Cards comeback to beat Dodgers with two run 6th, 4-3, Mikolas picks up first win
Miles Mikolas had the task to tame the hot Dodgers bats tonight, opening a four game set from Busch Stadium. And the 1st inning definitely didn’t go in his favor, as the Dodgers would plate Ryu an early 2-0 in the 1st.
Mik was battling all night, even hitting three Dodgers (Pederson x2 & Martin). But he managed to keep the Cardinals within striking distance to secure a victory.
1st Inning
Mikolas would allow the games leadoff hitter, Joc Pederson, to reach base on a hit by pitch. Corey Seager then singled to CF, to bring in Bellinger, who might be the hottest hitter in baseball right now. The Liz King would get Bellinger to ground into a 4-6 fielder’s choice, Pederson scoring on the play to make it 1-0 Dodgers. This actually felt like a win, although it could’ve easily been a double-play, at least I think so. Anyways, Pollock then lined an RBI double into LF to score Bellinger to put the Dodgers up 2-0 for Ryu. Mikolas retired Muncy and Verdugo to strand Pollock in scoring position.
The Cardinals tied things up as fast as the Dodgers got on the board, facing a good left-hander in Ryu. Carpenter (who hit into terrible luck tonight btw) lined out on a 3u to Bellinger to begin the game for the Birds. Goldy then worked a walk to bring in Cafecíto, starting in RF tonight vs the LHP. Martínez would ground into a 6-4 fielder’s choice on a slow hit grounder. This extended the inning to Swags Ozuna. Swags made sure to make it count, lining a rocket down the LF line, tucking it just before the foul pole at 115mph, making it a brand new game at 2-2. Pauly Deez even kept things going, flexing a double over Pollock’s head in CF to extend things to Yadi Molina. Yadi would hit into some bad luck tonight as well, lining out to Seager at SS to take things to the 2nd inning.
2nd-5th innings
The only hit through these innings would come off the bat of Corey Seager, as the Dodgers SS lined an RBI single into LF to score Martin (HBP) in the 5th inning to make it a 3-2 Dodgers lead.
Ryu would leave the game after pitching 1.2 innings, straining his groin, an injury that kept him out around 90 games in 2018. Floro, Alexander*, Kelly, and Báez would get the bullpen innings for the Dodgers tonight.
6th-9th innings
The Lizard King worked his final inning in the top of the 6th, working around two hits (Muncy single & Hernández double) with runners in scoring position and only one out. Harrrrrrrry Bader would bail Mikolas out, or maybe Hernández would bail Mikolas out, you be the decider. Russell Martin would hit a shallow fly ball to CF, as Bader would take off catching it on the run, throwing it into the cutoff man, Goldy, who would double off Hernández at 2B.
Leadoff Guy led off the bottom of the inning, beating the shift vs the left-handed Scott Alexander, taking a single into RF. Former Cardinal, Joe Kelly, would come into relieve Alexander, walking Goldy upon entering to bring up Cafecíto. Cafecíto would line an RBI single into LF, scoring Carp to make it a 3-3 game. Kelly bounced back huge, getting Swags to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. With Pauly Deez at the plate and Goldy at 3B, Kelly would throw a wild pitch to bring in Goldy to give the Cardinals a 4-3 advantage. Pauly Deez would single to CF and Yadi would continue hitting into that bad luck, lining out to Seager for the second time to end the inning.
Johnny G-Spot Gant and Jordan Hicks would get the final three innings from the Cardinals bullpen, working three scoreless/hitless frames, striking out two. John Gant had one of my favorite at bats of the game as he was throwing to Seager, striking him out on a fastball looking to end the top of the 7th. G-Spot has Seager lookin’ a bit silly a few times.
Gant even worked around leadoff walk to Bellinger in the 8th, getting Pollock to fly out to O’Neill and Muncy to ground into an inning ending double play, 4-6-3 on the putout.
Jordan Hicks entered the 9th looking for his 2nd save in as many days, which would be a first in his young career. Hicks slider has easily become my favorite pitch in baseball, and I don’t even think it’s a question. Hicks even flashed the changeup on Verdugo to begin the inning, striking him out to bring in Hernández. After Hernández worked a walk, Martin would pop out to Wong for the second out, bringing in Justin Turner (pinch-hitting) for the final chance. Hicks had some fun with Turner, bringing out that nasty slider a time or two. Turner would ground out to Carp to end the game for a 4-3 Cardinals victory.
Top 3 Plays
3.) Swags 115mph rope down the LF line in the 1st inning to tie it 2-2
2.) Bader’s double play on Martin in the 6th
1.) Joe Kelly blowing in the 6th, because why not?
Dakota Hudson (0-1, 5.40) gets the nod tomorrow evening vs Ross Stripling (0-0, 2.31), facing a tough test vs a heavy left-handed Dodgers lineup. First pitch at 6:45pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
Comments