Game Recap - July 5 - Cardinals outlast Nationals in extras, 7-6.

07/05/2024 10:49 PM

Cardinals move to 5 over .500

Top-Line Results

Cardinals overcome poor start by Gray, claw their way back from early 5-0 deficit to prevail 7-6. Bullpen shines with 6 excellent innings, allowing only 1 unearned run to allow the offense time to recover. Contreras hits key ninth inning homer to complete the comeback and setup compelling extra innings for 3rd game in a row.

Pre-Game Notes

• The Nats will toss out 4 LH starters this series. At last check, the Cardinals are a full .100 OPS points lower against LHP than they are RHP.
• Both the Nats runs scored and runs allowed are similar to the Cardinals. Not a great home team, and not great against teams over .500 (of which the Cardinals are one). This all means the Cardinals will probably get thumped this series.
• I'm thinking Sonny Gray has an outside shot at 20 wins.
• Cards have a shot to get to 5 over .500 today. When is the last time they were at this mark? It's been a while.
• From STLToday.com, sounds like Nootbar will rejoin team as they come home to play KC. Herrera had first rehab game last night. O'Brien to throw BP in Springfield tomorrow, Edman to be one of the hitters.

Line-up (and roster) Machinations

• Pallante's 7 strong innings yesterday probably did a bit to help shore up a thin bullpen. Kittredge is almost certainly down having pitched two days in a row. King's multiple innings might put him on the avoid list. Thinking most everyone else should be available.
• Three LH hitters today. Donovan at second base. Siani in CF. Pages at C again, Contreras at DH.
• Old friends Lane Thomas and Juan Yepez in the lineup for the Nats today.
• Sonny Gray toes the rubber for the Birds. Corbin for the Nats. We will see if the lefty Kryptonite applies to a high priced, struggling veteran.
• Not shockingly, Roycroft up, Bosiokovic down.

The Game

T1 - Winn leads off by lining out. Burly blisters one past the SS (102 mph). Contreras up. Boy, pitchers are jamming him up. Must be thinking his arm is still vulnerable. He works a nine pitch walk. Goldy backwards K. Is he really the right guy for clean-up? Arenado forces Burly at third to end the threat. 27 pitches for Corbin already.

B1 - Line-out to second. Thomas singles. Wood K's. SB for Thomas. 10 pitch AB right there. It seems to me the K zone is a tad on the smaller side today. Winker with RBI double for the early lead. Walk to Ruiz. Double by Garcia for another RBI. Then he gets caught stealing to end the threat. Nats up 2-0.

T2 - Donovan out 6-3. Carlson lines out to left. Pages flies out to center. Quick, efficient inning for Corbin.

B2 - Yepez singles, Senzel forces him. Young singles and Abrams doubles both them home. Things getting ugly quickly. Thomas and Wood K to restore a bit of order. Nats now up 4-0.

T3 - Siani 1-3. Winn F9. Burly 4-3. Another quick, efficient inning by Corbin. The lefty curse continues.

B3 - 6-3. 1-3. But Garcia homers. Yepez K's. Now 5-0 Nats.

T4 - Contreras K's. That is 9 in a row for Corbin. Goldy infield single breaks the hex. Arenado singles, too. Donovan walks to load the bases. DC SacFly for the RBI. Pages infield single for another RBI. Siani backwards K. Cards now down 5-2.

B4 - Backwards K. 6-3. 3-1. Finally, a clean inning for Gray.

T5 - Winn doubles. Burly advances him with a 3u. Contreras with RBI single. Goldy GIDP to quell any further threat. Cards now down 5-3.

B5 - Thomas backwards K. Wood singles, but Winker GIDP makes another quick inning.

T6 - Garcia in for Corbin. Another lefty. Arenado singles. Donovan pops out. DC forces Arenado at 2nd. Pages forces DC at 2nd. Still 5-3.

B6 - Roycroft in for Gray. Gray not good today. 5 IP. 5 R. 6 K. 1 BB. 8 Hits. Lots of traffic. 4-3. L7. K. Quick, clean inning for the feel-good story of the year.

T7 - Law replaces Garcia. I think the Nats are finally out of lefties. Siani singles. Winn forces him. Burly walks, then double steal puts 2 RISP. Contreras lines out. Harvey in for Law. Goldy grounds out (104 mph) to end the threat.

B7 - Roycroft back out. Senzel singles. Young out F9. Abrams walks. Thomas tops one for a force out at 2nd. Libby in. Wood fly out. Still 5-3.

T8 - Arenado doubles. 3 hit game for him, right? Donovan advances him with 4-3. Gorman, pinch hitting, gets the RBI single. Pages flies out. Siani singles, but Winn grounds out 3u to end the inning. Closer game now, 5-4 Nats.

B8 - Libby back out. Winker doubles. He gets himself out at third on a SacBunt attempt, which was clumsy and slow to develop on both sides. I'll take it. Fortunately, because the next batter singles. Fernandez in for Libby. After the obligatory walk to the first batter (to load the bases), he gets the GIDP from Senzel.

T9 - Finnegan in to close it for Nats. Burly flies out. Contreras HOME RUN! 407 feet of goodness. Goldy pops out. Arenado singles. 4th hit for him. Maybe his arms are finally feeling better. Donovan 3u. Game tied 5-5.

B9 - Fernandez back out. Young grounds out. Romero in. Abrams K's. Thomas doubles. Wood flies out. Nice job JoJo (and all the other relievers). Bonus baseball, for 3rd game in a row.

T10 - Floro in for Finnegan. Donovan is placed at 2nd. Gorman singles for another RBI and advances on the throw. Pages bunts him to 3rd. Siani 4-3. Winn flies out. Cards now up 6-5.

B10 - Helsley in. Wood is placed at 2nd. Winker fly out to RF advances runner to 3rd. Ruiz for RBI single. Garcia singles. Double steal puts runners at 2nd and 3rd, one out. Yepez lines out and pinch runner at third is doubled off. Helsley, with a little help, brings the game back from the brink. Nats fans all let out a collective groan. Game tied, 6-6. More bonus baseball.

T11 - Winn is placed at second. Burly advances him with 4-3. Contreras K's. Ugh. Except a passed ball allows Winn to score and Contreras advances to first. Mistakes add up, don't they? Goldy GIDP. Not a great day for him. 1-6, 1 K, 2 GIDP.

B11 - Helsley stays in. The 1 inning rule for him is now cancelled. Yepez placed at 2nd. Vargas and Young both pop out to SS. IBB to Abrams. I'm usually not a big fan of putting the winning run on-base, but I don't hate it that they make Thomas beat them instead of Abrams. Different caliber hitter, all together. Thomas out 5-3. Cards win 7-6.

Post-Game Notes (and random musings)

• It seems a near certainty that Helsley will be an All-Star. Selfishly, I'd rather he get the rest. Will any other Cardinal be an All-Star? Winn? Maybe Siani gets in the HR Derby?
• Boy, if the bullpen was on fumes before, what are they now? I suppose being tired is easier to deal with if you are winning, too. I bet Oli didn't expect to unload the winning side of his bullpen tonight after they were down 5-0.
• Hard to improve that run differential with all these extra inning 1 run games.