Uncle Charlie toed the rubber this afternoon looking to complete a sweep of the Brew Crew.
After about a 5 minute delay, due to removing the tarp and getting the field ready after the slight drizzle, Waino’s afternoon started. And probably not the way he envisioned it either.
Cain lined out up the middle to KoWo, making another tough play look routine. The next three batters would reach base, Thames getting it started, ripping a solo shot into the RF corner to put the Crew up early 1-0.
Grandal and Shaw then hit back-to-back singles, bringing up Braun, who grounded into an inning ending double play on the Waino sinker, 6-4-3 on the put out.
Chacín got the ball for Milwaukee today, looking very sharp his first time through the order, allowing no hits, while picking up two k’s.
The Cards would make solid contact a couple of times vs Chacín though, as Goldy got an extra base hit taken away in the 1st by Ben Gamel and Carp lined a shot to Gamel in the RF corner to end the 3rd, stranding Thomas who walked.
Thankfully, Waino settled in and was magnificent over his next five innings of work. Carp would flash the leather to leadoff the top of the 2nd, snagging a liner that was ripped to him, as he was playing in with a shift on the right-side of the infield with Gamel up.
Waino would roll up another inning ending double play after giving up his only walk to Pérez, getting Arcia to bounce into the 5-4-3 dp.
After that, Waino would retire the next 8 Brewers he faced, striking out Cain looking at a fastball for the second out of the 3rd inning.
Waino even tossed a 7-pitch inning in the 4th, getting Grandal to ground into the shift, 5-3 on the put out. Shaw and Braun would be retired next, Shaw flying out to Café and Braun popping out to Goldy.
After holding the Cards hitless thru the first 3 innings, Chacín would get rocked in the bottom of the 4th, allowing the first three faced to get on.
Goldy singled to RF, Deez singled up the middle, and Swags turned his hands on an inside two-seam fastball for a three-run shot to LF to give the Cards a 3-1 lead.
Yadi figured he’d do the same, blasting his 2nd HR of the season into the Brewers bullpen to extend the lead to 4-1.
Orlando Arcia collected the final hit the Brewers got vs Waino in the 5th, lining a two out double to LF to bring in the pinch-hitter, Aguilar. Waino would get Aguilar to send a high fly out to Thomas in CF.
The Cards would let a golden opportunity slip away in the bottom of the 5th, loading the bases with one out and not scoring a single run.
After Carp flew out to Braun, Goldy walked, Deez singled, and Swags singled to bring up Cafecíto.
Barnes would get Cafecíto to ground into an inning ending double play, 6-4-3 on the put out.
Waino worked his final inning in the 6th, working another 1-2-3 inning. Cain would pop out to Wong, Thames would strikeout on an INSANE curveball. Grandal was the final out, grounding into the shift, 4-3 on the play.
Somewhere in between here I forgot to talk about Lane Thomas collecting two infield singles, both beating the shift on the left-side of the infield.
Webb and Brebbs would throw the 7th and 8th inning from the pen, Webb getting only one batter, Travis Shaw.
Webb did his job, and he did it perfectly, striking Shaw out on three pitches, getting him on a fastball on the inner-half.
Brebbs would get the final two outs of the inning, getting Braun to ground out to DeJong and Gamel would go down on strikes, sending things to the bottom half of the inning.
The Cards would snag an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th, as leadoff guy got things started with a nice walk against the new reliever, Petricka.
Goldy then lined a double past Arcia into LCF, moving Carp to 3B and Goldy taking second aggressively on the play for a double. After DeJong grounded out to Pérez, the Brewers would elect to walk Swags Ozuna, to bring up Cafecíto. Café would still drive a run in, grounding into a 6-4 fielder’s choice, scoring Carp on the play.
Shoot, he’d even steal a base next and he couldn’t stop laughing about it, and I love seeing that stuff, that’s all.
Brebbs went back out for the 8th, working a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Arcia on a filthy slider.
KoWo would make another magical play to end the inning, robbing Saladino of a of a two out single.
Andrew Miller and Jordan Hicks had to each throw in the 9th inning to secure the sweep, and it was an adventure with Miller.
Miller would get Cain to fly out to Swags, then allow a single to Thames the opposite way, then walk Grandal to put two runners on, before striking out Shaw on a junk slider. Miller owned Shaw this at bat, I wanna say it was three pitches, three sliders.
But things started to get dicey again, as Miller hit Piña (pinch-hitter) with a pitch to load the bases for Gamel.
Gamel would work a walk, getting the worlds easiest rbi as Thames crossed the dish to make it a 5-2 game.
With the bases juiced and needing one more out, in a save situation, Shildt would go with his young flamethrower, Jordan Hicks. And Counsell would go with his young MVP candidate, Christian Yelich (pinch-hitting).
With a 1-2 count on Yelich, Yadi would go out and talk to his closer. The first pitch after the meeting? A change in the dirt to even things at 2-2. The next pitch? A change in the dirt, this time tempting Yelich, getting him to go around on a check swing to end the game.
That is Jordan Hicks 7th save of the season and second time this season he’s recorded back-to-back saves in as many days.
Top 3 Plays
- 3.) Swags and Yadi hitting blasts in the 4th to take the lead
- 2.) Waino working another quality start and settling in after bumpy 1st inning (6IP, 4 hits, 1er, 1 bb, 3 k’s)
- 1.) SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!
The Cardinals (15-9) have the day off tomorrow before welcoming in another division rival, the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game weekend series.
The Liz King (2-1, 4.97) gets the ball in game-one, facing off against Anthony DeSclafani (0-1, 5.59). First pitch is normal start time, praise the baseball gods, at 7:15pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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