There hasn’t been a bigger win this season than what we saw today. Uncle Charlie did what Uncle Charlie has done at home in 2019, especially during day games. Waino wasn’t afraid to attack the zone to a tough Nats lineup, either. Waino would toss 97 pitches (69 strikes), while cruising through another 7 innings of work.
Mad Max was in the zone, too. Retiring the first seven Cardinals he faced, striking out four. Tommy Edman, who made the biggest play so far in the game, throwing out Robles at home trying to score on a Scherzer two out single to RF– would blast a solo shot on a back foot slider to RF to make it 1-0 Cards.
Mad Max went back to his usual business, adding three more k’s before giving up his second hit, a leadoff double to Carp to open the bottom of the 5th.
Yadi would then move Carp over to 3B with a chopped grounder to the right side, forcing Shildt to pinch-run with Bader for Carp with one out and Carp standing at 3B. The move would pay off immediately, as Pauly Deez tapped a slowly hit ball back to Scherzer for the 1-3 rbi out. Bader was going on contact and was able to get an extra two-three feet on his secondary lead, making it easy for him to score and make it 2-0 Cards.
Yan Gomes (3-4), was the only thorn in Waino’s side, hitting his third single to RF with one out in the 7th, advancing to 2B on a fielding error from Dex. Scherzer remained in the game to hit for himself, grounding out to DeJong for the second out, turning things over to the top of the lineup in Turner. Turner would rip a two out rbi double into LF to cut the lead in half, 2–1.
With Eaton coming up, Shildt would visit with Yadi and Waino on the mound, letting the veteran work to one final batter. The move paid off, as Eaton would fly out to Dex on the warning track in RF.
The Cardinals would add three insurance runs off Scherzer with two outs in the 7th. After Mad Max struck out Bader, his 11th of the game, to open the inninng, he’d follow it up by getting Yadi to pop out to Cabrera.
Pauly Deez then was gifted by the sun, Juan Soto, and the baseball gods– hitting a “double” to Soto, who lost the ball in the sun, to bring up Edman. Tommy would come through once again, taking Scherzer to LF for an rbi single to make it 3-1 Cards.
Matt Daddy Wieters, making his first appearance since late July, would pinch-hit for Waino in the 7th, blasting a two-run shot off Mad Max (former teammate) to extend the Cardinals lead to 5-1.
Gio, Miller, and Tsunami would each pitch in the 8th, getting some help from the jumpman himself, Dexter Fowler.
Gio would walk Rendon on 6 pitches and be relieved by Miller immediately. Miller would get Soto to fly out to RF before giving up a bloop single to Kendrick to put runners on first and second.
Cabrera would come up next, working a full count before drilling a slider to DEEP RF, as Dex would leap a foot above the wall to take away a three-run HR that would’ve made it a 5-4 game.
This was the play/catch of the year. The Cardinals season was basically saved with that miraculous catch.
Tsunami picked up his 21st save with the four out save, getting all four batters to ground out on 16 pitches.
WHAT A WIN
The Cardinals (85-67) now head to Chicago to play the Cubs (82-69) for a four-game weekend series, the biggest series of the season. No matter what, with the win today, the Cards will have at least a two game lead on the Cubs heading to Wrigley for four.
Jack Flaherty (10-8, 3.05) takes on Kyle Hendricks (11-9, 3.26) in game one, as the Cardinals begin their first of seven remaining games vs the Cubs. First pitch from Wrigley Field, 6:15pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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