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Dodgers @ Cardinals 5.31 recap - El Gallo shines

Carlos Martinez shines in day dedicated to honoring Oscar Taveras.

By WyoCardsFan
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers @ St. Louis Cardinals

Brett Anderson vs. Carlos Martinez
1:15 p.m. CT
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups -

Some News -

Things we were looking for -

Matt Holliday had been listed in the starting lineup, but was scratched, still battling flu-like symptoms.  He was pulled from yesterday's game, but only after pushing his record on-base streak to 44 games.  Pete Kozma gets the start at second.  Peter Bourjos bats leadoff.

Things that happened -

Top halves -

Carlos came in firing some nasssssssssssty changeups.  He made Joc Pederson and Alberto Callaspo look silly in some swinging strikeouts to open up the game.  Randal Grichuk also made an excellent play on a Adrian Gonzalez flyball in the first.

Andre Ethier blasted a ground-ball single through the hole on the left side in the second, and Brett Anderson took a walk in the third, but otherwise, Carlos was extremely stingy through the fifth.

Carlos stepped up big in the sixth.  With one out, Carlos issued walks to Pederson and Callsapo, bringing up Gonzalez in a big spot.  With a 2-2 count, Carlos pulled out his awesome changeup, getting Gonzalez to swing over the top of it in a big way.  Martinez went on to strike out Kendrick to end the inning.

El Gallo came back for the seventh, and used only seven pitches to mow through Ethier, Yasmani Grandal, and Alex Guerrero in dominating fashion.  Martinez' final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K, 108 pitches thrown.

Kevin Siegrist took over in the eighth.  With two outs, Pederson took a first-pitch fastball yard to right-center.  Kevin K'd the side.  Cards up 2-1.

Trevor Rosenthal racked up another save, but it wasn't just real easy.  He was aided by a good running catch by Grichuk in foul ground and an incredible diving stop by Wong.  Trevor walked Ethier and Grandal with two outs, bringing up Turner.  Rosie got a couple borderline strike calls to strike him out to end the game.  Cards win 3-1!!

Bottom halves -

The Cards came out swinging.  Jhonny Peralta put them on the board early with a massive 2-run homer to left, following up a Matt Carpenter single.  Cards up 2-0.

Jason Heyward got himself picked off to be the second out in the second.  Anderson proceeded to walk Kozma and Martinez.  Peter Bourjos almost sneaked an RBI single past Jimmy Rollins, but he made a diving play and got the force at second to end the inning.

In the third, Peralta walked, and Randal Grichuk singled, but Grichuk got TOOTBLAN when Yadier Molina flew out to right field.  "It's funny but it's not funny," says Tim McCarver.

Anderson really settled in as the game went along.  His breaking ball, especially, seemed much sharper.  Through the sixth, he only allowed a single to Bourjos (in the fifth), who was quickly erased as Anderson picked off his second runner of the game.  Anderson's final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 102 pitches thrown.

Chris Hatcher worked around a Heyward single by getting pinch hitter Kolten Wong to ground into a double play in the seventh.

Hatcher came back for the eighth.  He issued two walks (PH Jon Jay and Carpenter) sandwiched around a Bourjos pop-out bunt attempt.  Yimi Garcia came in to work around the jam.  Jay was able to go second-to-home as a bloop hit into right field from Peralta give the Cards yet another run.  Molina singled into shallow left, and Oqundo/Carpenter decided to test Hernandez in left.  It didn't pay off- Carp got gunned to end the inning.  Cards up 3-1.

Final Notes -


  • This was the most impressive Carlos Martinez start I've paid close attention to.  His changeup was a real weapon.  It was a treat to watch.
  • Here's the Brooks Baseball breakdown of Carlos' day.
  • Anderson had a pretty decent game, himself.  The Cards bats did well to jump on him early.
  • The baserunning, except for Jay's scoring in the eighth, was not impressive for the Cardinals.
  • Fangraphs of this game.
  • Gamenotes: Dodgers | Cards

Looking ahead -

Tune in tomorrow as Matt Garza and the last-place Brew Crew come in to Busch to take on Jaime Garcia and the Cardinals.  Game time is 7:10 CT.

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