Pitchers Duel Turns Into 13 Inning Affair, Pham & Gant Play Big Roles, Dex Hits Walk-off Single, Cardinals Win 4-3
I’m gonna break this game down in a different way, I’m gonna break it down in sections. The first section, I want to talk about the start from Carlos Martínez.
Carlos Martínez:
Tsunami would last 6 innings today, allowing 4 hits (3 singles), 1 run, 0 walks, 3 k’s. Although Carlos would hit three Mets batters with a pitch, he was in the strike zone for a good portion (67%) of the game. The Mets only run they would score against Tsunami on the mound would come in the 1st inning.
Brandon Nimmo led off today’s long 4 hour and 28 minute game as one of those three hit batsman, Nimmo would actually be drilled again in the 5th inning. After reaching base to start the game, Nimmo was running on the Martínez pitch to Céspedes that was drilled down the LF line for an RBI double.
Carlos would shutdown the Mets bats the rest of his outing, throwing 15 sliders (12 strikes) and 11 curveballs (5 strikes) along the way. Carlos was mixing up pitches very well today, here’s his pitch breakdown from today: 2-seam FB (27), 4-seam FB (12), changeup (9), slider (15), curveball (11), cutter (12). His toughest inning, would also be his last.
Jay Bruce would leadoff the inning with a single to RF and advance to second after Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch, the third batter Tsunami drilled on the afternoon.
Martínez would buckle down, striking out Adrian González on a slider down and in to the lefty. Carlos’ afternoon would come to an end after getting the next batter, Tomás Nido, to ground into a 5-3 double-play, Mets still on top 1-0.
Offense:
Next I want to talk about the offense, but most of the offense today would come in the 7th inning or later. Through the first 6 innings, Noah Syndergaard would only give up 2 singles (Pham & DeJong), striking out 6 along the way.
After falling behind another run in the top of the 7th, 2-0, the Cardinals would cut that lead in half on Swags Ozuna’s 14th RBI of the season. Ozuna would drive in Tommy Pham, who led off the inning with a double to LF.
The Cardinals wouldn’t wait much longer to tie the game at 2-2, tying the game up next inning on a Tommy Pham single to CF, scoring Garcia. Garcia led the inning off pinch-hitting for catcher, Francisco Peña. Garcia would reach base on a fielding error from SS, Amed Rosario. Yadi would pinch-hit next, striking out, Syndergaard’s 7th strikeout of the day. Matt Carpenter kept the inning rolling, driving a single to RF on the first pitch he saw. Weird, I know. That’s when Pham would deliver the tying blow, an RBI single to CF, scoring Garcia. As we head to the 9th, it’s a completely different ballgame.
John Gant & Extra Innings:
The Cardinals and Mets would go to extra innings for the second time in the three-game series. The Mets would face Luke Gregerson to start the 10th, having Céspedes and Cabrera set down quickly for the first two outs.
Then it all went downhill for Gregerson, allowing the next four batters to reach base. Bruce and Frazier would hit back-to-back singles. González and Lobaton would follow with back-to-back walks, Lobaton’s bringing Bruce in to score to give the Mets a 3-2 advantage. Bowman was called in to get the final out of the inning with the bases loaded, forcing pinch-hitter, Jose Reyes, to ground out to second base.
The Cardinals offense would put together another notorious, two out rally in the bottom of the 10th, tying the game up again, 3-3. Mets closer, Jeurys Familia, would get Molina and pinch-hitter, Tyler O’Neill, quickly to start the inning. But with Tommy Pham coming up and Cafecíto on deck, the game didn’t seem to far out of reach. Pham would reach on an infield single up the middle, his fourth hit of the afternoon.
Cafecíto then delivered, then, the biggest hit of the game. Cafecíto got a pitch low and inside and drove it to deep RCF, missing a leaping, Juan Lagares, for an RBI double.
To the 11th we go. John Gant would pitch the final three innings today, eventually earning the win. Gant was called up today for John Brebbia, who threw three innings yesterday, earning his first career save. Gant wouldn’t allow a hit during his three innings, with a lively fastball and a changeup that was on point. What Gant did today is not to be overlooked, without Gant getting called up today, the Cardinals probably wouldn’t have found themselves winning today.
That win would come in the lucky 13th off the bat of Dexter Fowler. With Mets relief pitcher, Paul Sewald working his second inning of the game, the Cardinals would take advantage. With one out, Cafecíto would work a long battle at the plate, walking to bring up Ozuna. Ozuna connected on a single back up the middle, putting runners on first and second for Dexter Fowler. Fowler, looking for his first hit of the game, would get a fastball and drive it to RF for a walk-off single, scoring Cafecíto who would slide into the plate for the 4-3 Cardinals win.
Players Of The Game:
Tommy Pham (4-6) with a double, would collect his 8th RBI of the season and also score 2 of the 4 Cardinals runs today.
Carlos Martínez would mix in his entire repertoire, coasting through 6 innings. Tsunami would end the afternoon with a line of: (6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 BB, 3 k’s, 3 hbp’s)
John Gant is the one that goes the most unnoticed. The newly recalled reliever would give the Cardinals three big innings they probably wouldn’t have got if they didn’t send down John Brebbia this morning. Gant’s fastball and changeup were great pitches today.
The Cardinals won the series, splitting the season series with the Mets, 3-3. The Cardinals are now (2-2) in extra inning games in 2018.
The Cardinals (15-9) head to Pittsburgh for a short three-game road trip against the Pirates (14-11) before returning home to host both Chicago teams. Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.46) will seek his fourth victory of the month as he faces off against lefty, Steven Brault* (2-1, 4.44). First pitch at 6:05 c/t.
Thanks for reading, cheers!
Stew // @StewStilez
