Pirates @ Cardinals 10.2 recap: Cards come up one game short

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Ryan Vogelsong vs. Adam Wainwright

2:15 p.m. CT
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups -

Jaso 3

Polanco 9

McCutchen 8

Kang 5

Joyce 7

Hanson 4

Fryer 2

Florimon 6

Vogelsong 1

Carpenter 3

Diaz 6

Molina 2

Piscotty 9

Peralta 5

Moss 7

Gyorko 4

Grichuk 8

Wainwright 1

Things that happened -

With my dual screen set up, I witnessed Adam Wainwright throwing four pitches to get two outs.  Unfortunately, by the time that happened, the San Francisco Giants had already thrown two runs on the board.  Andrew McCutchen reached on an infield single as Hunter Pence struck out.  Jung Ho Kang hit one to the track, and it settled nicely into Randal Grichuk's glove to end the inning.

Ryan Vogelsong took the ball for the Giants as Buster Posey got tagged out in a rundown to end their bottom of the first.  Matt Carpenter took a walk, and Yadi singled in the inning, but Vogelsong was able to strand them.

Wainwright's second inning was good.  He was sharp, and his breakers were breaking in the right way.  His strike three to Fryer to end the inning was a knee-buckler Uncle Charlie with the best of them.

Vogelsong crafted a 1-2-3 second for the Pirates, and Wainwright threw an easy top of the third with a couple strikeouts and a walk to John Jaso.  Meanwhile, on the other screen, Kenta Maeda allowed three more runs in the bottom of the second, a 2-RBI triple by Denard Span, and an RBI single by Posey.  That put the Giants up 5-0.

Connor Gillespie tumbled into the camera well to make a fantastic catch as part of a 1-2-3 top of the third on the other screen while on the main screen, Vogelsong collected a couple quick outs, but then walked Aledmys Diaz.  Molina cracked a fly ball out to centerfield.  McCutchen went for a do-or-die shoestring catch, and when he didn't come up with it, Diaz took the opportunity to come around and score.  Cards up 1-0.

Maeda didn't make it through the third, but the Dodgers finally got through an inning without allowing a run.  On the main screen, Jhonny Peralta made a nice sliding play to rob Kang of a base hit.  Wainwright walked Matt Joyce, but stranded him on the next pitch by getting a groundball from Hanson.

Jedd Gyorko and Wainwright picked up a couple hits in the fourth.  A Carpenter walk loaded the bases for Diaz.  Meanwhile, on the second screen, the Dodgers broke through with an RBI single by Yasmani Grandal.   Joc Pederson almost put up three more, flying out to the centerfield wall, but they settled for just the one.  Back on the main screen, Diaz put together a nice at bat, but ultimately flew out to left.

The top of the fifth proved to be not so good for the Birds.  With two outs (one of them - old friend Eric Fryer caught stealing), Waino found himself in a bases loaded situation with McCutchen at the plate.  Cutch came through, singling in two.  Pirates up 2-1.

The Cards couldn't answer in their half of the fifth.

In the sixth, on a fly out, Matt Joyce tried to tag and take second.  Stephen Piscotty made a nice throw, but Joyce was ruled safe, and the ruling was upheld after a review.  Waino worked around it, though.

On the second screen, Matt Moore kept rolling.

Back on the main screen, Antonio Bastardo checked in for Vogelsong in the sixth.  He walked Gyorko, Jose Martinez picked up a pinch hit single (for Wainwright), and then Carpenter broke out a big fly with a 3-0 green light, knocking a 92 m.p.h. fastball over the right-center wall.  That plated three, putting the good guys back up again.  Cards up 4-2.

On the second screen, the Giants and Dodgers went to the bottom of the seventh after Vin led an emotional rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".  At this point, the Dodgers had only picked up three hits and weren't looking to liven up anytime soon.

Jonathan Broxton took the mound for the seventh.  He dashed my hopes quicker than any glance at the Dodgers/Giants score.  He threw TWO pitches, and suddenly the game was tied again.  Adam Frazier singled, and Jaso drove him home with a homer into the Cards' dugout.  Cutch almost took him deep, too.  Wow.  Not great, Broxton.  Bernie wasn't amused, either:

Game 162, still trusting Broxton.

— Bernie Miklasz (@miklasz) October 2, 2016

Game tied 4-4.

The seventh was wild....   Yadi knocked a liner down the left field line.  It bounced up and hit some sort of railing along the line, bouncing back into play.  The Pirate defenders raised their arms like they thought it should be a ground rule double.  The Ball Boy down the line took it upon himself to go grab the ball as it sat in the grass.  All the while, Yadi circumnavigated the bases, dreaming of inside-the-park home runs.  In the end, the play was reviewed, and the New York umpires concluded that it was indeed a ground rule double, and Yadi was sent to second.  Piscotty knocked him in, though, a single into center.

Meanwhile, on the second screen, Matt Moore threw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, still with a 5-1 lead.

Peralta singled, and that knocked Juan Nicasio out of the game in favor of Wade LeBlanc.  Moss singled, loading the bases with nobody out for Gyorko.  Gyorko hit an easy double play ball, but alas, Kang misplayed it.  Everyone moved up a base with no outs recorded.  With that sixth run, St. Louis area customers can console themselves win, lose, or draw with 50 cent drinks from On the Run at Mobil tomorrow.  Grichuk kept the train a-movin'.  He got a 2-RBI base hit just over the third base bag.  Matt Adams plated another sac flying in foul territory.

This all happened just as San Francisco scored two more when Joc Peterson almost came up with a great diving catch in center, but.... didn't.  That put the Giants up 7-1.

Matt Carpenter sac flied in Grichuk for good measure.

Cards back on top 10-4.

On the second screen, Sergio Romo came in to close things out for the Giants in the ninth.  Andre Ethier singled.  Austin Barnes flew out on a nice play in center by Span.  Yasiel Puig struck out.

On the main screen, Dean Kiekhefer collected three outs in the eighth, allowing a single to Fryer.

Between innings for the Cards, Sergio wrapped things up for the Giants, getting Rob Segedin to fly out, securing the 7-1 win and the second wildcard spot.   "I have said enough for a lifetime, and for the last time I wish you all a very pleasant good afternoon" - Vin Scully.  Thank you, Vin.

A couple  outs into the bottom of the eighth, the home crowd started a chant of  "Holl-i-day, Holl-i-day, Holl-i-day".  Instead, they got Greg Garcia.  Greg worked a full count, and then singled to center.  The cameras cut to Holliday in the dugout, holding his glove.

The Cardinals sent Matt Holliday out to take left field without the rest of the team so that the home crowd could have their moment with him.  Tommy Pham came to take his place immediately after the first pitch to give Matt the one more ovation due him.  Thank you for all you've done, Matt.

Kiekhefer finished things out.  Cards win 10-4.

Final Notes -

• Vogelsong's final line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 83 pitches thrown
• Wainwright's final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K, 100 pitches thrown.
• Yadi collected his career best 162nd hit in the first inning.
• Fangraphs
• Game notes - Pirates | Cardinals
• Forgive me for the lack of analysis in this one.  Thanks, VEB, for the great year.