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pre game
cubs lineup
| Dexter Fowler | 8 |
| Anthony Rizzo | 3 |
| Kris Bryant | 5 |
| Miguel Montero | 2 |
| Chris Coghlan | 7 |
| Starlin Castro | 6 |
| Mike Baxter | 9 |
| Jake Arrieta | 1 |
| Addison Russell | 4 |
cardinals lineup
| Kolten Wong | 4 |
| Matt Carpenter | 5 |
| Jhonny Peralta | 6 |
| Mark Reynolds | 3 |
| Jason Heyward | 9 |
| Yadier Molina | 2 |
| Randal Grichuk | 7 |
| Jon Jay | 8 |
| John Lackey | 1 |
game
What it is like watching the Cardinals this season is difficult to describe. Not because the team is bad, or the games are miserable, in fact quite the opposite. Often times the games are so exciting and so fun that words do not seem to do them justice. But... I guess I can try
This year, the Birdos have made a habit of come-from-behind victories. After tonight's 3-2 win over the Cubs, the Cardinals have comeback to win twenty-two times, which is around forty-five percent of the team's forty-nine wins this season. Most of these victories have been thrilling, but Friday night's win against the division rival Cubs might have been the most fun so far.
Going into the eighth inning the Cubs were leading 2-1. The visitors from the north side of Chicago had scored their runs in the fourth and seventh innings. The first run came across after Miguel Montero worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third after Castro singled, completing a perfectly executed hit and run. Baxter singled, scoring Montero. The Cubs manufactured their second run after Bryant sacrificed Fowler home after a leadoff double by Fowler, and a groundout by Rizzo that advanced him to third. Greg Garcia stepped up to plate to lead off the bottom of the eighth frame, looking to do anything to spark the team. Garcia got a 3-1 fastball down the middle of plate, and he did just that and much more, depositing the Pedro Strop pitch into the left-centerfield bleachers for his first big league homer.
GG was understandbly pumped.
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Kolten Wong was pumped.
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Yadi was pumped.
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Really pumped.
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Martinez was, of course, there to give GG his water in this nightmare fuel of a screen grab.
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And then there was this guy... What is his story? Was he there by himself? Did he just so happen to be on the phone or did he call someone to discuss the homer? Is he crying? If this is you, please give us some details.
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Anyway, the game went on to extra innings where the Cardinals were saved by Peter Bourjos, who sacrificed his body, but mostly his face to score with the bases loaded on a Peralta dribbler to Mike Baxter, the right fielder who came in to be the fifth member of the five-man infield.
I am telling you, this game had it all.
stray thoughts:
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Bourjos really did hurt his face though. Check it out:
<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">"Oh " <a href="http://t.co/Hw9iYzIVCz">pic.twitter.com/Hw9iYzIVCz</a></p>— Scooter Simon (@lil_scooter93) <a href="https://twitter.com/lil_scooter93/status/614642447335829504">June 27, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> - The voice you hear in the background of that video is my mother reacting in a very "motherish" way in regards to that injury.
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Looks like he is going to be alright though.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Peter Bourjos went through a battery of concussion tests after being knocked in face while sliding home as game-winning run. He passed.</p>— Jenifer Langosch (@LangoschMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/LangoschMLB/status/614659030796120064">June 27, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> - I mean, he looked better off than poor Kheira Hamraoui of France from earlier on Friday.
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- The Cardinals were thrown out at the plate twice tonight *frowns
- Peter Bourjos got on base by smacking a double!
- It would be an oversight to neglect to mention the excellent work by the Cardinal 'pen tonight. You keep doing you, bullpen.
- Another successful rally thread!
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post game
LIL SCOOTER'S LIL PLAYER OF THE GAME
Greg Garcia! One plate appearance, one home run, one run batted in, .320 WPA! You go, Greg!
<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2015-06-26&team=Cardinals&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width = "450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-06-26&team=Cardinals&dh=0&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span>
7:15pm CST on Saturday Michael Wacha takes the mound against Donn Roach, who is making his major league debut (feels like the Birdos have gone up against a lot of young blood lately, right?).