It’s finally here!!! Baseball is back and I hope you’re ready to follow along with my game recaps!! Today isn’t the way we envisioned things going, but what an ending and great ballgame to watch. Let’s dive in and give ya this recap.
Wacky Ending on Opening Day, Cards fall to Crew 5-4
Miles Mikolas and Jhoulys Chacín had the honor of drawing the Opening Day bids for their respective ball clubs this afternoon at Miller Park.
Chacín got off to a quick start, as he struck out the side to begin things for Milwaukee. Goldy would strikeout looking his first two at bats, but the first one was questionable, and it opened up what would be a big strike zone from the jump from Mr. Gary Cederstrom.
Mikolas (who we are helping every start this season, check out @birdsontheblack for more info) took the mound today looking fresh as ever with the flow and combed stache.
The Lizard King would deliver a one, two, three inning himself, striking out LoCain looking to start his afternoon.
The Cards delivered some of that two out magic from last year in the top of the 2nd, getting things rolling with a Dex walk to bring in KoWo. Wong got a first pitch to his liking from Chacín, drilling it to right center for a two run shot, the first Cardinals HR of the season to make it 2-0 Redbirds.
Harry Bader kept the line moving, as he took the next pitch from Chacín to deep LF for back-to-back jacks to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Crew would get a run back with some two out magic of their own, as Mike Moustakas would drill a high fastball from Mik to deep CF, making it 3-1.
The Cards bats would go cold over the next few frames, allowing Chacín to retire the next 9 he faced. And just like that, the Brewers would regain the lead with one out in the bottom of the 3rd.
After getting Arcia to ground out back to the mound, Mik would give up a base hit to his counterpart before giving up a single to the leadoff hitter, LoCain.
And yup, you guessed it, giving up the hit to Chacín proved costly, as Yelich would connect for his first HR of the season, as 3 run shot sneaking over the outstretched glove of Harry Bader to make it 4-3 Crew.
Jouhlys Chacín just kept making things worse, and in ways I didn’t even find humanly possible. Chacín would extend the Brewers lead to 5-3 after hitting a solo HR to LF, getting a hanging breaking pitch about belt high.
Chacín would get lifted from this game after 5.1 innings, walking Goldy and striking out DeJong for his seventh before giving way to Junior Guerra.
Swags laced a single into LF to put runners on first and second for Yadi, who would fly out to Yelich in RF. Guerra would strand both runners, getting Dex to pop out to Arcia.
KoWo decided he wasn’t done for the afternoon, blasting his second bomb of the game to RF to cut the Cards deficit down to one at 5-4. Guerra was able to put the HR behind him, getting the next three he faced, one being Prince Sex himself (pinch-hitting).
Josh Hader would close the door over the final two innings, picking up a two inning save. *sigh*
Hader struck out the side (Goldy, DeJong, Ozuna) on 11 pitches, and I’m not sure he threw anything other than a fastball. The shadows were brutal and every swing seemed to be late, it just wasn’t fair.
Much like the ending of the game.
With two outs, and Wong’s spot up vs Hader, Shildt elected to go to Cafecíto for a pinch-hit opportunity. Cafecíto (2-3) in his career vs Hader, got a pitch out over the middle to his liking and struck it to deep right center, but a leaping LoCain would rob Cafecíto of a game tying HR to wrap up game one for the Brewers 5-4.
The Pen works three scoreless
The Cards bullpen looked promising today, considering two of the arms are arms we are still questionable on. Leone, Brebbia and Johnny G-Spot would work the 6th-8th innings, giving up two hits, collecting two strikeouts, walking only one.
Top 3 plays
- 3.) KoWo and Bader go back-to-back on two pitches
- 2.) KoWo goes yard x2 to bring the Cards within a run
- 1.) LoCain robs Cafecíto of game tying HR with 2 outs in the 9th to shut the door.
Turn the page
Game 2 is tomorrow evening at 7:10pm from Miller Park.
Freddy Peralta and Jack Flaherty will match up and I’m guessing we will see our fair share of fastballs.
Happy Opening Day, folks!!
Cheers, Stew