Weaver Gets Back On Track, Cards HR Derby Takes Over Petco Park In 9-5 Win
Luke Weaver had his biggest start of his season ahead of tonight. With Weaver struggling his last four starts, struggling is an understatement, and Wainwright, Flaherty, Reyes all looming- tonight became that much more important for Weaver.
Tommy Pham (3-5) led the game off tonight ripping a single to LF, but would be picked off by Padres pitcher, Eric Lauer. That is the fifth time Pham has been caught stealing.
Weaver’s night started by giving up back-to-back soft singles into LF to Jankowski and Hosmer. Weaver would battle back, striking the next two out (Pírela & Cordero) looking. Pírela would go down looking on a nice changeup low in the zone. Cordero would strike out on the eighth pitch of the at bat, 95 mph paint on the outside corner. Weaver escaped the jam, getting Villanueva to pop out to Gyorko in foul territory.
The Cardinals offense would absolutely rake over the next two innings, totaling 6 runs on 6 hits (4 HR’s). Swags and Trap House Gyorko would start the inning off with back-to-back singles against Lauer. Paul DeJong came up with a golden opportunity to do damage, he did just that. After forcing Lauer to throw him the kitchen sink, DeJong would unload (105 mph) on the ninth pitch of the at bat, a changeup, for a 3-run HR to deep LCF. This was Paul’s first HR in 61 plate appearances.
The bats would keep the HR’s coming a plenty, hitting three solo shots in the top of the 3rd to extend the lead to 6-0 Cardinals. Harrison Bader, who broke a bat over his knee after his first at bat because he missed a pitch to his liking, got Lauer back taking him yard to LF for his 2nd HR of the season. (96 mph) After Cafecíto was robbed of a base hit by Jankowski down the RF line, Swags would get it back in no time. Swags (2-4) and Trap House (3-4), again, would go back-to-back, this time hitting bombs. Ozuna’s HR is his first since (04/12 @ CIN) and he smoked it (99 mph) off the second deck of the Western Supply Co. warehouse in LF. Jedd’s success vs his former squad just doesn’t ever stop, it might be a real thing, and I don’t want to believe that. Gyorko would also unleash (104 mph) with a second decker, this one to deep LCF making it 6-0 Cardinals.
Weaver would cruise through his last 4 innings, retiring his last (12/15) Padre batters.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Trap House would keep on trapping, this time at the hot corner. Gyorko would end the inning with an exclamation point, barehanding a slow grounder off the bat of the speedy Pírela and throwing him out at first.
Paul DeJong (2-5, HR, 4 RBI’s) added to his line even more in the top of the 5th, drilling an RBI single to CF, scoring Swags.
Matheny would pinch-hit with Garcia to leadoff the 6th, ending the day for Luke Weaver. Luke definitely had a bounce back performance, but I’m sure he would like his first inning back. Weaver’s line: (5 IP, 4 hits, 0r/0er, 1 bb, 4 k’s)
Garcia would single up the middle and Mr. Steal Yo Girl would bring him around to score, hitting his 7th HR of the season. Pham would take it to RF, barely clearing the wall and barely missing Jankowski’s glove. This pushed the Cardinals lead to 9-0.
If there’s a down side to this blowout, it was the performance of the bullpen, in particular Bowman, Brebbia, & Gregerson. Bowman would give up a leadoff single to start the 6th to Pírela and two batters later walk Villanueva to put two runners on with only one out. Bowman would get a huge strikeout on pinch-hitter, Chase Headley, before giving up an RBI single to AJ Ellis.
Brebbia would come in for the 7th, struggling to make it a quick inning. Brebbia’s outing began with a strikeout of pitcher, Bryan Mitchell. Jankowski would single and Asuaje would fly out to Ozuna. Pírela and Cordero would keep the Padres hopes alive, as Pírela would hit an RBI double to RF and Cordero followed with an RBI triple to RF. Cordero was stranded at third after Brebbia got Villanueva to ground out to DeJong.
Luke Gregerson got the 9th inning tonight in a 9-3 game, and it was a rather odd appearance. It wasn’t odd on Gregerson’s end by any means, but a balk call that would get the juices flowing for the veteran reliever. But before the balk, Jankowski would lead the inning off with his first HR of the year, taking a pitch in on the hands to RF. Pírela would hit a one out double to LF bringing in cleanup man, Cordero. Cordero grounded out to DeJong, advancing Pírela to third. Then the weirdest balk I’ve ever witnessed in my life was called. Gregerson went from the stretch to the wind-up with Pírela now being on third base with two outs.
Mike Matheny explained it after the game. He essentially said that, a pitcher is suppose to clarify with the umpires before going from the stretch to the wind-up and back to the stretch, so and so forth. This is only a problem when runners are on base, obviously, but this is one of the biggest unwritten rules. Take it from someone who umpired high school ball for 4 years, that was a bush league call.
Gregerson ended the game on the next batter, Villanueva, striking him out on a dirty slider on the outside part of the plate for the 9-5 Redbird winner.
The Cardinals (22-14) turn the ball over to Michael Wacha (4-1, 3.35) Saturday night as the Padres (14-26) will counter with Tyson Ross (2-3, 3.67). First pitch 7:40 c/t.
Thanks for reading, cheers!
Stew @StewStilez
Game 36 is 'In the Books'
Courtesy of Stew's Scorebook
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