Kwang Hyun-Kim
KK would take the mound tonight for his second career major league start, facing a right-handed dominant Reds lineup (no Moustakas, Akiyama, or Barnhart).
KK would be in cruise control from pitch 1 to pitch 83, allowing just three Reds hits, only one being for extra bases (double to Winker in the 5th).
Kim would be opposed by Wade Miley, another quick working left-handed pitcher. Both starters were wasting no time out there, as you could tell with a two hour and fifteen minute game.
The Reds wouldn’t get their first hit until Farmer (3-3) singled to LF with two outs in the 3rd.
The Cardinals would get at least one hit every inning of Miley’s start, tagging him with a total of 7 before chasing him from the game after 5 innings.
Cards Bats get early runs for KK
After getting singles from Goldy (1st inning) and Yadi (2nd inning), the Cardinals would finally put together a few hits to plate a couple of runs off Miley to give KK an early lead to rock with the rest of the way.
Bader would get things started with one out in the inning, blooping in a double into shallow RF in between Votto and Castellanos (73.7mph exit velocity, .090 xBA), just beating the throw in from RF.
KoWo followed that up with a blooper of his own, dropping in a single into LF, advancing to 2B on the play, to beat the shifted infield (65.2mph exit velocity, .510 xBA). That would bring up Tommy Edman with runners on the corners and still one down. With a 1-1 count, Edman would rip a cutter from Miley into LF to plate both Bader and Wong to make it 2-0.
After KK would make quick work of the 4th and 5th innings on 27 pitches, picking up a strikeout of Galvis (KK really had the slider working tonight), Harrison Bader would lead off the bottom of the 5th in style. On the first pitch from Miley, Bader would jump all over it, sending it over the wall in RCF for a solo HR (103.4mph exit velocity, 410 feet), his first of the season to make it 3-0 Cards.
Looks like Kyle was right about the Bader/Miley matchup.
That would be the final hit for the Cardinals on the night, but it would be all they’d need as Gant, Miller and Gio would work a perfect three innings in relief of KK.
Bullpen lights out
Gant would work a 1-2-3 7th inning on 13 pitches, getting a fly out to each one of his outfielders.
Gant would go back out for the top of the 8th, delivering a walk to Casali on four straight pitches, forcing Shildt to go to Miller to turnaround Galvis. Miller would induce a huge 4-6-3 double play ball on Galvis to erase Gant’s leadoff walk to Casali.
Farmer would keep his good night rolling, knocking a single up the middle for his third hit of the evening. Votto then worked a walk to put two runners on with Castellanos coming up to bat representing the tying run.
This forced Shildt to go back to his pen, going with the always trustworthy Gio Gallegos. Gio would come in and do things in typical Gio fashion, striking Castellanos out on a slider outside the zone on just four pitches. Gio would stay out there to finish the save off in the 9th, needing just 8 pitches to set down the side in order (Akiyama, Suárez, Payton) to complete the 3-0 shutout.
The Cardinals look to win the four-game set with the Reds tomorrow afternoon, sending Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-2, 6.14) to the mound. Ponce will be matched up against right hander, Tyler Mahle (0-0, 3.38).
First pitch 1:15pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew