Cards comeback from 3-0 deficit in series opener in Cincy, down Reds 7-4
Dakota Hudson and the Cardinals found themselves in an early 3-0 hole vs the Reds in their first trip to GABP in 2019. Suárez would get the Reds on the board with a two out, solo HR to LF off Hud.
The Cardinals bats weren’t much to brag about the first time through the order, as Prince Sex and KoWo were the only ones to get a hit. Prince would bloop a single to CF on a jam shot and KoWo would ground a single right back up the middle. Both would get erased on double plays. The one double play with O’Neill involved was trash. Dex would get called out for batter’s interference for apparently obstructing the throwing lane of the catcher, Graterol. He literally ducked out of the way and O’Neill would be called out at 2B after clearly beating out a steal.
The Reds bounced on the advantage given to them, plating two more runs to make it 3-0 in the bottom of the 3rd. Roark (the freakin’ pitcher) would lead the inning off with his first double of the year, sending it down the LF line. Winker then singled into LF, Votto singled to RF, scoring Roark and moving Winker and himself into scoring position with no outs. Suárez then drove in his second run of the game with a sac-fly to Dex in CF. Puig followed that with a double on a soft ball into RF, but be stranded there after Gennett (called out on strikes) and Ervin (fly out to Dex) would go down without much of a fight.
Pauly Deez, dropping another spot in the lineup, now in the 7-spot, got the Cards on the board and back into this game with one swing of the bat. After Wieters singled to leadoff the inning, Deez would stroke his 14th bomb of the season off the LF foul/fair pole to make it a 3-2 game.
Robert Stephenson would come in to relieve Roark after lasting just 5 innings. Dex would get things started with a one out free pass, as Wieters would single right back up the middle to put runners on the corners for Deez. Deez came thru again, smacking an rbi single to LF to make it a 3-3 game. KoWo kept the line moving, singling to RF to load the bases for Muñoz (pinch-hitting for Hud). Muñoz would fly out to Puig in shallow RF, keeping all runners put. But Tommy Edman would clear all of them off the bases with the crack of a bat. Edman would get first pitch breaking ball from Stephenson and demolish it to RCF for the first Cardinals GS of the season, his 4th big fly of the season (and it seems like they’ve all played huge roles), to make it a 7-3 Cardinals advantage.
John Gant would give up a run in his outing tonight, continuing his rough stretch. Graterol would drive in Iglesias (double) with a single to LF to make it a 7-4 game.
Edmundo Sosa would pinch-hit for Brebbs in the 8th and record his first major league hit, and boy was it a memorable one. Sosa would drop in a single to RF, and Bader would try going 1st to 3rd on Puig, only to get lasered and Suárez then quickly fired it to 2B to double up Sosa to end the inning. Truly a whacky way to record your first mlb hit.
With Carlos Martínez not available, Andrew Miller would shut the door in the 9th for his 2nd save of the season. The best part of his outing was making Votto look foolish on 3 different pitches, finally getting him to swing and miss at front door slider that appeared to handcuff him. Puig would ground out softly back to Miller to end the game for a 7-4 Cardinals winner.
Uncle Charlie (6-7, 3.99) gets the nod in game two, matching up with Tyler Mahle (2-10, 4.82). First pitch from GABP 6:10pm c/t.
Cheers, Stew
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