The Cardinals have had the knack all season in responding big the day after getting shutout, tonight didn’t disappoint, as they moved to (11-2) in games following getting shutout.
It all began with a solid 5IP performance from Quintana, who surrendered his only run with 2 outs in the 2nd on a Vargas rbi single. The opposition, Paolo Espino, would hold the Cardinals off the board his first three innings, tallying three strikeouts along the way.
Quintana would erase a Lane Thomas leadoff single in the 3rd with a nifty, 5-4-3, double play off the bat of Meneses. Donovan was playing 3B tonight, as Arenado was serving as the DH. Donovan would fire a strike to Gorman covering 2B, who used his strong arm to nail Meneses at 1B. Quintana ended his 3rd frame with his first of five k’s, getting Voit to whiff on a 90mph heater.
Brendan Donovan aka BDE, began to get the lineup rolling in the 4th with his leadoff HR to RCF (103.5mph, 403 ft) to tie the game 1-1. It was his first HR since 06/26 vs CHC, his 3rd of the season, all coming at Busch Stadium.
After a Goldy groundout, Arenado and Dickerson collected back-to-back hits, Nado an excuse me swing single to CF and Dickerson a double down the LF line to put runners in scoring position for O’Neill. Bro would send a sac fly to Call in LF to score Arenado to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
This is where freshly buzzed, zero guard, Norm took over the game. Norm would crush an rbi double off the wall in RCF to plate Dickerson to make it a 3-1 lead.
Quintana would strikeout four of the final seven Nationals he faced before turning things over to a rejuvenated, Jordan Hicks. Hicks would put together his fifth consecutive dominating performance out of the pen, working 2IP. Hicks threw a five pitch 6th, ending the inning with a 6-4-3 DP on Cruz. He ended his second inning getting Call looking at a painted 100mph sinker on the black. Hicks hasn’t allowed a walk in any of his last five outings, as the strikeout numbers have jumped, too.
Zero guard Norm would leadoff the bottom of the 7th in style, keeping the fresh cut vibes rolling, stroking an outer-half slider from Cishek to the Cards pen for his 14th HR of season to make it a 4-1 game. It was also his 11th HR with two strikes in the count.
Gio and Helsley finished things off, Gio working a 1-2-3 8th on 12 pitches and Helsley stranding two runners in the 9th in order to pick up his team leading, 14th save.
Helsley would end the game with a filthy 90mph slider to strikeout García to preserve a 4-1 victory and give the Cardinals their 80th win of the season.
JoMo (8-3, 3.15) gets the ball tomorrow night, facing off against RHP Cory Abbott (0-2, 4.56). First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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