Well I bet none of us saw this 1st inning going the way it did, seriously. Who in their right mind would think the Cardinals would score three runs vs Scherzer in the 1st, let alone the entire game?
Well they did, and that certainly had to be an added boost for Scherzer’s counterpart, the Liz King Mikolas.
Pauly Geez got the ball rolling vs Max with one out, lining a single to RF. Deez kept the line moving, lining himself a single into CF, to bring up the rbi machine, Swags Ozuna.
Ozuna would get some help from Robles, who was starting in RF tonight, due to a late scratch that removed Soto from the game, forcing Robles to play RF, Taylor in CF, and Eaton shifting opposite corners to LF.
Robles would be fooled by a ball hit off the bat of Ozuna, starting back before breaking in late with a little half effort dive, allowing the ball to drop in for an rbi double. Goldy scored on the play and Deez moved up to 3B.
With the infield playing in with only one down, Cafecíto would rip a ball back thru the middle, sneaking past Kieboom for a two run single to score Deez and Swags to make it 3-0 Cards.
Max would induce an inning ending double play on Yadi, getting him to ground out 5-4-3 on the play.
The Lizard King was ready for that action though, and he fed off the early lead, working his first three innings almost perfectly.
Mik would pick up two k’s in the 1st inning, getting Robles on a good four-seam fastball and Big City on a beautiful bender in the dirt, stranding the Nats only hit thru the first 3 innings in Kendrick after a single. Kendrick would go (3-4) tonight.
Both pitchers settled in and got into that slight groove in the 2nd and 3rd innings, both working 1-2-3 innings. Scherzer would add his first two k’s to his name in the 3rd, getting Carp looking and Deez swinging at a heater.
Swags would lead the 4th off with a double into LF, but Scherzer wouldn’t let him advance any further, striking out two more on his way to another shutout inning.
The Nats let their best opportunity of the game slip away in the bottom of the 4th, getting the inning started with back-to-back singles to LF from Robles and Kendrick.
Mik then buckled down, picking up his third k of the game, getting Big City on the curveball for the second time.
Gomes would drove in Robles with a slowly hit grounder to Carp, who fired for the force at 2B, nailing Kendrick. Kieboom would walked to bring up Difo, who then reached with an infield single. Mikolas would get Taylor to fly out to Bader to end the inning, stranding the bases loaded.
*insert another Mad Max 1-2-3 inning*
*insert another Liz King working around a hit or two inning with no damage*
......now the battle of the bullpens
Scherzer: (7IP, 8 hits, 3er, 2 bb, 8 k’s)
Mikolas: (6IP, 7 hits, 1er, 1 bb, 4 k’s)
Up first, Giovanny Gallegos.
Gallegos would give up a leadoff single to a
pinch-hitter, Dozier, but retire the next three he faced with no problem at all.
Eaton and Robles were struck out, Eaton on a heater (but he did look bad on a slider during this at bat) and Robles lookin at that excellent slide piece he flashes.
Kendrick was the final out, being retired for the first time today, flying out to Cafecíto in RF.
The Cards would crack the Nats pen first, getting to Joe Ross, as the righty faced three batters, retiring none of them. Swags would draw (another) walk, his fourth time on base, Cafecíto roped a double into LF, and Yadi hit an rbi single to LF, scoring Swags to make it 4-1.
Café would even come across to score on a Kieboom error at SS on a ball hit from Harry Bader, extending the St. Louis lead to 5-1.
Enter Brebbs
Brebbia, also known as my father, worked the final two innings crisply from the pen. Brebbs delivered a 1-2-3 8th, striking out Kieboom on some cheese to end the inning.
He induced two infield pop outs in the 9th to end things, getting Taylor and Eaton to end the game for the Birds 5th straight winner!!!!!!!
The Cards look for the four-game road sweep tomorrow afternoon, sending Dakota Hudson (2-1, 5.63) to the mound. Hudson will he matched up against Stephen Starsburg (2-1, 3.82).
First pitch 3:05pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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