Dakota Hudson had another tough task ahead of himself this afternoon, facing a Reds lineup that featured five left-handed batters in the lineup.
Despite the lack of k’s, I would say Hudson looked he best he has this season today. He really brought down his sinking fastball in the zone, while inducing nine ground outs, including an inning ending dp ball to open up the 1st inning vs Winker.
Winker bounced into a 3-6-3 double play, wasting a Votto leadoff single to begin the afternoon.
Hud worked thru the first two frames on 19 pitches, adding three more ground outs in the top of the 2nd, getting Puig, Dietrich, and Barnhart in order.
Tyler Mahle opposed Hudson, stranding a runner on base in each of the first two innings.
The Cardinals also didn’t do themselves any favors, either. Finding themselves victims of two double plays thru the first 2 innings.
But Hudson found himself in a bit of trouble to begin the 3rd, offering a leadoff walk to Schebler, bringing up Mahle, batting in the 8-spot. Mahle would sacrifice Schebler over to 2B, bringing in Peraza with one out.
With Peraza batting, Hudson would throw a wild pitch, allowing Schebler to advance to 3B. Peraza cashed in on the rbi opportunity, lining a single into CF to put the Reds up early 1-0.
Votto would then bounce out slowly to KoWo, Peraza moving up to 2B on the play.
Suárez, who has found himself on the Cardinal killer list, dropped in a single down the RF line, an impossible play for Cafecíto and KoWo, dropping into no man’s land for an rbi single, scoring Peraza to make it 2-0 Cincy, Martínez would have a little trouble picking the ball up, allowing Suárez to go to 2B on the error.
Dex showed off the arm to end the inning, taking another Reds run off the board. Winker lined a single into CF and Dex came up firing a strike to Yadi at the plate, who nailed down a perfect tag on Suárez.
Dex now has two outfield assists on the year.
And saving this run proved huge, right away to be exact.
Carp got the rally started with a one out walk, Goldy placed a single into RF, and DeJong would fly out to deep CF for the second out.
Swags would come in clutch tho, so no worries, blasting a 3-run shot, his 10th of the season to put the Birds on top 3-2. Swags got a two-seam fastball on the inner half and made Mahle pay for that mistake sending it to the right of the Reds pen in LCF.
Hudson worked a quick couple of innings in the 4th and 5th, allowing only one hit, a Dietrich one out single in the 4th. Hud picked up his only k in the inning, getting Barnhart on a heater.
Hudson had a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th, needing only 8 pitches to do so.
The Cards worked some of that two out magic in the bottom of the 5th, adding two more runs to their lead.
Well, technically it was Swags again, so he was basically winning this game by himself 5-2.
Goldy may have worked the biggest at bat of the game with two outs in this inning tho, working a walk to extend things to Pauly Deez.
Deez dribbled a single thru the right side of the infield and Swags delivered with a two-run double off the RF wall to make it 5-2.
The Reds answered back for a run in the 6th, with Hudson still in the game. Deez helped his starter out with some flashy defense for the first out, diving up the middle to rob Suárez of a base hit.
Winker and Puig then picked up back-to-back hits, Winker a double into the LF corner and Puig a single into RF, moving Winker to 3B.
Dietrich would be Hudson’s final batter, and he would give him a scare, driving a ball to the warning track in CF and Dex would make a sweet leaping grab up against the wall, taking away extra bases. Winker scored on the play to make it 5-3.
G-Spot, Miller, and Hicks worked the final 3.1 inning from the pen, all scoreless. G-Spot got first dibs, striking out Barnhart looking at a fastball for the final out of the 6th.
Before Gant would go back out for the 7th, the Cards plated an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th.
Zach Duke* started the inning from the Reds pen, hitting Dex and Wong bacl-to-back with one out.
Haaaaaaaaaaarry, who came in as part of a double-switch in the 6th when Gant came in, drove an rbi single into RF to score Dex to make it a 6-3 Cardinals lead.
Gant added two more strikeouts to his line in the 7th, striking out Schebler on a heater and Peraza to end the inning on the filthy vulcan-change to end the inning.
Miller and Hicks shut things down in the 8th and 9th, Miller striking out two batters and flashing a 95mph fastball, so that’s a good sign. Miller got Votto on a slider to begin the inning and Puig on three pitches to end the inning, getting him to swing at a slider that wasn’t anywhere near the zone.
Hicks picked up his 8th save to end things, working a 1-2-3 9th inning, freezing Schebler on a slider for the final out.
Top 3 Plays
- 3.) Bullpen bouncing back after a tough night
- 2.) Dex’s defense throughout the entire game
- 1.) SWAGS SWAGGIN’
Jack Flaherty (2-1, 5.25) looks to give the Cards the series win tomorrow afternoon, matching up with Sonny Gray (0-3, 3.65). First pitch 1:15pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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