Search

» » Cardinals win a wild one over Cubs but lose three players

Cardinals win a wild one over Cubs but lose three players

For 9 ½ innings Saturday, the Cardinals had so much of the game taken from them with an out here and a run there to even three key players, including catcher Yadier Molina, removed due to a sudden injury.

By the bottom of the 10th, it was their turn to get something back.

An afternoon that tested their depth, their resilience, and, at times, their patience turned in extra innings as one swing gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game, the only lead that mattered. Kolten Wong’s two-run, walk-off home run downed the Cubs, 8-6, at Busch Stadium and punctuated a win that saw the Cardinals rally from deficits of four and two runs. In front of the largest tickets-sold crowd of the season so far – 47,154 – the Cardinals lost Tommy Pham in the second inning, Molina in the ninth, and Bud Norris to start the 10th before Wong’s homer assured they wouldn’t lose the game.

“A couple of things that could have gone bad,” manager Mike Matheny said. “You have your leadoff guy and center fielder come off, and then your backbone behind the plate, and then the guy who has been pitching your ninth. Those are some key trips to the mound to take guys out. Not ideal. I see this as a group that is not going to use excuses. (They’re) just going to keep playing the game.”

Before the water dumped on Wong could dry, euphoria from the victory merged with concerns for the injured players, perhaps none more than Molina. In the ninth inning, Kris Bryant nicked a 102-mph fastball from Jordan Hicks that drilled the Cardinals’ catcher in his groin area. Molina doubled over, and it took several minutes for him to regain his breath. He was unable to walk at first. There was a heightened concern about the level of trauma, teammates were shaken and the team had started making preparations.

Carson Kelly, the Cardinals’ top catching prospect, was a late scratch from Class AAA Memphis’ game Saturday night. He and at least one other player could be headed to St. Louis for Sunday night’s game and a possible series sweep of the Cubs.

“That was a bad one,” Matheny said of Molina’s injury. “And those ones don’t necessarily feel better tomorrow. That was hard to see.”

Said Marcell Ozuna: “One hundred and two (mph), fouled it off, just missed it, and hit him straight. That’s bad.”

An inning later Norris left when his right triceps tightened after striking out a batter. Less alarming than Molina’s injury but increasingly concerning for the team is Pham heading to the trainer’s room because of a recurring groin injury. Pham walked, stole second, and in the top of the first inning made a running catch to rob Bryant of an extra-base hit and an RBI. At some point in that mix of sprints, pain resurfaced, and he was replaced by Harrison Bader. The Cardinals’ fourth outfielder made two late essential catches and scored two runs as the Cardinals orchestrated their rallies.

All three injured players will be re-evaluated Sunday.

The Cardinals trailed 4-0 after the second inning, but the losses started to mount due to the Cubs two successful replay challenges. In the second, a play at the plate that initially had Addison Russell ruled out on the slide was overturned. Another run would score, and instead of trailing 2-0, the Cardinals were down by four runs. In the bottom of that inning, Bader appeared to reach on an infield single that scored Wong. Russell’s throw to second was initially ruled too late to get Luke Weaver on the force out.

Replay disagreed. The run didn’t count. The inning ended.

Instead of being in a 2-1 game, the Cardinals were in a 4-0 ditch and Weaver was scrambling to regain a grip. In eight innings this season against the Cubs, the righthander has allowed 15 hits, 14 of them singles.

“Pitching behind is a tough way to stick around very long for a starter,” Matheny said. “He’s going to make close misses all the time, and I think that will work into some of those bloop (hits). Guys are … also getting in swing mode because they’re in a hitter’s count. So it’s kind of that fine balance.”

The Cardinals’ erased the Cubs’ 4-0 lead with four runs in the fourth inning off starter Tyler Chatwood. All it took was one hit. The Cubs did the rest. Chatwood walked two, hit Wong, and an error in the middle infield opened up the inning. Matt Carpenter lashed a two-run double that could have been caught if left fielder Kyle Schwarber took a competent rout to the ball. Two solo homers off Cardinals’ relievers regained the lead for the Cubs, 6-4, going into the ninth.

Another leadoff walk was the prelude to Ozuna’s two-run double into the left-field corner that tied the game and forced extra innings.

By that point, the Cardinals had already exhausted their bench. They used Carlos Martinez as a pinch-hitter, and they were prepped to do the same with Miles Mikolas, Friday’s starter. Norris’ sudden exit in the top of the 10th brought lefty Tyler Lyons (1-0) in to face one batter. Carpenter snared a line-drive down the left-field line that would have given the Cubs the lead. The Cardinals had their first true take of the game.

With a depleted bench and a vulnerable bullpen, Lyons was set to hit – third in the bottom of the 10th.

Paul DeJong accepted a walk, and Wong came to the plate with no intention of moving the runner over or dutifully doing the situational hitting thing. Lyons on deck meant swing.

“Knowing I needed to get the ball in the air,” Wong said. “Double play would be the worst thing for us. Try to drive something in the gap or drive something out.”

Said Matheny: “Would have loved a double. Homer was even better.”

Wong’s third career walk-off homer was the Cardinals’ fourth game-winning hit of the season in only 16 home games. They have three in their past five home games. The four-run deficit was the largest the Cardinals have overcome this season, though Saturday’s game was their eighth come-from-behind win of the year.

For a newcomer who saw a run vanish, three teammates leave the game, and a lineup persist, Ozuna had one takeaway.

“That’s the kind of confidence the organization has,” he said. “Now I know the reality of how good is this team.”

Sign up for CARDINALS UPDATE

Breaking news, features and the latest talk about the St. Louis Cardinals

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read Again Brow http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals-win-a-wild-one-over-cubs-but-lose-three/article_6868d126-b01c-5329-a462-5f011d3f8f3d.html

Bagikan Berita Ini

0 Response to "Cardinals win a wild one over Cubs but lose three players"

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Powered by Blogger.