Game Recap - Sept 26 - Cardinals at Rockies

09/26/2024 06:01 PM

The penultimate series of the 2024 season

Top-Line Results

Cardinals overcome lefty-itis to drill Rockies pitching for 4 HR, but Rockies spot 5 runs with two out in the eighth to prevail 10-5.

Pre-Game Notes

• Assessment of the 2024 season and planning for 2025 has begun in earnest. Will be a fascinating off-season.
• I'm in Denver to watch this game in person. Part of my plan to follow the Cardinals through the last road trip. I had hoped these games would matter, but the venues are great even if the championship aspirations are dead. It is sunny and almost 90 F.
• Been tracking Chase Davis journey through the minors. He started this year pretty flat at Low-A Palm Beach but something seemed to click in. He passed through Peoria in about 30 days and made it to AA Springfield in time for their playoff push. It almost seemed like he did better as he climbed ... more assertive, if you will. He is now a prospect with some performance results behind him now, instead of just prospect hype.

Line-up (and roster) Machinations

• Not much in the way of roster changes these days. Pretty much everyone on the 40-man roster has appeared at the MLB level this year. I believe Robberse is the only one who did not, and likely he would have if not injured for a good part of the season. He is just now back to AAA.
• Gibson is on the mound for the Cardinals. Suspect we will see Matz too. Freeland for CO. Oh goodie. A lefty….
• Fermin in for Arenado at 3b. Scott in CF today. Noot beats 2nd. Interesting.

The Game

T1 - Winn grounds out. Noot crushes a HR! Then Goldy double crushes one!! Herrera K. Walker doubles off base of CF wall. Saggese BB. Pages K. Cards up 2-0 with a rare first inning outburst.

B1 - tip the hat to Blackmon. Then e4 becomes a retirement gift. Then K. Walk. Then Walker doesn't catch ball hit right at him. Tough sun field today. Clank! E-9. They later change this to a hit. Then double off RF wall. Tied up. All runs unearned. K. 6-3 on sharp play by Winn ends the mess. Now 2-2.

T2 - Fermin 3u. Scott line drive single. Winn lines one over the head of LFer for RBI. LFer kinda whiffed. Noot doubles into gap for another RBI. Goldy hits one at LFer and he whiffs again. e7 this time. Noot scores. No RBI there? Herrera backwards K again. Walker rolls out 6-3. Cards up 5-2.

B2 - F7. Single. Blackmon 2-run HR. Gonna be one of those days!! Walker with a nice tumbling catch on low liner. K. Cards now up 5-4.

T3 - Sags pops out. Pages out 4-3. Fermin f8.

B3 - lead off walk. One pitch later GIDP. That is SO Gibson. Another walk. K ends the inning.

T4 - Scott singles to left. Then gets picked off. That's why they call ''em rookies, Shannon used to say. Winn K. Noot out 4-3. Cards still up 5-4.

B4 - Double. 4-3 advance the runner. SacFly for Blackmon. K. Now tied 5-5.

T5 - goldy out 5-3. Herrera with a bomb! After review, walkers hit is off the wall for a double. Freeland is done. Bird in. Sags out 5-3. Pages k. Now 6-5 cards.

B5 - as expected, matz in for Gibson. F7. Single. 4-3 squibber advances runner. K.

T6 - Fermin bunt single. Scott out 5-3. Fermin advances to third on PB. Winn k. Naturally with runner on third and one out. Not great plate approach there. Pitcher threw one strike in that AB. Nootbaar F9.

B6 - f5 leading off. Not a great throw there by Fermin. 1-3 advances runner to second. Sacbunt advances runner to third. Why? 4-3 ends inning. Matz Velo 95+ this inning. Been a while.

T7 - vodnik in. Goldy K on 100 mph. This pitcher really wild. Over the head of both goldy and Herrera. His change up is 92!!! Herrera walks. Walker GIDP.

B7 - king in. Single. single. GIDP. King out. Fernandez in. Line out to 4 puts a quick end to things. Cards still up 6-5.

T8 - vodnik out. Chivilli in. Sags singles to left. Pages 2-run HR! Fermin K. Scott lines out. Winn f9. Cards now up 8-5.

B8 - Fernandez remains in. K. K. Triple into the cavernous gap in left center. That ball rolled for a week. RBI single. Walk. Two run double. Fernandez out. Leahy in. First pitch RBI double gives Rockies lead. Another double tacks on. F9 ends the onslaught. Now 10-8 Rockies.

T9 - halvorsen in. Noot F7. Goldy K. Donovan PH. Single. Burleson PH. F7 ends it. Rox win.

Post-Game Notes (and random musings)

Gathering both liberators and Romero unavailable today. They would have had eighth inning.

Winn's .314 OBP doesn't seem like a great fit for the leadoff spot.

remarkable how bad Rockies hitters are performing, especially in this hitters haven.

not much post game today. I have grandchildren waiting for me somewhat impatiently.