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Game 45 (5/17) Recap--Mikolas has a disaster 2nd inning and the Cards lose 7-3, although bullpen shines

Before the game, the Cards decided to shake up the bullpen, parting ways with Luke Gregerson and optioning Dominic Leone to AAA Memphis. In turn, they activated Carlos Martinez from the 10-day IL and recalled Ryan Helsley from AAA Memphis. Although they would not turn to the recently added players today, the bullpen shined brightly in this game. Over 6.2 IP, 4 of our relievers would strike out 11, only allow 2 hits and walk none. Webb especially did an outstanding job, striking out 5 over 2.2 IP. Unfortunately, the fact that the bullpen had to throw 6.2 IP means that something went wrong with out starter. Mikolas got knocked out of the game after 1.1 IP, allowing 9 H, 7 R, and 2 HR. He was hanging almost all of his breaking pitches and for the most part left his fastball right over the plate. We did have 9 hits compared to 11 from the Rangers, but we just couldn't string much together.

The Cards had a chance to score in the top of the 2nd off of righty Adrian Sampson, who replaced "opener" Jose Leclerc after 1 inning. With one out, J. Martinez lined an outside fastball to the gap in right-center all the way to the wall for a double. Molina flied out to deep right to move Martinez to 3rd. Fowler worked a walk with 2 out after being in the hole 0-2, but Wong flied out to left to strand the runners. Then Mikolas fell apart in the bottom of the 2nd, only getting one out before being removed. Joey Gallo lined a hanging curveball that one-hopped the right field wall and bounced over it for a ground rule double. Mikolas hit Asdrubal Cabrera on his left ankle with a slider. Logan Forsythe lined a 3-2 hanging slider to center for a base hit to score Gallo, give the Rangers a 1-0 lead and move Cabrera to 2nd base. Rougned Odor skied a first-pitch center-cut fastball over the left-center field wall in the deep part of the ballpark for a 3-run HR to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Mikolas did strike out Ronald Guzman, but Jeff Mathis grounded a first-pitch fastball up the middle for a base hit. Mikolas’s second 0-2 pitch to Shin-Soo Choo was a slider in the dirt that squeaked through Molina’s legs for a wild pitch to move Mathis to 2nd base. After Choo spoiled a decent curveball, he launched an inside fastball into the 2nd deck in right-center for a 2-run HR to extend the Rangers’ lead to 6-0. Willie Calhoun lined an outside back door slider that didn’t break down the right field line for a double. Hunter Pence chopped a ball to short and legged it out for an infield single. Gallo came up for the 2nd time this inning with runners at the corners and lined an inside fastball to right for a base hit to score Calhoun, give the Rangers a 7-0 lead and move Pence to 3rd.

Gallegos came in to try to stop the disaster and struck Cabrera out looking. Joey Gallo stole 2nd base. Although he got a good jump, Molina made a strong one-hopped throw that Wong couldn’t hang on to. Forsythe walked to load the bases after he was in the hole 0-2. With Odor at the plate, Gallegos threw a 2-2 slider in the dirt that got away from Molina briefly after hitting the umpire, but the ball was very close to the plate. Hunter Pence tried to score from 3rd, but came in to the plate standing up and ran around it. Molina tagged him out to end the inning.

The Cards would score 2 runs in the top of the 3rd. Bader softly grounded a ball through the hole for a base hit to lead off the inning. Carpenter lined a base hit to right to move Bader to 3rd. Goldschmidt chopped a ball to 2nd and the hop ate up Odor at 2nd. Bader scored to cut the Rangers’ lead to 7-1, and the play was ruled a fielder’s choice-E4. DeJong flied out to center deep enough to allow Carpenter to tag up and advance to 3rd base. With runners at the corners, Ozuna grounded a ball back to the pitcher. It should have been a double play, but Sampson looked Carpenter back at 3rd way too long before he threw to 2nd. Because of the hesitation, the Rangers only got the force at 2nd, Ozuna beat the throw to 1st, and Carpenter scored to cut the lead to 7-2. Martinez blooped a hanging slider to right for a base hit to move Ozuna to 3rd, but Molina flied out to strand runners at the corners.

This would be it for runs until the top of the 9th. The bullpen would get the job done for the Cards this game, allowing only 2 hits total in 6.2 IP. Webb relieved Gallegos in the bottom of the 4th and retired the Rangers in order with 2 strikeouts. He did a tremendous job allowing no hits, no walks and striking out 5 over 2.2 IP. Unfortunately, the Cards’ offense didn’t pick up, only scattering 4 baserunners total until the 9th inning. With 2 out in the bottom of the 6th, Brebbia relieved Webb and struck out Mathis to end that inning. Wong sharply grounded a ball that ate up Ronald Guzman at 1st and went over his glove to start the top of the 7th with a hit. Bader softly lined an outside slider to center for a base hit. Wong decided to try for 3rd base with nobody out and the team down 5 runs, but Gallo gunned Wong out at 3rd with a very strong throw on a close play. The Cards challenged the call, arguing that Wong got his hand on the base before he was tagged, but the call on the field was quickly upheld. Righty Jesse Chavez came in and shut us down the rest of the inning.

Brebbia allowed back-to-back singles with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, but otherwise escaped the inning. Miller came out with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th on 5 days’ rest and retired both of the lefty batters he faced, with 1 strikeout. Righty Chris Martin came out for the top of the 9th for Texas. With 2 out and the count 0-2 on him, Bader skied a high-and-outside 97 mph fastball off the foul pole in right field for a solo shot to cut the Rangers’ lead to 7-3, but it was far too late. Carpenter grounded out to end the game.