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After playing some better baseball earlier this month, the Cardinals have now lost three consecutive series in the limp to the finish line. At this point I am simply interested in Adam Wainwright getting a chance to take some big daddy hacks against the Reds. So, here’s to the Reds getting eliminated soon so he can do that over the weekend!
Here are the starting lineups for the Cardinals and Brewers tonight:
Cardinals:
- Tommy Edman, 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Lars Nootbaar, CF
- Jordan Walker, RF
- Richie Palacios, LF
- Luken Baker, DH
- Andrew Knizner, C
- Jose Fermin, 3B
- Masyn Winn, SS
Miles Mikolas - SP
And the Brewers:
- Christian Yelich, LF
- William Contreras, C
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Mark Canha, DH
- Sal Frelick, CF
- Willy Adames, SS
- Josh Donaldson, 3B
- Brice Turang, 2B
- Tyrone Taylor, RF
Adrian Houser - SP
Miles Mikolas went seven strong, Jordan Walker made a highlight-reel catch in right, and Helsley made a mockery of the Brewers in the ninth. Not that it matters all that much anymore, but the Cardinals also put Milwaukee’s bubbly on ice.... even if it’s just temporary.
Cheers to win number 69!
1st Inning
Houser pitched a 1-2-3 first inning against the Cardinals. Tommy Edman flew out to shallow left field, Paul Goldschmidt finished off a nine-pitch at bat with a groundout to third base, and Lars Nootbaar struck out looking.
Christian Yelich led off the bottom of the first and hit a deep fly ball into the right center field gap. Jordan Walker got on his horse, tracked it down, and then made a leaping superman grab to rob the former MVP of extra bases to start the game. It was one of — if not the — best plays Walker has made this season in the outfield.
Mikolas struck out William Contreras for out number two, and Carlos Santana reached with a two-out base hit. The Cardinals’ infield was shifted to the right a little bit, and Santana was able to poke it to the left side where Fermin was unable to make a play. Mark Canha flew out to center field to end the first.
2nd Inning
Another three up, three down inning for Houser in the second. Jordan Walker struck out looking at a full count sinker that was a bit inside and off the plate. Richie Palacios popped out in foul territory for out number two, and Luken Baker flew out to center.
Rookie outfielder Sal Frelick led it off in the bottom of the second and grounded out to his fellow rookie, Masyn Winn. Willy Adames blasted a long double into the right-center gap, followed by a walk to Donaldson. But then both Turang and Taylor popped out on the infield to end the second inning, still scoreless.
3rd Inning
The Cardinals rolled over again in the third, showing no resistance to Houser through three. Knizner and Fermin both struck out, and Winn flew out to center field.
The second time through the order for Mikolas was not flawless. He walked Yelich to start the third, and Contreras reached with a base hit to center, with Yelich going to third. Santana whacked a double into the right field corner, allowing Yelich to score to make it 1-0 Milwaukee. Contreras rolled into third and Milwaukee had a great chance to really open things up.
But Mikolas rung up Canha with a curveball that dropped into the top of the zone and then got both Frelick and Adames to ground out to third base to keep both runners stranded in scoring position as well as keeping it a one-run game.
4th Inning
Edman recorded the first hit off of Houser in the fourth inning, rapping a single back up the middle. After a Goldschmidt flyout, Noorbaar walked to push Edman into scoring position. Walker struck out on three pitches for the second out, but Palacios came through once again, yanking a two-run double down the right field line on the seventh pitch he saw from Houser. It scored Edman and Nootbaar, putting St. Louis ahead 2-1 in the fourth. Luken Baker grounded out to short afterwards for the third out.
Mikolas pitched a shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, striking out Donaldson and Taylor with a Turang popout sandwiched in between them.
5th Inning
St. Louis padded their lead in the fifth, adding on a few more runs. Knizner walked to start the inning. Fermin hit a ground ball back up the middle, and Turang tried to stand on second base, where he would get the ground ball (already on second) and then throw over to first for the double play. The problem, however, is that the ball was hit too far to his left to field it cleanly, and the ball went off Turang’s glove and rolled into center field while he chained himself to the base. Knizner advanced to third, and Fermin raced to second on the error.
With nobody out, Winn hit a fly ball deep enough to score Knizner from third. However, Frelick threw a laser beam to third and nailed Fermin there for both the first and second outs of the inning on the double play.
That out at third cost the Cardinals a run, because the next batter — Edman — hammered his 13th homer of the season into the Cardinals’ bullpen in right field to make it 4-1 St. Louis. Had Fermin stayed put, it would’ve been 5-1.
Edman’s 13th homer of the season traveled 387 feet and jumped off the bat at 102 mph. Goldschmidt flew out to end the top of the fifth.
Yelich struck out for the first out in the bottom of the fifth. Contreras singled to center field for the second time on the night with one out, but a Santana flyout and a Canha pop out ended the inning with St. Louis still up, 4-1.
6th Inning
Left-hander Hoby Milner took over on the mound after the Cardinals had some success against Houser through five. He struck out Nootbaar, but Walker looped a one-out base hit to left. Palacios hit the ball back at Milner on the mound, who went to second for the force out. With Luken Baker coming up, Craig Counsell pulled Milner and brought in right-hander Bryse Wilson, who struck out Baker with a 93 mph at the knees to end the top of the sixth.
Mikolas sat down all three Brewers he faced in the sixth. Frelick grounded out to shortstop again, Adames popped out on the infield, and Donaldson grounded out to third.
7th Inning
Knizner and Fermin both flew out to start the seventh against Wilson. Winn walked on four pitches with two outs, but Edman struck out on three pitches to end the top half of the seventh.
Mikolas returned for the seventh and pitched one final scoreless inning. Rowdy Tellez pinch-hit for Turang and flew out to left field, and Taylor and Yelich each grounded out to send this one to the eighth.
8th Inning
Goldschmidt led things off in the eighth and flew out once again. Counsell went to the bullpen and brought in “The Sheriff” Andrew Chafin to face Nootbaar, whom he walked on five pitches. Walker singled to left field for his second hit of the game, putting Chafin in a pinch. However, Juan Yepez (pinch-hitting for Palacios) popped out on the infield, and Baker struck out swinging again to end the threat.
Drew VerHagen was the first Cardinals reliever to make an appearance after seven stellar frames from Mikolas. He struck out Contreras with an elevated fastball for the first out, Santana popped out to shallow center field for the second out, and Canha flew out to center field to end the inning.
9th Inning
Colin Rea pitched a scoreless ninth for Milwaukee, starting with a strikeout of Knizner — his second of the game. After getting ahead of Fermin 0-2, Rea plunked him with a 94 mph fastball. But that didn’t matter, because Winn struck out on an elevated fastball and Fermin was thrown out at second base trying to steal, turning into a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the Cardinals’ half of the eighth.
Ryan Helsley struck out Frelick, Adames, and Donaldson to end it.
FINAL: Cardinals 4, Brewers 1
Up Next
St. Louis (69-88) takes on Milwaukee (88-69) tomorrow night in game two at AmFam Field, or Miller Park, or whatever they want to call it. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. again. Zack Thompson (5-7, 4.57 ERA) will make his final start of the season. Opposing him will be Wade Miley (9-4, 3.20 ERA).
Around the Central
Reds 11, Guardians 7
Phillies 3, Pirates 2
Braves 7, Cubs 6 - TOP 9
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