After a rain shortened game halted a potential comeback by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals wound up picking up the 3-2 victory, as this marks the first time all season the Cardinals have lost three games in a row, dating back to the final game of the series against the Mets.
But Sunday was a different story, as the Cardinals were able to out-pitch and out-hit the Royals in a 6-1 victory.
The pitcher’s on the mound for both teams were Michael Wacha (6-0, 2.96) for St. Louis and Yordano Ventura (3-3, 4.56) for the Royals.
Ventura faced Kolten Wong to lead off the game, and walked Wong, bringing up Matt Carpenter, who wound up walking as well. Jhonny Peralta stepped up to bat after Carpenter, and with two on and no one out, Peralta singled to center field, scoring Wong, as Carpenter advanced to third, giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead.
Matt Adams followed that with a double to center field, scoring Carpenter, making it 2-0 Cardinals. Then, with runners on second and third for catcher Yadier Molina, Peralta wound up being caught in a rundown in between third and home plate, for the Cardinals first out of the inning. Molina grounded out, bringing up right fielder Randal Grichuk with two outs. Grichuk popped out to end the inning, with St. Louis ahead 2-0.
Wacha started the bottom of the first allowing a lead off hit, bringing up Mike Moustakas, who popped out in foul territory for the first out. Lorenzo Cain then popped out as well, and Eric Hosmer grounded out, as the teams headed to the second inning. Both pitchers threw shutout innings, and the bottom of the second inning was capped off by an impressive 6-4-3 double play by the Cardinals.
In the third inning, neither team could produce a run for the second straight inning, as the teams headed to the fourth inning as the Cardinals maintained a 2-0 lead. Wacha through three innings had only allowed one hit in the game, and struck out two batters, and while his strikeout rate has been lower this season, he still has been on a roll.
The top of the fourth started with a ground out by Adams, and a strikeout by Molina. With two outs, Grichuk wound up striking out as well, making it 11 straight outs for Ventura.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, with a runner on following an error by Peter Bourjos, Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit a base hit, scoring Alex Gordon and putting the Royals on the board. Wacha bounced back, striking out Infante, and getting the next out to end the inning.
Wong led off the top of the sixth with a single that nearly had a shot of going to the wall, which ended Ventura’s streak of 14 straight batters retired, and Carpenter followed with a two run shot over the right field wall, giving the Cardinals the 4-1 lead. It was Carpenter’s 500th career hit and 300th career run.
Wacha, in the bottom of the sixth, allowed two straight base hits, to put runners on the corners with two outs, bringing up Kendrys Morales, who then walked, loading up the bases for Gordon.
And Gordon popped out, as the Royals stranded the bases loaded, while the Cardinals had a 4-1 lead heading into the seventh inning. Ventura, aside from allowing a single to Bourjos, the Cardinals were held in check, and in the bottom of the seventh, Wacha pitched a 1-2-3 half inning, as the game headed to the eighth inning.
In the eighth inning, Ventura was taken out and Luke Hochevar was brought in. With Peralta on third and Adams on second with two outs, Molina hit a bloop hit into left field, scoring both runners, giving St. Louis a 6-1 lead. Grichuk followed with a base hit as well, the fourth straight for St. Louis.
After a big quality start from Wacha, Kevin Siegrist was brought in, and started with a strikeout. Wacha’s final line of the afternoon: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. His ERA on the year dropped ERA from 2.13 to 1.87 after his performance against the Royals.
Meanwhile, Siegrist pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth. Trevor Rosenthal then entered the game in a non-save situation, shutting down the Royals, as the Cardinals won 6-1, preventing a four-game losing streak and getting swept by Kansas City.
St. Louis improves to 28-16 on the season, while Kansas City falls to 28-15. Wacha, meanwhile, won his 7th game of the season, as his record is now 7-0.
The Cardinals head back across I-70 as they begin a three game home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks starting tomorrow.
Carlos Martinez will get the start in game one of the series as well.
1 comment
Ok, Cards, now sweep the Diamondbacks!
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