Tonight was fun, as simple as that, really no other way to put it. The story can be so many things: Waino, Goldy, Yepez, Carlson, Naile, Capel, it’s just endless.
So with that said, let’s keep this one brisk and easy.
Adam Wainwright cruised thru 7IP scoreless en route to his 190th career victory. The Marlins would get a base hit in the first 5 innings vs Waino, but he had everything working tonight and was able to stand all 7 that reached.
Waino got the strikeout party cooking in the 1st, striking out the side on 22 pitches, getting back-to-back k’s on Soler & García to take things to the bottom half of the inning.
On the opposing side, Pablo López, who shutdown the Cards bats earlier in Miami, would take the mound for the Marlins.
After getting a quick two outs to begin his evening, López would just as quickly be greeted by the 19th Goldy HR of the season, blasting it off the signage in Big Mac Land to make it 1-0 Cardinals.
López would leave the damage there until the 4th, as Goldy would greet him with a leadoff single, the only two hits of the game for the Cardinals up to this point. Gorman would hit a first pitch changeup to RF for a single to break an (0-16) stretch. After López struck out Carlson, Yepez would do DAMAGE, rocketing a 3-run nuke (also off the Big Mac Land signage), his 8th of the season to make it 4-0 Cards.
Goldy would add his 3rd hit in the 5th, a two-out rbi double to RF to score Edman, who singled to RF and swiped 2B to put himself in scoring position.
An inning later, the Juan Yepez express came to the plate again, launching a 2-run HR to the Marlins pen, scoring Carlson (double) to make it 7-0.
Waino ended his evening after back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the 6th and 7th- 7IP, 7H, 0ER, 1bb/ 9k, 101 pitches (69 strikes, nice!)
Goldy would collect his 20th career 4-hit game with a little, deflected, infield single off the glove of Berti, ending his night a triple shy of the cycle.
James Naile would take the mound for his major league debut in the 8th. What a cool moment it was, too. A couple of big cheering sections out by the Cards pen in RF made it memorable, gotta love those emotions from family and loved ones.
Naile would nail it (couldn’t help myself), throwing 7 pitches, all for strikes, getting an inning ending double-play on Soler to secure a scoreless frame in his debut.
Carlson would add an extra insurance run in the 8th, knocking in Gorman (double) with a triple into the RF corner. Carlson would eventually score on a wild pitch by Nance, with Herrera at the dish.
Woodford would toss a 1-2-3 9th to secure the shutout, getting three ground ball outs.
Dakota Hudson (5-4, 3.72) gets the nod in game two, matching up with the lefty, Braxton Garrett (1-2, 4.08). First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew