top of page
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Youtube
  • Instagram

Wong literally steals second base at Busch. Cards still in wild card hunt?

Writer's picture: Don GlennDon Glenn

The Milwaukee Brewers came to town for the first three of the 13 games between the two clubs this year. The Brew Crew took the first two, and Milwaukee second baseman Kolten Wong took something else.

Kolten Wong via Jeff Curry- USA Today



The three-game set stacked up as pitching personified. And in each game, good pitching prevailed.


Game 1 August 17, vs. Milwaukee Brewers 2 - Cardinals 0.


Before the game, everyone had this billed as a classic pitching match-up, and it did not disappoint.

Adam Wainwright vs. Corbin Burns. If two pitchers were the heart of their staff, these were the two guys.

Adam Wainwright via Ron Vesley Getty Images.

Wainwright pitched 6 innings giving up nine hits and two BB, but only two runs crossed the plate. He seemed to struggle at times and then come back and get out of the inning.

The Cardinals Bullpen bent but did not break

TJ McFarland 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 2SO

Luis Garcia 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1SO

Andrew Miller 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0SO

Pitching would be the Lone bright spot for St Louis even though it was Wainwright's seventh loss.


Corbin Burns would take a no-hitter into the first out of the 6th. The Birds would get two-inning hits but no runs and then only two more hits the rest of the game. Paul Goldschmidt would have two of those hits.

The Brewers tried to break in when Kolten Wong tried to score from second on a single by Eduardo Escobar. The only problem was he didn't have Tyler O'Neill's permission. Tyler made a strong throw home to get the second out of the inning.

The Brewers would get a single run in the second When Wong hit a blooper into the left That Nolan Arenado just missed. By the time Edmundo Sosa could track it down, Wong had a double and an RBI. They would strike again the third. Omar Narvaez would double a run home to make it 2-0.

The Cardinals would mount their only threat in the sixth with one back-to-back one-out singles by Tommy Edman, and Paul Goldschmidt would give St Louis a chance, but Back to back pop-ups by Nolan Arenado and Tyler O'Neill would kill the rally.

The loss snapped the 6 game win streak and starts the week off 0-1 and making the overall mark 61-57


Garcia- Has 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

McFarland - Has 8 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Goldschmidt - Has back-to-back multi-hit games and four out of his last five And a six-game hitting streak.

Edman - Has hit in five straight games and six out of his last seven.



Game 2 August 18, vs. Milwaukee 6 - Cardinals 4


This game figured to be a close repeat of game 1. It really bore no resemblance.

Jack Flaherty got his second start since coming off the IL, and He was looking for his 10th win.

Getty

Jack did his part, going six innings, giving up two runs on four hits. He walked only one and struck out eight.

Genesis Cabrera lights out with one hitless/scoreless inning(7th) with no walks and strikeouts.

Giovanny Gallegos also pitched a scoreless inning (8th), giving up a hit and a walk but striking out two.

Alex Reyes came in for the ninth but could not hold the lead. He came out for the tenth. Committed an error that led to first and third. Then two outs later, he threw a wild pitch allowing a run to score two singles. Later two more runs his line for the night 2IP, 3H, 4R, 1ER, 0BB, 3SO. He ended up with a BS and a loss.


The Cardinals banged out 8 hits, with Tyler O'Neill and Paul Goldschmidt having two hits apiece. RBIs would come from Goldschmidt and O'Neill as well as from Yadier Molina and Lars Nootbaar.


The red birds would get two runs in the first. One when O'Neil singled to the left. They got the second on a Nootbaar single to Center. Both hits came with two outs.

Goldschmidt doubled home the third Cardinal run in the second, giving the birds a 3-0 lead.

Flaherty ailed through the first 10 batters until Willy Adames homered to right field. Making it 3-1.

In the 5th Avisail Garcia would blast a Flaherty pitch in the leftfield bullpen. To cut the lead to 0ne at 3-2.

In the eighth on one scored a run, but Kolten Wong got some Busch stadium swag. He swiped second base, just beating the throw from Yadier Molina. He later walked away with the SECOND BASE!




In the ninth, the Brewers tied the game on Garcia's second home run of the night into the leftfield corner off of Reyes. O'Neil would try to climb the wall to get to it but came up short.

In the 10th, with the placement runner on second, Reyes fielded a ground ball that not only failed to look the runner back he made an errant throw which got past Goldschmidt allowing the pinch hitter Louis Urias not only to be safe but take second base as the placement runner Jackie Bradley Jr took third. Reyes would get the next two batters and seem to be out of the inning. However, With one strike on the hitter Christian Yelich, Reyes overcooked a pitch sending it into the dirt and bouncing off Molina's mask. Allowing a run to come home and a runner at third base. Yelich would then lay down a bunt bringing another run home. giving the Brewers a 2 run lead. 5-3 their 6xth run would come on a Jace Peterson singled to the right.


The Redbirds would try to mount a response in the 10th When Molina leads off with a single, bringing home the placement runner(O'Neill), but that is all they could manage. The loss makes them 0-2 for the week and 61-58 overall.


Goldschmidt - The last two months (July and August) Has been red hot (.333/.399/526) with 7 HRs 27 RBIs. IT was his third straight 2 hit game and his fifth in his last six games. It also gives him a six-game hitting streak.

O'Neill -Having an excellent August .306/.414/.531



Game 3, August 19, vs. Milwaukee Cardinals 8 - Brewers 4


The Cardinals were in desperate need of a win, and it was John Lester's job to obtain that win. He gave it his best effort but needed help from the bullpen, and the offense didn't hurt.

John Lester via Christian Gooden - STL Post Dispatch

Lester would give up four runs on six hits and three walks. He also took a line drive off the calf in the first inning, which gave St Louis a little concern as the 37-year-old left-hander went down on the mound. Lester left in the fifth inning with one on and one out. Trailing 4-1. Junior Fernandez would come in and throw TWO pitches and get out of the inning on a double-play ball. St Louis would then take the lead, which ultimately gave St. Louis and Fernandez the win. Louis Garcia, Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, and JT McFarland would each take an inning and finish the game with the same pitching line of one inning, no hits, no runs, no walks, and one strikeout. The win was Fernandez's first win as a Cardinal.





Offensively, St Louis scored eight times on 10 hits, with the majority of those runs(5) coming in the fifth. Tyler O'Neill would hit his 21st home run, and Lars Nootbaar would hit his third. Tommy Edman, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and O'Neill would all have 2 hits each. O'Neill would drive in three runs, and Arenado would bring in two runners.


Tyler O'Neill via David Kohl- USA Today

The red birds opened the scoring in the first on an Arenado double. Things would stay that way until the fourth. A Manny Pina double tied the game at one apiece, but Milwaukee was not done. A single by Kolten Wong would plate two more, makings it 3-1. Then a Willy Adames double would plate the fourth run.


In the fifth, the Birds on the Bat came roaring back. A single by Arenado would make it 4-2. Then with two on, O'Neill would put the birds on top with a three-run shot to CF. Giving St Louis the 5-4 lead. Nootbaar would follow that with a solo home run making it 6-4. Edman doubled home a run in the sixth, making it 7-4. A bases-loaded walk to Harrison Bader would bring home the eighth run for St Louis in the seventh. The win put the birds at 2-1 for the week and 62-58 overall.


Goldschmidt - extended his multi-hit game streak to four and 6 in his last 7 and an eight-game hitting streak.

O'Neill was his second straight multi-hit game and his third home run in his last six games. It was his first multi-RBI game since July 25th.

Edman would have two doubles giving him 28 for the season. He also has a seven-game hitting streak.

Garcia would extend his scoreless inning streak to 12 2/3 innings.

Cabrera extended his scoreless inning streak to 13 2/3 innings

TJ McFarland has a scoreless inning streak of 9 1/3 innings


Game 4 August 20 vs. Pittsburgh. Pirates 4 - Cardinals 0


The return of Miles Mikolas, while it was not a complete success, it was a positive step. He showed a little rust, only going five innings on 84 pitches. Of his 84 pitches, 54 were thrown for strikes. Hopefully, he can build on this game and give St. Louis another effective starter.


Miles Mikolas via Keith Srakocic- AP

Mikolas took the hill almost 3 months after his last start (5/22).

After a rough start in the first, a walk, and a hit batter, Mikolas seemed to settle into his old self pitching to contact and letting the defense do the work. He allowed one walk in the second and set the Pirates down in order in the third.

In the fourth, Mikolas gave up back-to-back singles, but a Harrison Bader fielding error on a hit by Jacob Stallings allowed one run to score and put Stallings on third. Then a sac fly by Greggory Polanco drove in the second run. giving the Pirates a

2-0 lead. He would pitch a one, two, three-fifth to complete his day 5IP, 2H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 5SO.

Andrew Miller would give up a sac fly in the sixth. he would go 2IP, 1H, 1R, 1BB, 1SO

Daniel Ponce DeLeone would pitch the eighth and ninth giving up a solo home run to Yoshimoto Tsutsugo for the final run for Pittsburgh, making the score 4-0.


The cardinals did manage 10 hits but could put zero runs across the plate.

Lars Nootbaar via Kyle Rivas-UPI

Rookie Lars Nootbaar was 3 -4, bringing his slash line to .269/.350/.500.

Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong would each have two hits.

The Cardinals would strand 13 runners on base. It was the eighth time the Cardinals have been shut out this year.

The loss put the birds at 1-3 for the week and 62-59 overall.



Goldschmidt - extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Edman - Pushed his hitting streak to eight games.

Molina - Has hit safely in seven of his last 10 games

Mikolas -Has given up ONE earned run in 9 innings for an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.080


Game 5 August 21 vs. Pittsburgh, Pirates 5 - Cardinals 4


J A Happ keeps trying to be Adam Wainwright 2.0. The 38-year-old left-hander has been rock solid since coming to St Louis. And he was again on Saturday.

J A Happ vis Joe Puetz - AP

Happ went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out eight. Genesis Cabrera would give up three runs on four hits. Allowing the Pirates to take the lead and ultimately the win making him 2-4 for the year. Louis Garcia would extend his scoreless inning streak. Going one inning, giving up one hit, and striking out two.

T J McFarland would throw a scoreless ninth.



The Cardinals spread it around as four players had 2 hits apiece Edman, Goldschmidt, O'Neill, and Sosa. Four players would also have RBIs. Goldschmidt, O'Neill, Sosa, and Yadier Molina. was just not enough.

Paul Goldschmidt via Jeff Roberson - AP

The pirates started the scoring with a Kyle Newman home run in the third, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.

Paul Goldschmidt would double home an RBI in the third to tie the game up.

Yoshimoto Tsutsugo would hit a solo home run (second time in two games) to put the Buckos back on top 2-1. The Cards came back in the sixth with getting RBIs from Molina on a single and Sosa with an RBI double to take the lead at 3-2.

In the seventh, Genesis Cabrera, after a pair of singles and a fielding error by Lars Nootbaar, put runners at second and third A single by Ke'Bryan Hayes scored two. After an intentional walk, Cabrera would serve up a single to Tsutsugo for his second RBI of the game and put Pittsburgh on top 5-3.

St Louis would counter with an RBI sac fly by Tyler O'Neill. But the effort would fall short.

The loss puts the birds at 1-4 for the week and 62-60 overall.


Happ has a 1.98 ERA and a 1.017 WHIP in four starts with St Louis and has struck out 19 batters in 22 2/3 innings pitched.

Garcia - His scoreless streak now stands at 13 2/3 innings.

McFarland - His scoreless streak now stands at 10 1/3 innings.

Molina - Has hit safely in eight out of his last 10 games.

Goldschmidt - Has a 10 game hitting streak.

Edman - Three multi-hit games in a row and a nine-game hitting streak.


Game 6 August 22, vs. Pittsburgh, Cardinals 3- Pirates 0


The Cardinals got a combined four-hit shutout from Adam Wainwright and Alex Reyes to avoid the sweep and salvage a game from the Pittsburgh Pirates.


Adam Wainwright via Patrick Shemansky-AP

As has become custom when the Cardinals need a big-time performance. In rides Adam Wainwright on Old Uncle Charlie. Wainwright gave one of his patented outings. Eight strong innings of shutout baseball surrendering two hits. He struck out nine and walked no one. Wainwright is now 12-7 on the year. Waino's line 8IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 9SO

Alex Reyes pitched a rocky ninth but earned his 28th save. his line 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1SO



Paul Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina and Harrison Bader would each drive in a run. Goldschmidt, Molina, and Lars Nootbaar would each have two hits.

Yadier Molina via Jeff Roberson-AP

The Cardinals got a run in the 1st on a Molina single to take a 1-0 lead. Goldschmidt would add a home run in the fifth, making it 2-0. Meanwhile, Waino was cruising through the Pittsburgh lineup. Only allowing a bunt single in the second and a double in the fifth. After that double, he retired the next 11 in a row. In the eighth, Bader would single home the third and final Cardinal run.

The win put the Cards at 2-4 for the week and 63-60 overall.


Wainwright - This game was the sixth time he has gone 7 innings or more in the last seven games.

Goldschmidt - Six of his last seven games have been multi-hit games. He also has an 11 game hitting streak.

Nootbaar - Is 7 of his last 19 with a home run and 2 RBIs. for a .368/.429/.579


Amazingly, after this stretch of games, the Cardinals still have a chance at the second Wild Card. They sit 4 1/2 games behind Cincinnati for the second Wild Card. 3.5 games behind San Diego, half-game ahead of Philadelphia, and 2.5 games ahead of the New York Mets. With several divisional games coming up, they have the opportunity. The question is can they take advantage of it.


As always, thanks for reading.

See you soon.


19 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page