What a shame that the Cardinals couldn’t score double-digit runs on Saturday evening, right?
After dropping the first four games in Pittsburgh to run their losing streak to a previously unimaginable seven games, the Cardinals’ offense exploded while Joe Kelly did his part in a 13-0 rout.
The intrepid C70 has been keeping tabs on the Cardinals from behind enemy lines, and has stayed up to date on Heroes and Goats.
Thursday (13-0 win, at Pirates)
Hero: Joe Kelly – “I throw shutout innings now. Shutout innings are cool.”
Goat: Matt Carpenter – No hits (though an RBI and a walk) out of the leadoff slot, and you know how I feel about that.
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Happy to get out of Pittsburgh with at least one victory, if not the seemingly long-gone division lead, the Cardinals headed to Cincinnati for another divisional series, this one with a Reds club sitting squarely in the second NL Wild Card slot.
New town, new foe, same results (almost). Another thirteen run outburst for the Cardinals, and feeling generous, the pitching staff allowed the Reds three runs of their own. Good start after the face-plant in Pitt. Never a bad thing to put some more distance between yourself and the Reds, team.
Friday (13-3 win, at Reds)
Hero: Daniel Descalso – For a two-run game and snapping that nobody-but-Yadi-homers streak.
Goat: Matt Carpenter – Again. Because 0-6 in a game like that is just about unfathomable.
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When you start to expect your favorite team to score thirteen runs a game, a letdown is inevitable. Westbrook struggled again to locate and finish innings, resulting in eight runs for the Reds on only nine hits.
Saturday (8-3 loss, at Reds)
Hero: Matt Holliday – 1-3 with a walk and an RBI.
Goat: Jake Westbrook – Being unable to finish innings off was the difference in the game.
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Staked to an early lead, Lynn didn’t disappoint on the mound. Trying to prove that Saturday’s measly three-run output was a fluke, the offense one-upped the Thursday and Friday games by putting a fifteen-spot on the board.
Sunday (15-2 win, at Reds)
Hero: Lance Lynn – In a game with a ton of offense, Lynn was dominant on the mound. Four hits and 11 strikeouts in eight innings.
Goat: Adron Chambers – When every starter has at least two hits, you have to go with the sub that struck out twice. Not fair, but there you go.
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Tonight’s matchup against the Dodgers features the Cardinals facing Zack Greinke in a matchup that doesn’t have a lot of history with the Cardinals’ lineup:
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Holliday | 25 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .348 | .400 | .609 | 1.009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Jay | 21 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .263 | .300 | .263 | .563 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Freese | 18 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | .333 | .444 | .533 | .978 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Daniel Descalso | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .375 | .625 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlos Beltran | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Carpenter | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rob Johnson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Wainwright | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adron Chambers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Allen Craig | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 87 | 78 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 11 | .269 | .337 | .397 | .735 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The Dodgers don’t get off easy, they’ll get Cardinal ace Adam Wainwright:
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Ethier | 33 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | .300 | .364 | .700 | 1.064 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hanley Ramirez | 27 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | .208 | .296 | .208 | .505 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 16 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .200 | .250 | .267 | .517 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jerry Hairston | 10 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | .900 | 1.400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mark Ellis | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .111 | .111 | .111 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Uribe | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Carl Crawford | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Greinke | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephen Fife | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Ricky Nolasco | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 120 | 111 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 26 | .234 | .280 | .387 | .667 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Tune in tonight on another national broadcast appearance for the Redbirds, ESPN at 6:05pm CT.
