursday's 17-8 loss to the Royals.

LaRussa, who won three American League pennants (1988, '89, '90) and one World Series Championship (1989) while leading the A's, had no other choice than to send in Spiezio after using six relievers during Thursday's game in Kansas City.

Spiezio, the man of the red soul patch, was the only Cardinals pitcher on Friday to give up fewer runs than innings pitched. After Looper's rough start and abrupt exit, relievers Andy Cavazos and Jimenez allowed another 6 runs before LaRussa tapped Spiezio.

"He told me in the seventh to go out and warm up," Spiezio said. "When he approached me I thought I was going to pinch hit or play in the field. They told me to throw nothing but fastballs. Tony told me to go out there and have some fun. I haven't done it since high school."

Trying not to giggle and hoping not to embarrass himself or his teammates, Spiezio went to a full count on Bobby Crosby before getting him to hit a bouncer that Adam Kennedy fielded and threw to Albert Pujols for the first out. Spiezio walked the next batter, Dan Johnson, and then got Mark Ellis and Jack Cust to fly out.

Spiezio was the first Cardinals position player to pitch since Cody McKay on April 8, 2004. Spiezio threw all fastballs (75-87 mph) with a 3/4 arm motion. He got the job done, but he's no Secret Weapon.

"It wasn't a very happy experience," La Russa said. "It was very disappointing. I had a lot of family and friends here and playing well would have meant enjoying it more."

To add insult to injury (literally), the Cardinals lost to the A's Dan Haren, who went to Oakland in the deal that brought Mark Mulder to the Cardinals in the 2004 offseason. Haren has an 8-2 record and a 1.64 ERA, the lowest in major leagues. Mulder still is rehabbing from shoulder surgery in September.

The Cardinals team ERA now is 5.15, worst in the National League and better than only the Texas Rangers (5.45) and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (5.69). LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan say ' future in uncertain, but they may not have any other choice but to use the 2-11 Wells if Looper is going to miss turns in the rotation.