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Carlos Martinez struts like el gallo, Cardinals defeat Giants 7-2

Winner-winner chicken dinner - oh no, Carlos, I didn't actually mean chicken!

By lil_scooter93
This is what I do after Cardinal homers, too.
This is what I do after Cardinal homers, too.
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

pre-game

Cardinals 2014 stats Last 5 years vs. starter
AVG HR RBI SB AB AVG HR RBI
Carpenter, M, 3B .287 4 32 3 - - - -
Holliday, M, LF .267 5 40 2 12 .167 0 0
Adams, M, 1B .319 9 33 2 - - - -
Peralta, J, SS .239 11 36 1 3 .000 0 0
Molina, Y, C .280 7 28 1 10 .200 0 0
Taveras, O, RF .186 1 2 0 - - - -
Ellis, M, 2B .197 0 12 4 18 .111 0 0
Jay, J, CF .290 1 20 2 9 .444 0 1
Martinez, C, P .333 0 0 0 - - - -
Giants 2014 stats Last 5 years vs. starter
AVG HR RBI SB AB AVG HR RBI
Pence, H, RF .295 11 31 7 - - - -
Panik, J, 2B .231 0 2 0 - - - -
Posey, B, C .288 9 41 0 - - - -
Sandoval, P, 3B .268 10 36 0 - - - -
Colvin, T, LF .243 1 16 1 - - - -
Duvall, A, 1B .143 1 1 0 - - - -
Crawford, B, SS .246 7 36 2 - - - -
Blanco, G, CF .230 0 15 8 - - - -
Bumgarner, M, P .222 2 7 0 - - - -

I am a champion for Allen Craig. I like him, I like how he plays, he has two first names, he has a pet tortoise. I want him to do well. I want him to prove the sayers of nay wrong. I want him to be clutch again. But I would be lying to you if I said I was not truly flummoxed by Matheny starting him the past two games with Oscar Taveras recently called up. I am further flummoxed by the fact that he is not starting today against the very tough left-handed pitching Madison Bumgarner. The nine game winner also owns a 2.90 ERA and a 2.76 FIP. He has easily been the Giants best pitcher at 2.2 fWAR.

Also of note is Hunter Pence leading off for the Giants. That seems pretty strange, but if I think about it Pence is clearly the Giants best hitter, so it makes sense.

game

First of all: ¡Hola Carlos!

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Carlos Martinez was five innings of baseball erotica. He changed speeds, he hit his spots, he blew fastballs by people, he got a RBI single. His most important at bat would come in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded (on a bunt single, an infield single and a walk) and two outs, Gerald Buster Posey would step up to the plate. With the Cardinals up by four runs, Buster could tie the game with one mighty swing.
But he didn't.
Martinez would start Posey off with two 98 mph fastballs. The first one would hit the top outside corner, the second was down the middle and fouled off. Posey would take two sliders, then strike out on this pitch (he said he tipped it - maybe he did, but it appeared Yadi caught it anyway):

Screen_shot_2014-07-03_at_5.18.37_pm
Gameday calls this a curveball. It is a slider - the third in a row in the at bat and instant death for poor Gerald.

The other half of the story was the Cardinal offense. Yes, I am serious! And so was the offense! The Birdos would put up seven runs on 14 hits, scored in four different innings and mixed in a dinger for good measure.

The scoring began right off the bat as Matt Carpenter would lead off the inning with a walk. With two outs, Jhonny Peralta would knock him in with a two run homer, his twelfth of the year to lead the team and take a 2-0 lead.
MBI: 1 (Matt Carpenter by Jhonny Peralta)

The Giants would answer back on a base hit by Madison Bumgarner to score Gregor Blanco. Bumgarner would advance to second on a fielder's choice, but would stay there, keeping the game 2-1 Cardinals.

Jon Jay would get the run back in the fourth by doubling in Yadier Molina who, like Carpenter, went 3-4. The Cardinals were not done, though, particularly Martinez, who would bang out a base hit through a drawn in infield to plate Mark Ellis (who reached on an error by first baseman Adam Duvall) and Jon Jay and give the Cardinals a 5-1 lead. ¡Viva el Gallo!

Screen_shot_2014-07-03_at_3.53.15_pm

Jon Jay would bunt for a hit in the sixth and would be driven in by a Shane Robinson triple to get things serious with a sixth run. The Cardinals would tack on another run, thanks to another San Francisco defensive miscue, scoring Matt Adams.
MBI: 1 (Matt Adams by Oscar Taveras)

The bullpen threw four mostly dominant innings, with minor hiccup by Sam Freeman that lead to Giants run in the sixth. Seth Maness stole the show, giving up no hits and getting six outs on 15 pitches - and he got a base hit -- and he was thrown out at home! Jason Motte pitched a scoreless, hitless ninth and the Cards took the game 7-2 and the series two games to one.


Source: FanGraphs

post-game

LIL SCOOTER'S PLAYER OF THE GAME:

I am giving this prestigious distinction to El Gallo. Bhonny Jhonny technically has the edge on him in WPA, .178 to .165, but 6 strikeouts and only one earned run in five innings of work, with 2 runs batted in is enough for me for make the tough call.

TWEET/GAMETHREAD COMMENT OF THE GAME:

The Cardinals end the west coast trip 5-5, and have gained a game (or half of a game) on the Brewers in the process. They will have no time to rest as they try to continue these winning ways over to St. Louis, where Lance Lynn will take on Nathan Eovaldi of the Marlins. The game starts at 6:15pm.

Tomorrow is Independence Day. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday. Don't forget to enjoy your fireworks like an American.

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