With 23 Hits, Cards Crush Reds 16-2 Behind 7 RBIs from Brad Miller

Thirty runs in 3 days? Fine, leave Tommy Edman in left field. That must be the secret. Seriously, nobody expected the Cards to knock Sonny Gray, who had pitched like one of the best hurlers in the National League to this point, out of the box in the first inning. But he didn’t have command, the velocity on his sinker was down a couple of ticks, and the Cards did what you have to do when an opportunity presents itself—they took advantage. The Cards had 12 batters get a plate appearance, 11 of which got hits. Harrison Bader, the only one of the 12 not to get a hit, drew a walk. Kolten Wong had 4 base hits and was removed from the game before he got a 5th. And Brad Miller had the most productive day of a Cardinal this year, going 4-6 with 7 RBIs, a double, 2 homers and 11 total bases.

Jesse Winker is serving his one-game suspension tonight for the bench-clearing incident with the Cubs in the 2nd game of a doubleheader on August 29th. The Reds are playing with a 27-man roster. Sonny Gray took the mound for the Reds. Kolten Wong sharply grounded a center-cut 2-1 fastball up the middle for a base hit to lead off the game. Tommy Edman lined a 1-0 inside curve to center for a base hit to center for a base hit to move Wong to 2nd. After Paul Goldschmidt worked a 3-2 walk to load the bases, Brad Miller ripped a first-pitch low-and-in curve for a grounder down the 1st base line off of the glove of the diving Votto. The double scored both Wong and Edman, gave the Cards a 2-0 lead and moved Goldschmidt to 3rd.

With the infield in, Paul DeJong grounded a first-pitch low fastball to 2nd, and the runners stayed put. Yadier Molina chased an outside 2-2 fastball and struck out swinging. Matt Carpenter walked on 5 pitches to load the bases again. Dexter Fowler lined a low 1-0 sinker to right-center for a base hit to score both Goldschmidt and Miller, extend the Cards’ lead to 4-0 and move Carpenter to 3rd.

Lane Thomas worked a 3-2 walk to load the bases for a 3rd time, and the Cards batted around. Wong sharply grounded an outside sinker for a base hit into right past the glove of the diving Moustakas. Carpenter and Fowler both scored to give the Cards a 6-0 lead. Thomas went to 2nd on the play. This video shows both the Fowler and Wong RBI base hits.

This is the first time in his career that Sonny Gray has been knocked out of the game in the 1st inning. Righty Lucas Sims came in to pitch to Edman, who struck out swinging at a 2-2 slider that hit him in the leg. KK took the hill for the Cards and Joey Votto worked a 3-2 walk to lead off the bottom of the 1st. But he was erased when Nick Castellanos grounded a first-pitch up-and-in fastball to short for a 6-4-3 double play. Matt Davidson failed to check his swing and struck out swinging at a 1-2 low-and-in slider to end the inning. Goldschmidt drove a low 2-1 slider into right field toward the line that one-hopped the wall for a double to lead off the top of the 2nd. Brad Miller then flied a 3-2 high fastball just barely over the wall in left-center for a 2-run HR to give the Cards an 8-0 lead.

DeJong flied a 1-2 low-and-away slider to left for the 1st out of the inning. Molina lined a low-and-away fastball for a base hit up the middle. Carpenter struck out swinging at a 2-2 curve low and out of the zone. Fowler worked a 10-pitch plate appearance, grounding a 3-2 outside curve to 1st base to end the inning. Kim struck out both Eugenio Suarez and Mike Moustakas to start the bottom of the 2nd. Suarez went down swinging at a 2-2 slider low-and-in and out of the zone. Moustakas went down swinging at a hanging 1-2 slider. After Aristides Aquino worked a 3-2 walk on a close pitch near the outside corner, Jose Garcia flied a low-and-in 1-2 fastball to center to end the inning.

Thomas flied a high-and-outside 1-0 fastball to left to lead off the top of the 3rd. Wong beat the shift and grounded an 0-1 hanging curve for a base hit through the spot where the shortstop would normally stand. Edman lined an up-and-in 3-2 fastball down the right field line and into the corner for a double to score Wong all the way from 1st to extend the Cards’ lead to 9-0. The Reds then brought in righty Archie Bradley, who was acquired yesterday at the trade deadline, to pitch to Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt struck out on 3 pitches, the last one looking at a high-and-outside fastball that just clipped the corner. Brad Miller popped a low-and-in 3-2 fastball foul to Suarez at 3rd to end the inning. Shogo Akiyama flied a 3-2 outside slider to left to start the bottom of the 3rd. Curt Casali softly lined a 1-1 low-and-away slider to left-center for a base hit, the Reds’ first hit of the night. Votto sharply grounded a low-and-away 2-0 slider through the right side past the glove of the diving Goldschmidt for a base hit to move Casalli to 2nd. But Castellanos grounded a 1-1 low-and-away fastball to short for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

DeJong grounded a 1-0 center-cut fastball to deep short into the shift in just the right spot. That side of the infield had 3 defenders, but Jose Garcia had no play by the time he could come up with the ball. After that infield base hit, Molina lined an outside fastball to right-center for a base hit to move DeJong to 2nd. Carpenter flied a low-and-in curve to center. Fowler struck out swinging at an elevated 2-2 fastball. Thomas grounded an 0-1 hanging curve to 3rd to end the inning. Davidson grounded a 3-2 fastball up the middle to start the bottom of the 4th, but DeJong dove to his left, hopped up and threw him out. Suarez sharply grounded an inside 2-2 fastball inside the 3rd base line and into the left field corner for a double. But the Reds could not bring him around, as Moustakas flied an outside 2-2 slider to left and Aquino grounded a low 1-1 slider to 3rd to end the inning.

Righty Tyler Thornburg came out to pitch the top of the 5th for the Reds. Wong sharply grounded a 2-1 low curve down the 1st base line and into the corner for a double, his 4th hit of the night. Edman flied a high-and-outside 2-2 change to right-center, deep enough to allow Wong to tag and advance to 3rd. With 1 out, Goldschmidt walked on 5 pitches to put runners at the corners. Brad Miller lined an outside 0-1 fastball to center for a base hit to score Wong, move Goldy to 2nd and give the Cards a 10-0 lead. That’s Miller’s 5th RBI of the night, and he’s now a triple away from the cycle. DeJong struck out swinging at a low-and-in 0-2 change. Molina lined an outside 3-1 fastball to center for a base hit to score Goldschmidt and extend the Cards’ lead to 11-0. Miller went to 2nd on the play. Carpenter struck out swinging at a 2-2 change low-and-away and out of the zone to end the inning. Jose Garcia lined a high-and-outside 2-2 change to left to lead off the bottom of the 5th. Moustakas lined a high-and-outside fastball to left. Edman spun around and eventually came up with the ball. Casali struck out swinging at a low-and-in 1-2 slider to end the inning.

Righty Nate Jones came out to pitch for the Reds in the top of the 6th. Newly-acquired Brian Goodwin came out to replace Castellanos in RF in the #2 spot, and Kyle Farmer came out to replace Suarez at 3B in the #4 spot. Tyler O’Neill pinch hit for Fowler and flied a hanging 2-2 slider to center. Thomas lined a high-and-outside 0-1 fastball towards the line in right that one-hopped the fence for a double. Jones hit Wong on the top of the right foot with an 0-2 slider. Edman smoked a first-pitch center-cut fastball up the middle for a base hit to load the bases. Andrew Knizner pinch hit for Goldschmidt and sharply grounded a 1-0 center-cut fastball up the middle for a base hit. Thomas and Wong scored to give the Cards a 13-0 lead. Edman went to 2nd on the play. Brad Miller grounded a low slider to 2nd to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd. DeJong struck out swinging at a 1-2 outside slider to end the inning.

Kim’s night was through after 85 pitches, and Ryan Helsley came out to pitch the bottom of the 6th for the Cards. O’Neill stayed in the game in the #8 spot to play LF. Knizner stayed in the game in the #4 spot to catch. Harrison Bader came into the game in the #1 spot to play CF, with Thomas moving to RF, Edman moving to 2B and Molina moving to 1B. Votto skied a center-cut 3-1 fastball to right that landed just over the right-center field wall for a solo HR to cut the Cards’ lead to 13-1.

Goodwin lined a center-cut fastball to the gap in left-center. O’Neill raced over to his left, jumped for the ball and actually had the ball in his glove. But O’Neill crashed into the fence and the ball got dislodged as O’Neill landed and rolled over on the ground. Goodwin had a double and Davidson worked a 3-2 walk. Farmer popped a first-pitch fastball to short. Moustakas smoked a center-cut 1-0 fastball to right-center, but it was right at Thomas, who threw to 2nd base to double off Goodwin to end the inning.

Tucker Barnhart came out to play 1B and replace Votto in the #1 spot. Raisel Iglesias came out to pitch the top of the 7th for the Reds and got Molina to fly an 0-1 outside slider to center to start the inning. Carpenter lined a low-and-away 1-1 change up the middle for a base hit. O’Neill lined a first-pitch outside slider to left for a base hit to move Carpenter to 2nd. That’s the Cards’ 20th hit of the night. Thomas popped an inside 3-1 fastball to short. Bader worked a 3-2 walk to load the bases, taking some very close pitches. With the count 1-2 on Edman, Iglesias fired an 0-2 98 mph fastball low-and-inside. Casali and Iglesias must have gotten crossed up, because Casali went down to his knee like he was expecting a breaking pitch in the dirt. Instead, it was a fastball that hit Casali on the wrist of his glove hand and the ball bounced back to the backstop. Carpenter scored on the passed ball to give the Cards a 14-1 lead, with the other runners advancing to 2nd and 3rd. Casali took a long time to try and get the ball, and the Cards could have scored an additional run in different circumstances. Somehow Casali stayed in the game, and Edman grounded a low 3-2 fastball to 2nd to end the inning.

Tyler Webb came out to pitch the bottom of the 7th. Aquino popped a 1-0 inside fastball to 2nd. Garcia lined an 0-1 outside change to the mound off the top of Webb’s raised glove for a base hit. Akiyama grounded a high-and-outside 3-1 fastball to 2nd for the 4-6 force. Akiyama beat DeJong’s throw to 1st to avoid the double play. Casali lined a low-and-away 2-2 fastball to left-center for a base hit. Barnhart walked on 5 pitches to load the bases. But the Reds stranded the bases loaded, as Goodwin struck out swinging at an 0-2 outside slider to end the inning. For the top of the 8th, the DH Matt Davidson came into pitch in the same #3 spot in the order, which means the Reds forfeit the DH. Michael Lorenzen came in to play CF in the #8 spot to replace Akiyama. Knizner lined an outside pitch for a base hit to right. Brad Miller absolutely crushed an inside 83 mph pitch to right that hit the foul pole at least half-way up for a 2-run HR to give the Cards a 16-1 lead. That was his 7th RBI of the night.

DeJong crushed a low-and-away pitch that one-hopped the center field fence for a long single. But he was erased when Molina grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Carpenter lined out to left to end the inning. Ryan Meisinger came out to pitch the bottom of the 8th. Davidson flied a hanging slider to the track in center. Farmer grounded a 3-2 slider to 3rd, with Molina picking Carpenter’s throw out of the dirt. After Moustakas walked on 4 pitches with 2 out, Aquino worked a 3-2 walk. Garcia struck out swinging at a low 1-2 slider to end the inning.

After O’Neill worked a 3-2 walk to lead off the top of the 9th, Thomas lined a high 78 mph pitch to center for Lorenzen. Bader flied the first pitch to right. Edman grounded out to 1st where Barnhart was guarding the line to end the inning. Seth Elledge came out to pitch the bottom of the 9th. Brad Miller moved from DH to 3rd base, staying in the same #4 spot in the order, with Carpenter moving from 3B to 1B. Molina came out of the game, the Cards forfeited the DH, and Elledge was inserted into the #6 spot in the order where Molina was. Elledge hit Lorenzen on the left elbow with a 2-0 fastball. Casali drove an inside 2-2 fastball to the gap in right-center that rolled to the wall for a double to score Lorenzen all the way from 1st to cut the Cards’ lead to 16-2. Barnhart flied a high-and-outside 2-1 fastball to left. Goodwin grounded an outside 2-1 fastball to 2nd to move Casali to 3rd. Davidson worked a 10-pitch plate appearance and finally flied a high 3-2 fastball to Bader at the track in center to end the game.

ODDS AND ENDS

Brad Miller became just the 6th Cardinal since 1906 to have at least 7 RBIs and 4 hits, 3 of which were extra base hits. He joins Jim Bottomley, Chick Hafey, George Hendrick, Mark Whiten and Matt Carpenter...The Cards now have 17 hits and a .531 AVG with the bases loaded, both of which lead the major leagues...If you thought 23 hits in one game, was a franchise record, you were wrong. The 1895 St. Louis Browns, which was the club’s name from the time they got back in the National League in 1892 until 1898, was 11th in a 12-team National League with a .298 winning percentage in 1895. But on June 1st, 1895, that club got 30 hits against the New York Giants in a 23-2 victory...Eleven different Cardinal players had hits, 4 shy of the franchise record 15 in a September 28th, 1979 11-inning game against the Mets...The Tigers crushed the Brewers 12-1. Phil Bickford gave up 4 earned runs in his major league debut out of the bullpen, and shortstop Orlando Arcia had to come in and pitch in the top of the 9th. The Cubs won a wild game over the Pirates in 11 innings. They had a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th before Cubs starter Jon Lester fell apart. By the end of that inning the Cubs had a 6-5 lead. But after a 1 hour and 12 minute rain delay, rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes, making his major league debut, homered off of Cubs reliever Dan Winkler to tie the score 6-6 in the bottom of the 8th. Hayes had an RBI double earlier in the game. The Pirates had a chance to walk it off in the top of the 9th after Adam Frazier doubled off of Rowan Wick and Josh Bell was intentionally walked, but newly-acquired left-hander Josh Osich shut the Pirates down. The Cubs took the lead 7-6 in the top of the 10th on Jason Heyward’s Sac Fly. But the Pirates tied the game 7-7 when Hayes slid under the tag after Anthony Alford’s tap back to the mound. The Cubs took the lead again on Ian Happ’s leadoff single in the top of the 11th, and Jeremy Jeffress shut down the Pirates in the bottom half to win the game.