Cardinals complete a sweep of the Phillies 6.11.17

Line-up

Events

1st Inning

Odubel Herrera and Daniel Nava greeted Wainwright by slashing a pair of singles. Wainwright got Kendrick to fly out, but Tommy Joseph snuck a single past Gyorko, and Herrera scored when Pham’s throw home was off line. Wainwright composed himself and got Saunders to ground out softly to second, and Franco to strike out swinging. 1-0 Phillies.

Shortstop Freddy Galvis robbed Carpenter of a lead off hit by making a running grab of his fliner into short center. But Dexter Fowler followed with a double into the right field corner and Stephen Piscotty reached on a single that could have been ruled a throwing error on Franco. But Jedd Gyorko struck out, and Aledmys Diaz grounded out and came up limping before reaching the bag. After talking to the trainer, he would stay in the game.

2nd Inning

The Phillies left off, as Andrew Knapp grounded a single through the right side and Freddy Galvis drew a walk. Aaron Nola beat out a double play after Carpenter couldn’t find the bag, giving the Phillies runners on the corners with 1 out. Odubel Herrera struck again, this time slashing an RBI double down the third base line. However, Tommy Pham made a great play to nab Nola trying to go first-to-third. Wainwright then struck out Nava. He was at 50 pitches. 2-0 Phillies.

Nola struck out Pham and Wong, then got Fryer to ground out to second. He was at 36 pitches.

3rd Inning

Wainwright had a much-needed quick inning. Howie Kendrick led off with a double to left-center, but Wainwright got Joseph to fly out to right, Saunders to pop out to short, and Franco to ground out to second. He was at 57 pitches.

Wainwright battled Nola to a full count, but struck out looking on a fastball on the corner. Carpenter and Fowler then flew out.

4th Inning

Wainwright walked the lead off batter Knapp, but battled back to get Galvis to line out to short, and Nola & Herrera to strike out on curveballs. He was at 72 pitches.

Piscotty worked Nola to a full count and drew a lead off walk to start the 4th. But Gyorko struck out, Aledmys popped out, and Pham grounded out to short. Nola was at 67 pitches.

5th Inning

Wainwright retired his first lead off hitter of the afternoon, retiring Nava on a line out to left. He then grazed Kendrick with a pitch but (despite Kendrick breaking early for second) got Joseph to ground into an inning-ending double play. Wainwright’s afternoon was done.

Kolten Wong socked a lead off double to start the 5th. Fryer struck out on a flurry of change-ups, but pinch-hitter Greg Garcia worked a walk. Then after Carpenter flew out to center, Dexter Fowler launched a towering, 3-run home run down the right field line. 3-2 Cardinals.

6th Inning

Tyler Lyons entered in relief. He struck out the lefty Saunders on a curveball, allowed a first-pitch single to the righty Franco on a fastball, then got the righty Knapp and switch-hitter Galvis to fly out to deep right on fastballs.

Joaquin Benoit entered in relief of Nola. After Gyorko popped out to short left, Aledmys beat out an infield single and was rewarded with second base after the ball rolled into the dugout. Pham followed a with a ground ball scorched up the middle to score Aledmys, and advanced to second on the throw home. Pham then stole third while Wong struck out, and Fryer cashed him in with a single to right. Edubray Ramos relieved Benoit, and struck out Chad Huffman. 5-2 Cardinals.

7th Inning

Matt Bowman relieved Lyons. He walked lead off man Andres Blanco, but Matt Carpenter negated him by snaring a hot shot off the bat of Odubel Herrera and stepping on the bag. With the bases now empty, Daniel Nava uncorked a home run to right. Bowman recovered and got Kendrick to ground out on a come-backer. 5-3 Cardinals.

The Phillies turned to Pat Neshek to face the Cardinals’ best lefty bats. Matt Carpenter promptly knocked a ground-rule double but Dexter Fowler, fresh off his 3-run home run in the 5th, somehow bunted into 5-6 double play. Neshek then struck out Stephen Piscotty.

8th Inning

Trevor Rosenthal relieved next. He struck out Joseph on an elevated 87mph slider, Saunders on an elevated 101mph fastball, and Franco on a 88mph slider. This half-inning ruled as much as the previous one sucked.

Hector Neris relieved Neshek. He walked Gyorko but Aledmys grounded into the Cardinals’ second double play in as many innings. Pham knocked a broken-bat single to right, and Kolten Wong socked an RBI double to the wall in right center. 6-3 Cardinals.

9th Inning

Seung Hwan Oh entered to close it out. Andrew Knapp eked a lead off single up the middle, and Freddy Galvis smacked a single through the right side to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Oh was able to strike out Aaron Altherr, but Odubel Herrera continued his strong game with an RBI single to left. Then after Oh struck out Nava, Howie Kendrick knocked an RBI single just past a diving Kolten Wong. Things were starting to look bleak, but Oh ultimately got Tommy Joseph to fly out to Piscotty in right. Cardinals win 6-5.

Final Lines

Adam Wainwright: 5IP, 2ER, 6H, 4K, 2BB, 52 GSc

Aaron Nola: 5IP, 3ER, 4H, 6K, 2BB, 49 GSc

Notes

• Prior to today, Cardinals starting pitchers had only allowed 1 run in the 1st inning at Busch Stadium all season (h/t Rob Rains).
• Aledmys came up limping on a ground out in the 1st, but he appeared to be running fine while scoring in the 6th.
• Tommy Pham’s stolen base in the 6th gave him 6 on the season, breaking his tie for the team lead with Yadier Molina and Randal Grichuk (h/t Zubin).
• Demoting Chris Maloney has not made Matt Carpenter a better base runner.
• Oh had a bit of trouble getting the ball down, and subsequently I had trouble getting my anxiety down.
• Cardinals are off Monday, but start a 4-game set against the Brewers with a double-header on Tuesday. Lance Lynn and Marco Gonzales will start, respectively.

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