The St. Louis Cardinals have momentum, but would that translate into a sweep of the day/night doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds Monday night? The ball was in the hands of Andre Pallante who’s turned into one of the Cardinals most reliable starters this season. The question was if the Cardinals bats would give him the run support he needed. The answer would come from the bat of Herrera and the hits and hustle of Jordan Walker, but the outcome would eventually fall into the hands of the Cardinals bullpen.
The Cincinnati Reds were the first to score Monday night in the bottom of the 1st inning when Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday hit back-to-back-to-back singles to open their half of the inning loading the bases. Eugenio Suarez lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give the Reds a 1-0 lead, but that’s all they would get in the 1st after Pallante was able to nurse a double play out of Toglia.
In the top of the 4th inning, the Cardinals would begin their own rally when Iván Herrera (who had just remarkably thrown out Elly De La Cruz) blasted a 93 mph sinker into the right-centerfield seats to tie the game 1-1.
Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker hit back-to-back singles before Joshua Báez grounded into a fielder’s choice advancing Burleson to third. Alec would then score when Masyn Winn slapped a single into right field giving St. Louis a 2-1 advantage.
The Reds would squander a great scoring chance in the bottom of the 4th inning when Bleday and Suarez hit back-to-back singles leading off the inning giving Cincinnati runners at 1st and 3rd with no outs. However, they would get nothing when Pallante struck out Toglia and McLain before getting Rodriguez to weakly ground out to Burleson at first to end the inning. No soup for you!
The St. Louis Cardinals did something in the top of the 6th inning that I wish they did more often. They added to a lead. Jordan Walker got it started with a hustle double to left field. He was singled in by Nathan Church to up the Cardinals lead to 3-1.
St. Louis would score another run two batters later when Blaze Jordan singled to left scoring Church, but Bryan Torres who was walked was thrown out trying to advance to third. The good news is that the Cardinals now had a 4-1 lead.
The Reds would try to claw their way back into the game in the bottom of the 6th inning when Bleday and Suarez would hit back-to-back one out singles. Bleday then scored when Toglia stroked a double to left cutting the Cardinals lead down to 4-2. The Reds could have had another run when McLain flied out to left and then Bryan Torres threw the ball over home plate seemingly to Toledo, but Cincinnati did not send the runner at third and Pallante backed up the play so the Cardinals lead remained 4-2. It would end up not mattering as Rodriguez connected on a two-run single to tie the game 4-4.
Andre Pallante did not have his A game, but he did give the Cardinals 6 innings while allowing 10 hits and 4 earned runs while striking out 5 and walking 1. Peter Strzelecki (Scrabble 3.0) took over in the bottom of the 7th inning with the mission of keeping the game tied until the Cardinals offense could wake from its mid-inning slumber and retake the lead. He was successful in the bottom of the 7th.
The Cardinals mounted a threat in the top of the 8th inning when Jordan Walker led off with a single and stood at first base while Baez and Fermin failed to move him forward. He did advance to second when Masyn Winn walked. Jordan Walker’s hustle helped give the Cardinals the lead when he stole third base and then scored on a smart at-bat by Bryan Torres who guided a seeing-eye single into left-center to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. If only Winn had taken Walker’s cue and stole second when Walker took third, the Cardinals lead would be bigger. Unfortunately, Blaze Jordan struck out to end the Cardinals 8th so Winn and Torres were stranded.
Peter Strzelecki was the Cardinals bullpen answer for the bottom of the 8th inning, too. The only drama he allowed wasn’t his fault at all as Suarez hit a ball that hit the third base bag and ricocheted into left field for a double. The Reds would strand the pinch-runner for Suarez when Strzelecki got Toglia to fly out to short center to end the Cincinnati 8th.
I could sense that the Cardinals fanbase was collectively trying to will the bats into giving us insurance runs in the top of the 9th inning when JJ Wetherholt beat out an infield single to deep short. Unfortunately, it would all be for naught after Herrera struck out, Alec Burleson grounded into a force and Jordan Walker struck out. That meant the Cardinals makeshift game 2 bullpen would have to hold onto a 1-run lead in the bottom of the 9th.
That huge responsibility fell onto the shoulders of Peter Strzelecki who tried to toss a third inning of relief. He struck out McLain to start the Reds 9th then did the same to Rodriguez for the second out. Unfortunately, the final out would be elusive as pinch-hitter Dane Myers would tie the game 5-5 with a home run into the left field seats. At least pinch-hitter Stephenson flied out to center to send the game into extra innings.
Emilio Pagan was the Reds reliever for the top of the 10th inning. Jordan Walker was the Cardinals “free” runner starting the inning at second base. Joshua Baez was first up for the good guys. He was hit in the hand by a pitch, but it was ruled that he swung so it was a foul ball and not first base for him. Baez ended up whiffing on a 96 mph fastball high in the zone. Next up was José Fermín. He drew a walk thanks in part to a smart ABS challenge. It was then Masyn Winn’s turn. He fell behind 0-2, but managed to work the count full before he was called out on a check swing that did not look like a good call. Manager Oli Marmol’s righteous protest got him tossed from the game. After pinch-hitter Pereira grounded into a force to end the Cardinals 10th, that meant they would go into the bottom half needing to stop the Reds from scoring to extend the game.
That wishful thinking didn’t happen as Elly De La Cruz hit a ball through Blaze Jordan at third into the left field corner off of Cardinals reliever Justin Bruihl to spoil the St. Louis doubleheader sweep hopes giving (literally) the Reds a 6-5 victory. What can you say except that’s what happens in baseball sometimes.
It’s game 3 of the St. Louis Cardinals vs the Cincinnati Reds as they’ll clash again Tuesday night. Kyle Leahy will make the start for the Cardinals while Andrew Abbott is the scheduled starter for the Reds. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is set for 5:40pm central time.