Hudson and pen shutout Dodgers, 4-0, win third straight as Yadi provides the offense
Dakota Hudson faced a tough task tonight, facing the Dodgers, in his second career big league start, scattering 6 hits over 4.2 innings of work, walking four and striking out four on 100 pitches (59 strikes).
Hudson would dance around trouble all night, working around back-to-back one out singles from Turner and Bellinger to begin the night. Hudson got those base knocks back, picking up two strikeouts on Pollock and Muncy, getting them swinging at cutter/slider offerings, though at bat thinks they’re curves.
The Cardinals would put a run on the board for Hud in the bottom of the 1st, bringing out that two out rally magic. After Stripling set down Carp and Goldy to begin the evening, Pauly Deez would lace a double into LF to bring up Swags. Swags would work a free pass, only his second walk of the season. This extended things to Yadi, who ripped the first of his two rbi doubles into LF to plate Pauly Deez to make it 1-0 Cards. If this ball wouldn’t have bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, it would’ve scored Ozuna to make it 2-0.
Hud wouldn’t allow a hit in the 2nd or 3rd innings, working a quick 1-2-3 in the 2nd, getting three ground outs from Hernández, Taylor and Barnes.
After Stripling returned the favor retiring the side in the bottom half, Hud would come back out to strikeout his counterpart looking at a sinker. Hudson would allow back-to-back walks as the order flipped to the top, putting Pederson and Turner on base with one out for the hottest hitter in the league, Cody Bellinger. Bellinger would smoke a liner to Pauly Deez at SS, who would dive to his left up the middle to take away an RBI base hit, doubling up Pederson at 2B unassisted on the play to end the inning.
The Cards would add two more on Stripling in the 3rd, getting the inning started with a Leadoff Guy walk, bringing in the slumping Goldschmidt. Goldy would ground into a slow tapping 5-4 fielder’s choice, moving things to Pauly Deez, who would walk to put runners on for Swags.
Timeout, yes, Swags and Pauly Deez both walked in the same game. Hell is quite possibly freezing over as you read this.
After Swags flew out to Pederson, Yadi would come in next to rip his second rbi double of the game, plating his 2nd and 3rd rbi of the game, scoring Goldy and Deez to make it a 3-0 Cards lead.
Dakota Hudson worked around the worst of troubles in the top half of the 4th, giving up back-to-back one out singles to Muncy (blooped infield single vs the shift) and Hernández. After getting Taylor to ground out to KoWo, Hudson would put on Barnes intentionally to load the bases for Stripling with two away. Hudson ended the inning, striking out his 4th of the night, getting Stripling for the second time on a sinker.
Some are wondering why did Dave Roberts not pinch-hit for Stripling there? Well, here’s your answer. Stripling struck out the next four in-a-row he faced (KoWo, Bader, Hudson, Carp) before giving up a solo HR to LF off the bat of Goldschmidt. Goldy would take an 0-2 fastball offering from Stripling, sending it sky high to LF, sneaking over the wall for a 4-0 Cards lead.
My father, John Brebbia, continued doing what he does, throwing up zeros on the scoreboard. Brebbia recorded three k’s in his 1.1 innings of relief from the pen, striking out Hernández on some high cheese to end the top of the 5th, inheriting the bases juiced. Brebbs would deliver a leadoff walk to Taylor to begin the 6th before getting Barnes and Pederson for his second and third strikeout victims.
G-Spot, Mayers, Miller*, and Leone would team up to get the final nine outs from the Cards pen, striking out four. G-Spot worked around a leadoff walk, ending the inning on back-to-back k’s, getting Pollock and Muncy swinging.
Mayers and Miller worked the 8th, stranding Hernández and Taylor after a leadoff double (if you wanna call it that, Swags knows what I’m talkin’ bout) and walk to bring in Barnes. Barnes would line out to Bader, forcing Shildt to go to his pen in Miller. Miller would get the pinch-hitter, Verdugo, to go down on a slider and Pederson would line out to Deez at SS.
Dom Leone tossed the final inning, striking out the scarecrow, Justin Turner, on a heater to start things off. Bellinger drew a free pass next, to take things to AJ Pollock. Pollock was the final batter, as he grounded into a 6-4-3 double-play for a 4-0 Cardinals victory, their third consecutive win.
Top 3 Plays
3.) Cardinals pitching stranding 13 Dodgers and holding on for the shutout
2.) Yadi being Yadi, two rbi doubles to drive in three runs
1.) Pauly Deez unassisted DP on Bellinger to end the top of the 3rd
Not Top Plays
1.) Swags Ozuna’s wall climb to face plant on the Hernández “double” to leadoff the 8th
Jack Flaherty (0-0, 3.86) gets the ball for the third time tomorrow night, looking to extend the Cardinals winning streak to 4-games. Flaherty will be opposed by Kenta Maeda (2-0, 3.09). First pitch 6:45pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
Comentarios