Cards put together six run 5th vs Corbin, comeback to snatch game-one, 6-3
Wacha Flocka Flame returned from the IL today, as Ryan Helsley would be optioned back to Memphis (boooooo) to clear a spot for Wacha. Patrick Corbin was on the bump for the Nats and he looked to be in the zone early on. That zone that the Cardinals let left-handed starters usually get in.
Corbin breezed thru his first 3 innings of work, allowing no hits and striking out four (Carp twice). Corbin would flash some command issues, too. He managed to work around walks to Deez and Yadi, but there was a couple of pitches that he let loose and they missed by a lot. But, the same could be said for Wacha.
After working a 1-2-3 bottom of the 1st, Wacha would get roughed up in the 2nd, giving up three runs on three hits. Matt Adams would line a one out single to RF, Dozier would line a two out single to LF, Gomes would walk, bringing up Corbin. Corbin honestly isn’t too shabby with a bat in his hand, and he made Wacha work, drawing a 9 pitch walk to for his 21st career rbi. Adam Eaton made the walk hurt worse than it already did, slapping a two run single into LF to score Dozier and Gomes, advancing to 2B on the throw. Wacha would strikeout Robles on a heater to stop the damage, stranding runners in scoring position.
The Cardinals picked up their first hit on Corbin in the 4th inning, getting a CafecÃto liner up to the CF after Swags reached base safely on an error from Kieboom at SS. But Corbin would put an end to the little rally, getting Yadi to bounce into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.
Wacha found himself in another sticky situation in the bottom of the 4th, having to work around runners at the corners with only one down. He managed to do it. Striking out Corbin on a changeup and getting Eaton to fly out to CafecÃto in RF, stranding Dozier and Gomes.
BUT…….. THIS IS WHEN THE FUN STARTS
I can’t believe what unfolded in the 5th, all getting started with a one out HAAAAAAAARRY BADER solo blast to RCF. Corbin would get his counterpart to ground out to 3B, now with two outs and the top of the order up. Leadoff Guy would do what he does, drawing a walk to extend the inning to Goldy. Goldy smoked a low ball single into CF to bring up Deez, who worked a walk to load the bases for Swags.
Swags just kept driving in those runs. But before doing that, Corbin would let loose a wild pitch to the backstop, allowing Carp to score and all runners to advance a base. Swags then sent a two run single up the middle to score Goldy and Deez. Café kept the line moving, ripping an rbi double into LF to score Swags to make it 5-3. Swags has been scooting around the bases this season, it’s been super fun to watch. Yadi decided to add in to the fun, extending his hit streak to 16 games, sending an rbi single up the middle to score MartÃnez to make it a 6-3 Cards lead.
Wacha worked his final inning in the bottom of the 5th, working a 1-2-3 frame. The most filthy out occurred on Soto, as Wacha hammered the nastiest change I’ve ever witnessed. Seriously, the thing moved so much across the zone.
Gallegos (2IP), Brebbia (1IP), and Hicks (1IP) worked the final four scoreless inning from the pen, holding the Nats hitless. Gallegos struck out two batters in his two innings, getting Adams on a heater and Dozier on a beautiful front door slider (looking, too). He even got some help from that man HAAAAAARRY to begin the 7th, diving to his left in the RCF gap to take away extra bases from Gomes.
Brebbia worked himself into a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 8th, walking Adams and Kieboom back-to-back with two down to load ‘em up for Dozier. Brebbs ended the inning on his 34th offering, getting Dozier to pop out to Goldy on a major league pop up on the infield.
Jordan Hicks just keeps making it look too easy out there in the 9th, calm and collected, ready for business. Gomes got to see that devastating slider for strike three for the first out. And Suzuki got a decent dose of it, too, seeing three straight at one point in the at bat. Suzuki would eventually fly out to Swags for the second out. Eaton was the final out of the game, grounding out to DeJong to wrap up the come from behind win. With the save, Hicks now has 9 on the season.
Uncle Charlie (2-2, 3.96) gets the nod in game-two, matching up against another veteran, AnÃbal Sánchez (0-3, 6.00). First pitch 6:05pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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