Flaherty delivers 6 strong shutout innings, Wong’s late inning two-run double is the difference in 5-2 game-one win over The Crew
The Cardinals and Brewers opened play tonight with a huge three-game weekend series. Jack Flaherty and Freddy Peralta would match up tonight, both giving up 3 hits through their first 4 innings. The only difference being the Cardinals pushing 3 runs across the plate through those innings.
Lo-Cain got things started tonight for the Crew, lining a one-out single into RF, stealing 2B with Moustakas coming to bat. After getting Moustakas to fly out, Flaherty would issue a free pass to Aguilar to bring in Shaw, who would be Flaherty’s first k of the evening, swinging and missing at a fastball offering.
The Cardinals would push across two 1st inning runs, as Yadi reached base with a free pass after Carp flew out to Thames to leadoff the game. Thames and Cain would collide on Carp’s fly out, Thames coming up with a spectacular catch for the games first out. Yadi would draw a free pass after the Carp fly out, bringing in Cafecíto, who proceeded to hit a double into RF. Swags came through clutch next, smoking a grounder back up the middle for a two-run single, scoring Yadi and Cafecíto to make it 2-0 Cards.
Flaherty picked up his 2nd k of the evening for the second out in the top of the 2nd inning, getting Thames to swing and miss at some cheddar. Kratz then lined a two-out single into LF, bringing in Peralta, who grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice.
Kolten Wong and Haaaaaaaarry Bader opened the bottom of the 2nd with back-to-back walks, Wong advancing to 2B on the odd balk from Peralta. Flaherty attempted to sac-bunt both runners up a base, bunting into a 1-5 fielder’s choice. Peralta then got Carp and Yadi to fly out to Cain to end the inning.
Christian Yelich opened the 3rd inning with a double to LF, advancing to 3B on the Cain ground out to Wong. Moustakas worked a free pass from Flaherty, bringing in the cleanup man, Jesús Aguilar, who would ground into a 6-4-3 double-play. Freddy Peralta would deliver an 11-pitch bottom of the 3rd for the Brewers, inducing two groundouts to begin and open the inning on Cafecíto and Pauly Deez.
Flaherty would retire the Brewers in order in the top of the 4th on 15 pitches, picking up his 3rd strikeout of the evening. After getting Shaw to ground out to 2B, Schoop would strikeout on a slider offering. Pérez (replacing Thames due to possible injury) would fly out out to Swags to end the inning.
Trap House opened up for business in the bottom of the 4th tonight, smoking the first offering from Peralta to deep LF for a solo HR to extend the Cards lead to 3-0. Peralta retired the next three in-a-row, ending the inning on 12-pitches, striking out Flaherty on a fastball to end the inning. Flaherty would pick up four more k’s through his next 2 innings, striking out Kratz on a two-seam fastball to begin the 5th inning. Flaherty would end the 5th, retiring the side in order, getting Yelich to strikeout on a knuckle-curve in the dirt. Flaherty started the 6th inning how he started the end of the 5th, striking out Lo-Cain on a slider. Flaherty worked his third and final walk of the night to Moustakas to bring in Aguilar. Flaherty would strikeout Aguilar looking on a two-seam fastball on the inner half, ending the inning on his 14th-pitch, getting Shaw to fly out to Cafecíto in RF.
Freddy Peralta would retire the side in order in the Cardinals half of the 5th and 6th innings, throwing 29 pitches, while picking up 3 k’s. Peralta would strikeout Carp to begin the bottom of the 5th, ending the inning with two pop outs from Yadi and Cafecíto. Peralta would pick up his 5th and 6th k of the evening to end the 6th inning, getting DeJong and Trap House back-to-back.
Dakota Hudson relieved Flaherty in the 7th, giving up a leadoff single to Schoop. With Pérez batting, Hudson would induce a huge 4-6-3 double-play. Hudson ended the inning on his 11th pitch, getting Kratz to ground back out to him on the mound.
Jordan Lyles would come in to pitch the bottom of the 7th for Craig Counsell and the Brewers pen, stranding two runners to escape damage. Bader started things with a one-out double to LF, bringing in Garcia (pinch-hit) who would pop out to Moustakas. With 1B open, Carp would get intentionally walked, extending his on base streak to 35 games. Yadi ended the inning grounding out Schoop, taking us to the 8th.
Jordan Hicks would throw the 8th inning, getting a quick first out on Broxton. Wong would take away a slow tapping single to Wong for the 1st out, bringing in the top of the order in Yelich. Yelich would single to LF, Lo-Cain would walk, Moustakas would walk, and Aguilar would drive a two-run single to LF, scoring Yelich and Cain to make it 3-2 Cardinals. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Hicks would escape further damage, getting Shaw to fly out and Schoop to pop out to DeJong.
The Cardinals added two insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th, getting things started with a Cafecíto single to CF, as Tyler O’Neill would pinch-run for him, stealing 2B almost immediately. After Swags flew out to RF, Pauly Deez would get HBP to bring in Trap House. Trap House would draw a walk to load the bases for KoWo. KoWo would deliver a huge two-run double to LF to extend the lead, giving the Cardinals breathing room at 5-2.
Bud Norris would come in to shut the door for his 24th save of the season, striking out Braun (pinch-hitting) on a two-seam fastball to begin the inning. After Kratz flew out for the second out, Broxton would single into RF, moving up to 2B on defensive indifference. With Yelich at the dish, Norris would end his game on the 14th pitch, getting Yelich to ground out back to him on the mound, 1-3 on the putout, for the 5-2 Cardinals win in game-one of the weekend series. With the win the Cardinals now move to 0.5 games back of the second WC spot.
The Lizard King (12-3, 2.85) gets the ball the game-two, facing off against the veteran-lefty, Wade Miley (2-1, 2.23). First pitch 6:15 c/t.
Thanks for reading, cheers!
Game 123 is in the books
by Stew/@StewStilez
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