Events

1st Inning

Carlos Martinez came out firing bullets, pounding Blackmon inside before getting him to wave through a fastball up and away. He then got Desmond to reach and ground out to SS, before narrowly avoiding a HR on Arenado’s long drive to RCF, which landed in Bader’s glove on the track instead. He threw 12 pitches in the frame.

The Cardinals tried to eke out a run, but come up a hair short. Matt Carpenter led off by working a full count, and chopping a weak grounder to the left of Rockies starter Tyler Anderson. But the ball had enough pace to make it past the ranging pitcher, and Carpenter was able to beat out an infield single. After Molina struck out swinging through an elevated fastball and DeJong popped out to short CF, Carpenter moved up to 2B on a balk call by Joe West. Marcell Ozuna then put a good swing on change up that caught too much of the zone, but left fielder Manny Parra was able to charge and make a sliding catch to rob him of an RBI. Anderson threw 19 pitches. It would be OK.

2nd Inning

Carlos kicked it up a notch in the 2nd, mixing his fastball and slider to strike out the side. He struck out Carlos Gonzalez swinging with a fastball, before getting McMahon and Murphy swinging with a pair of sliders. He threw 15 pitches in the inning, putting him at 27 total.

Anderson returned the favor, in much more efficient fashion. He retired Gyorko and Munoz on a pair of easy ground outs to SS & 3B, before getting Fowler to fly out to deep-ish CF on his 7th pitch of the inning. He was at 26 overall. It would be OK.

3rd Inning

Carlos got himself into and out of trouble in the 3rd. After Parra flew out down the LF line to start the frame, Garrett Hampson chopped the Rockies’ first hit over the head of a drawn-in Gyorko at 3B. Martinez then made a grave error and threw a pick off pitch to the side wall, allowing the fleet Hampson to advance to 3B. But Carlos was able to strike out Anderson with a back-foot slider, and get Blackmon to ground out softly to 2B to avoid taking any damage. He was up to 40 pitches.

The Cardinals made it 9 outs straight with their 3rd inning. Bader started the frame by popping out into foul territory on the first pitch he saw. The ball very nearly dropped after some suspect communication between Desmond and Gonzalez down the RF line — but Gonzalez was able to salvage the play with a sprawling catch. Then, after Martinez struck out swinging, Carpenter got all of a low fastball, but lined out to 2B. Anderson was at just 35 pitches through 3, but it would be OK.

4th Inning

Carlos bent, but didn’t break in the 4th. He had a long battle with Ian Desmond, who he lost to a lead off walk. He battled back to strike out Arenado with a perfectly-placed fastball away, but Carlos Gonzalez made him sweat by hooking a single past Munoz into RF that sent Desmond to 3B. But just like in the inning before, he got a much-needed strike out (of McMahon, with a change up the dropped under the zone) and then getting Murphy to pop out to 1B. Carlos was up to 63 pitches.

The Cardinals went down in order a third straight time in the 4th. Molina grounded out weakly to 3B, DeJong struck out after battling to a full count, and Ozuna was robbed of extra bases by Parra again, this time with a leaping catch in front of the LF wall. Ozuna was adorably pissed. Anderson was at 50 pitches. It would be OK.

5th Inning

Everything went wrong in the 5th. Carlos’ velocity had been as high as 97 early in the game, but suddenly dipped to around 90, reminiscent of Alex Reyes’ abbreviated start earlier this season. Manny Parra started the inning with a single in front of a thoroughly annoyed Ozuna. Martinez was able to strike out 8 & 9 hitters Hampson & Anderson, but Blackmon singled up the middle, and the trainer came out to visit. A few seconds later, he was out of the game.

Daniel Poncedeleon was pressed into relief duty. He battled Ian Desmond to a full count, but lost him to a walk, despite appearing to have struck him out several times. Nolan Arenado made him pay by launching a middle-middle fastball onto the berm in CF for a grand slam. 4-0 Rockies.

The Cardinals were able to claw a run back. Anderson, who had a long respite during the long top half of the inning, served up a change up in the heart of the plate, and Jedd Gyorko put in the seats down the LF line. But Anderson recovered to strike out Munoz on a check swing, got Fowler to fly out to CF, and struck out Bader swinging. He was at just 61 pitches. 4-1 Rockies. It would be OK.

6th Inning

Poncedeleon struggled with wildness in the 6th. The inning started off well enough, as he got McMahon to fly out to CF before he struck out Murphy swinging. But pesky Parra lined a single to RF, and then was off to the races to 3B when Poncedeleon spiked a pick off throw to the side wall. That seemed to rattle Poncedeleon, who then walked Hampson, and then Ankiel’d a pitch to the screen behind home plate. Parra broke for home, but the ball bounced perfectly off the screen to Molina who tossed to Poncedeleon in time to catch Parra. Home plate ump Marty Foster called him safe, but replay overruled him. Weird.

Nothing doing again in the 6th. Poncedeleon batted for himself, with the Cardinals down just 3, and grounded out to 3B. Carpenter was able to guide a single up the middle through the shift, but Molina skied out to LCF, and DeJong flew out harmlessly to RF. Anderson was dealing, and at just 72 pitches. It would be OK.

7th Inning

Poncedeleon bounced back with a strong 7th inning. He struck out the hapless Anderson, then get Blackmon the line out to CF, and Desmond to ground out to SS.

And just like that, Anderson’s wheels fell off. He walked the first 3 batters of the inning: Ozuna on 6 pitches, Gyorko on 4 pitches, and Munoz on 6 pitches. Bud Black had to come rescue his young lefty, and brought the righty Scott Oberg in to try to clean up the mess. Oberg started well enough. He struck out Fowler, walked Bader, and got pinch-hitter Jose Martinez to ground into a 5-2 fielder’s choice. But Matt Carpenter stepped in, saw a couple fastballs, and lined the fourth one he saw up the middle to score 2. Seung-hwan Oh relieved Oberg and got Molina to pop out to LF to end the frame. 4-4 tie.

8th Inning

The Cardinals defense tried to give it all right back. Jordan Hicks entered the game, and was immediately wronged by his teammates, as DeJong doubled-clutched Arenado’s grounder and bounced a throw Carpenter could not handle at 1B. Gonzalez followed with a slow chopper that DeJong converted into a 6-4 fielder’s choice, but Munoz booted McMahon’s easy grounder to 2B, and had to settle for just 1 out at 1B. Fortunately, Hicks was able to get Murphy to line out to RF for the 5th out of the inning.

Oh returned to eat a whole inning. He struck out DeJong looking at a front door slider, and got Ozuna to break his bat on a line out to 2B. Then, after Gyorko laced a single to LF, Munoz flew out to RF.

9th Inning

Bud Norris pitched the 9th, for possibly his last time as a Cardinal. Parra tried to bunt his way on, but was nailed on a slick bare-handed play by Gyorko. Hampson then slapped a single to RF and stole 2B, but pinch-hitter Trevor Story grounded out to SS, and Blackmon grounded out to 2B.

The Cardinals had a chance to walk it off in the 9th, but came up just short. Dexter Fowler started the inning off right by singling to CF off Rockies closer Adam Ottavino. Then, while Bader was trying to bunt him to 2B, Dex got a good jump and stole 2B standing up. But Bader struck out, pinch hitter Greg Garcia grounded out to SS, and Molina lined out to RF.

10th Inning

Dakota Hudson pitched the 10th, making his second career appearance. He committed a cardinal sin by walking Desmond to start the inning, but got Arenado to line out to Fowler in RCF, and got Cargo to ground into a 6-4 fielder’s choice that could have been a double play with a better turn at 2B. McMahon made the remaining fans sweat a little with a single to LF, but Hudson was able to get Murphy to swing through a slider to escape the inning.

Left-hander Jake McGee relieved Ottavino. Though he over-powered and struck out DeJong, he left a fastball out over the plate to Marcell Ozuna, and this time The Big Bear would not be denied. He crushed it 429 feet to LCF. Cardinals win 5-4.

Final Lines

Carlos Martinez: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 HR, 9 K, 1 BB, 61 GSc, 81 pitches.

Tyler Anderson: 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 1 HR, 5 K, 3 BB, 51 GSc, 88 pitches.

Notes

• Arenado’s grand slam was the Rockies’ first ever in St. Louis.
• The Rockies have allowed an MLB-worst 82 runs in the 7th inning.
• This is the Cardinals’ 8th walk off win, tied for the most in MLB.

The Cardinals look to cinch the series tomorrow, sending Jack Flaherty to face Jonathan Gray. Game starts at 7:15 CST, and can be viewed on FSMW.