After a couple of shaky series in a row vs the Cubs and Phillies, the Cardinals are looking to rebound with a four-game weekend set vs the Pirates. They got off on the right foot in game-one, and they probably scored enough runs to win the next three games of the series.
The bats just absolutely assaulted Musgrove tonight after he tossed a 1-2-3 1st, keeping up with the run support for Wacha theme, plating 8 runs on 6 hits during his 3+ innings of work.
Every spot in the Cardinals lineup tonight scored at least one run, Yadi and Carp scoring three, and Goldy, Deez, Swags, and CafecÃto each scored a pair.
The Cards batted around three times in eight innings tonight, my hand was on fire trying to keep up. The Pirates pitching didn’t really help the cause either, walking eight batters and facing a bases loaded situation to the Cards cleanup hitter, Swags Ozuna, on three separate occasions.
The Cardinals rattled out 16 hits:
Yadi and Goldy both had 3, Carp, Dex, and KoWo all had a pair, Deez, Swags, CafecÃto, and Jedd rounded it out with a hit a piece.
Swags drove in a game high four runs, getting three of them with a bases clearing double off Neverauskas to the RF gap, making it a 16-4 game at that point (yikes).
Yadi had the world’s longest rbi single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 4th, sending a ball off the wall in RCF, scoring only Goldy.
Dex drove in three runs during his first two at bats, ripping an rbi double to score two in the bottom of the 2nd and then lining an rbi single to RF in the 3rd to score another.
All four Pirates pitchers (Musgrove, Holmes, Neverauskas, and DaRapau) all were tagged for earned runs.
The weird thing about all these damn runs, you ask? The Cardinals didn’t hit a HR or triple.
Oh, yeah, I guess I could mention Michael Wacha’s performance.
Wacha lasted 5.2 innings, scattering 9 hits, giving up 4 runs, only striking out two.
Wacha was really only bad against Polanco tonight, as the Bucs RF’er would go (3-3) off Wacha, driving in 3 runs on 3 xbh’s (HR & 2 doubles).
The Cards pen worked 3.1 scoreless, as Leone got a chance to avenge some demons on the mound with a large lead. Leone tossed two of the frames, picking up four strikeouts, flashing a good fastball and his cutter looked sharp as well.
Well, that’s pretty much the storyline from this blowout. Let’s hope the Cards saved some of those runs for the rest of the weekend.
Uncle Charlie (3-3, 4.71) and Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.74) match up in game-two. First pitch is at the best time, the normal 7:15pm c/t start!!!!! Rejoice!!!!
Cheers, Stew
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