Cardinals vs. Pirates 5.7.16 Recap: Matt Carpenter, You Beautiful, Beautiful Man

This game started scary

When Wainwright could barely

Throw a ball to the mitt

Jaso then Andrew

Polanco - him, too

Each got on with a hit

When Marte reached base

Our struggling "ace"

Looked lost upon that hill

Cervelli (deserved)

Struck out on the curve

Our pitcher started to chill

Got out of the first

(It could have been worse)

Only two runs down

The Matts and Stephen,

plus Grich, score's even

Slowly faded our frowns

Then we took the lead

Home run Piscotty!

3 to 2 we're winning

Waino in trouble

After a double

Led the seventh inning

In comes Seung-hwan Oh

A hit to Jaso

Gives up another run

Into the corner

Almost a homer

Stephen's having some fun

Grich with a little

Hit up the middle

Brings him around to score

The end of the eighth

I'm feeling the faith

'Rats behind 3 to 4

Rosie's our closer

Losing composure

An error and a walk

Marte hits a drive

To make this game tied

Wasn't really a shock

Come back from the ledge

'Cause we've got the edge

Getting the last at-bat

Ball into the seats!

Another great feat!

Walk-off home run to Matt!

Notes

1. Pretty awesome game, you guys.  They lead, we tie.  We lead, they tie (twice).  Adam Wainwright gives up four hits in a row to start the game, but somehow manages to calm the fuck down and get outs.  Rosenthal blows the save, but Matt Carpenter saves us all (yet again) with a walk-off home run.  Wins in games like these give me all the feels.  They seem extra special, somehow - maybe even magical.  Like they could be the start of a 10-2 run that turns the season around.

2. David Freese finally got to pinch hit in the top of the 9th inning.  He got a lengthy, lovely, and well-deserved standing ovation, and tipped his helmet to the fans.  More feels.  WE STILL LOVE YOU, DAVID.

3. As awesome as Matt Carpenter's walk-off home run was - and let me tell you, it was FREAKING AWESOME - Tim McCarver should not have compared it to Freese's in Game 6.  Come ON, man.  Walk-off home runs are great.  But there is no comparison between a regular season walk-off win and a walk-off home run in Game 6 of the World Series in the bottom of the 11th inning after your team had been down to their last strike - twice.  None.  Please stop.

4. Hats off to Wainwright for somehow managing to pitch a pretty decent game after what looked to be a disastrous start.  I listened to the first couple of innings on the radio.  Let me paint this picture for you.  I turn the game on right at 11:15.  Just in time for John Rooney to say "Here's the voice of the Cardinals, Mike Shannon."  It was five batters in before I even knew who was pitching.  Seriously.  So Rooney introduces Shannon, and the next five minutes are:

- "Swing and a base hit."

- "Swing and a home run.  Oh, no, it hits off the top of the wall.  Well, I thought that one was gone. Heh heh heh."

- "Runners on first and second... oh, no, runners on second and third."

- "Swing and a base hit, but only one run scores.  Cards catch a break."

- "Swing and a base hit.  No one scores!"

The entire time I am repeating crazy things like "who is pitching?!"  "who hit that ball?!" "is this Leake? Or is it Wainwright?"  "what is HAPPENING right now?!"  Honestly, I had no idea.  Finally Cervelli is up and Mike tells me it's Adam just in time to prevent me from hyperventilating.  Anyway, I don't know what happened, but Wainwright calmed down in a hurry and pitched very well for the next six innings.  His curve was sharp, and he managed to strike out five, despite a wacky strike zone that improved after the first few innings.

Case in point: Wainwright's Pitch f/x for today:

Can you find the three very clear strikes called balls?

5. Speaking of which, Dana DeMuth started the game behind the plate.  He was hit on the mask by a Piscotty foul ball in the first, and then came out of the game in the top of the third.  There was a 12-minute delay before the new umpire was ready.  More credit to Wainwright for being seemingly unaffected by the break.

6. Rubber game tomorrow at 1:15 CT.  Michael Wacha takes the mound against Gerrit Cole.  Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!