Marlins @ Cardinals 7.17 recap: Fish double up Cards in series finale

Miami Marlins @ St. Louis Cardinals

Adam Conley vs. Michael Wacha

1:15 p.m. CT
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups -

Some News -

• A sorta different looking lineup today - Grichuk in left while Pham took the reigns in center and Holliday again at first, batting cleanup.  Piscotty hit third.  Yadi got a day off in favor of Rosario.
• Texas took care of the Cubbies today - MLB.com
• Cincinnati edged Milwaukee 1-0 - MLB.com
• Pittsburgh and Washington in extras - MLB.com

Things that happened -

Top halves -

Michael Wacha looked pretty good early on working around a leadoff single to Ichiro Suzuki (his 2992nd big league hit) with a couple fly outs and a strikeout of Giancarlo Stanton.

The second yielded four groundballs in play for Wacha.  Three of them turned into outs, and one of them, off the bat of Jeff Mathis, found a hole up the middle for a two-out single.

In the third, Ichiro was called safe on an infield groundball that he hustled to beat Diaz' throw.  After a fairly quick review on a play that was super close, the call was reversed and he was denied his 2993rd hit.  Prado worked a 12-pitch at bat that ended in a groundout.

Stanton absolutely hammered a double into the left field corner with one out in the fourth.  Derek Dietrich smacked a ball off Wacha's ankle and turned it into a single.  The trainers came to check in on Wacha, but he insisted he could continue.  Mathis tied up the game, driving in Stanton with a beautiful base hit bunt towards third.  With Adeiny Hechavarria batting, a wild pitch moved runners up to second and third.  Wacha went ahead and completed an intentional walk, wanting to face Conley.  It worked - Conley struck out to strand the bases loaded.  One note- Rosario did a great job blocking some crazy pitches in the dirt in this inning, in spite of the one wild pitch that got by him.  Wacha worked hard to get through this one.  Game tied 1-1.

The fifth didn't go well.  Ichiro walked to lead off.  Martin Pado knocked a ground-rule double into and out of center field.  Christian Yelich drove them both in, singling up the middle.  That was it for Mr. Wacha.  Matt Bowman and Greg Garcia checked in double-switch style (for Wacha and Peralta).  Bowman struck out Stanton, got Dietrich to line out, and got Don Kelly to fly out to end the inning.  Marlins up 3-1.

Wacha's final line: 4.0+ IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 101 pitches thrown.

Bowman had a fine second inning of work in the sixth.  He gave up a couple hits (a single to Hechavarria and a double to Ichiro), but left them stranded.

Jonathan Broxton checked in for the seventh.  Yelich singled right up the middle, and then Stanton did his Stanton thing doubling over Pham's head to drive him home (and reaching third himself on the play).  Don Kelly hit a sac fly to mid-center field.  Tommy Pham made a nice throw, but Stanton just got in ahead of the tag to add another run.  Miami up 5-3.

Kevin Siegrist pitched the eighth.  Cole Gillespie singled to right and then his pinch runner, Yefri Perez, stole second.  Ichiro infield singled (his 2994th hit).  Yelich sac-linedrove Perez in for their sixth run of the game.  A double steal allowed the opportunity for Siegrist to intentionally walk Stanton, bringing up Miguel Rojas, who eventually flew out to left to end the threat.  Marlins up 6-3.

Seth Maness pitched the ninth.  He made quick work of their 6-7-8 hitters.

Bottom halves -

Adam Conley had an even better first than did Wacha.  He retired the side in order.

Matt Holliday, in his unfamiliar role as the number four hitter, led off the second inning with a solo shot into the Cardinal bullpen.  Conley retired the next three.  During Randal Grichuk's AB, the trainer came out to check on him.  It was unclear what was wrong, but it seemed to be something eye-sight related.  Cards up 1-0.

Conley worked a quick 1-2-3 frame in the third.  Rosario put together a fairly impressive 9-pitch AB in the process.  He ended up grounding out to short.

In the fourth, Aledmys Diaz worked a leadoff walk, and stole second base (luckily Dietrich dropped the ball on the tag), but was stranded there as Conley induced a couple infield pop ups and a strikeout to end the inning.

Conley had an amusing pitch way way way to the back stop to Jedd Gyorko, but he stuck him out anyways.  Rosario worked a two out walk, and then Greg Garcia (who was the subject of a great article by the red baron this morning, by the way) hit a flare double into left field like Garcia can do.  Tommy Pham had barely enough time to get out of the way of a high and tight fastball, but it slipped away from Mathis allowing Rosario to score to cut into the lead. Marlins up 3-2.

The sixth was a little crazy.  Diaz led off with a walk.  Holliday hit a soft little groundball towards the shortstop.  He hustled to beat it out, and Hechavarria hurried himself and threw it away wide of first.  That allowed Diaz to come all the way around from first to score, and left Holliday on second.  That was the end for Conley.  Old friend Kyle Barraclough came in to finish off the threat.  He did so, striking out Michael McKenry and Grichuk.  Game tied 3-3.

Adam Conley's final line: 5 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 92 pitches thrown.

Barraclough had a nice easy 1-2-3 seventh.

Fernando Rodney pitched the eighth.  He struck out Pham with a nice changeup off the plate.  Pham did not like the call.  Rodney struck out Diaz on a fastball that was questionable.  Diaz did not like the call.  Neither did Matheny, who let Jim Joyce know about it.  It was an amusing exchange.

AJ Ramos came in to try to save it for the fish.  Holliday doubled to the left field corner.  Wong lined out sharply to first.  Grichuk struck out.  Gyorko grounded out to end the game.  Marlins win 6-3.

Final Notes -

• It was a weird day for Wacha.  He looked great at times but had to work really hard to get through that fourth inning.
• I have enjoyed Rosario so far.
• Game notes: Marlins | Cardinals

Looking ahead -

Tomorrow, the Padres come to town.  Christian Friedrich will be opposed by Mike Leake.  The game starts at 7:15 CT.