Last week it was Jeremy Hazelbaker. Now it’s Eric Fryer’s time to shine; the rookie catcher went 3 for 3 in addition to a few solid defensive plays as he led the Cardinals to a close 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, clinching the series victory.
As the top of the lineup struggled, the bottom half, comprised of primarily reserves, provided all the offense, with the exception of Matt Carpenter’s solo home run to tie the game in the 5th.
Jedd Gyorko, Greg Garcia, and Fryer, the 6-7-8 hitters, combined for six hits, including a home run by Gyorko and two doubles from Fryer.
Michael Wacha had a solid start, allowing 1 ER in 6 innings, with 2 other runs coming as a result of a costly error by Wacha himself.
The bullpen was in excellent form as usual, as Matt Bowman, Kyle Siegrist and Trevor Rosenthal combined for 3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Siegrist shined, striking out 3 in a 4-out appearance.
The Cardinals move to 7-5, standing alone in second place in the NL Central
The Cardinals join the Blues as they travel to Chicago tomorrow for the biggest series yet, taking on the rival Cubs, featuring former Cardinals Jason Heyward and John Lackey. If all goes well, the Birds on the Bat will be sitting in first place by the series’ end.
Feature photo by AP/Jeff Roberson
Follow Galen Bacharier on Twitter @gbach_
