Cardinals tough it out to a 7-5 extra inning win!
- 1st inning started off with a bang after Lars Nootbaar didn’t get on base to lead off the game …Ivan Herrera demolished a Littell pitch into the bleachers for a solo run scored. The Reds answered quickly with their own even more devastating solo home run by Noelvi Marte making the score 1-1. Liberatore was in the mound tonight as the starting pitcher. Matthew started out the season as a really good #2 pitcher …but has since ballooned up to a not so awesome pitcher but still better than most of the rotation with a FIP just under 4. Liberatore then had to deal with Ely de la Cruz and it did not end well with a stinging double as the result. Then the wheels began to fall off as Miguel Andujar singled but de la Cruz ended up at third. The Reds took the lead because of a sacrifice fly by Austin Hays making it 2-1 Reds. A wheel began to fall off but Libby was not derailed. Maybe he could lock down after a shaky first, because he ended up limiting the damage to 2.
- 2nd inning got exciting with a Saggese one out double! He really smacked that one into the left field corner. Littell has some been really effective by ERA but stinking it up in the FIP dept. He lost a little luck vs Jordan Walker who hit the ball so hard into the ground that it became a violent roller which Ely de la Cruz could not deal with. Runners at first and third. Could Pages duplicate what the Reds did last inning and hit a sacrifice fly? Something more? Or was his hot streak cooling off? Jordan Walker tried to steal second base and would’ve if it weren’t for a good snap tag. Which was a shame because Pedro Pages was still on hot streak! He blasted one to take the lead! 3-2 Cardinals! This was the most powerful home run after two had already been hit: it was knocked into the top deck of the stands in left field! Fantastic. He got all of that one. The team left wishing they didn’t bother to steal on that one. One run lead instead of two. Matthew Liberatore took the mound in the second inning vs the bottom of the Reds order. He cruised through the first two batters and then raced to first base to beat the runner in another close call.
- 3rd inning kept the game rolling until Herrera slapped a single to right field, going 2 for 2. With 1 out Contreras reached base on catcher interference by Jose Trevino. Then Nolan Gorman hit a line drive to right field advancing all runners one base. With the bases loaded, Masyn Winn reached way outside the zone and slapped another hit tonight field, scoring a run. It was 4-2 Cardinals with Saggese up. He popped out foul with a broken bat. Jordan Walker had another opportunity to produce some runs, two out… Walker was seeming outmatched by Littell and called time. At 2-2 the count, he struck out to some high eat away. Loading the bases produced only one run, somehow. Sharp singles and outs, might be the best way to describe the cardinals offense over the last two years, encapsulated in an inning. Liberatore took the mound again, vs the top of the order. Leadoff hitter walked. Matthew faced the guy who hit a 440′ home run against him in the first, Marte. He had a nice curveball making it 1-1. But Marte went 2-2 and hit a single… Reds version of Herrera tonight. De la Cruz was up! Maybe the tallest shortstop I can think of. He hit it out to center but with the range of Church, it was to no avail. He ran in and got it. One out, first and second. Liberatore quickly went 0-2 vs Andujar, the Reds cleanup hitter. It was a battle, with Andujar fouling off a few. In the end Liberatore struck him out with a changeup at the bottom of the strike zone. Next up Hays fouled one off his own inner shin, and intense pain was the result. He walked it off. Took it to 1-1. He popped out to church in center he gobbled up another sinking baseball he had to run in on.
- 4th inning kicked off with a Pedro Pages pop up and then a Church at bat. Church hit it down the first base line but somehow was out due to a good Cincy defensive maneuver. Nootbaar was up with two outs and flew out tonight field. Still 4-2 Redbirds. Liberatore was back at it on the mound, it felt like he was tightrope walking tonight, velocity down looking gassed. Looking pretty tired. 91 mph cutter. On the second pitch it produced a flyout to Jordan Walker. Hayes was up with two outs and drew a walk. Espinal was the guy at the bottom of the Reds order and he hit one that actually dropped in center, because he hit it pretty hard. Friedl was at the top of the order, trying to knock in some runners with two outs. He failed!
- 5th inning Littell finally was able to retire Herrera. One out. Willson Contreras, fighting suspension, worked the count to 3-2. With his 73rd pitch, Littell struck out Contreras with a pitch that barely caught the bottom of the zone. Two outs and Gorman was up with his low batting average and high power. He also struck out in a pitch at the bottom of the strike zone. The low batting average got lower as another K was tallied. It was Liberatore again, defending his two run lead with a pitch count at 73. He finally got Marte out with a K. Liberatore topped out around 93 mph tonight. But he was striking out batters, de la Cruz the third in a row in the fifth inning, going back to the fourth. Two out. He then got Hays to pop out!
- 6th inning Winn vs Littell but Littell won, quick pop up. One out. Another quick pop out for Saggese. Littell was rolling. The Cardinals went 1-2-3 with a Jordan Walker fly out. Liberatore threw his 83rd pitch of the game to begin the bottom half of the inning. He finally faltered again by throwing a meatball up in the zone and Steer blasted it, bringing the Reds closer 4-3. Luckily only a solo shot but the bullpen was active! Liberatore would go no further with a call to the ‘pen summoning Alcala. He let another man on base and there were no outs with two base runners. The Reds bunted the runners over to second and third with one out. Alcala was able to pop out Friedl in the infield! Two outs. Alcala threw a 99mph fastball and Marte hit a screaming liner to right field but somehow Jordan Walker made a fantastic catch to his side while sliding! Saving the lead!
- 7th inning was lead off by Pedro Pages who flew out to left field. Nathan Church was up with Littell still in the game, Cardinals only up by one run. He went down to get a ball just under the zone and popped out to center. There were two outs for Nootbaar and it quickly went to 1-2. Nootbaar ended up popping up into foul territory, caught on the field. Graceffo was summoned from the bullpen and he promptly gave up a double to Ely de la Cruz with a meatball in the zone. And then Graceffo gave up a single which tied the game. Gordon looked eminently hittable tonight. He then locked down and got a strikeout. And another out. He then faced Banfield the #7 hitter and went to 1-2. 2-2. He then struck out the side after giving up a run! 4-4 score.
- 8th inning saw Herrera leading off again. He was patient and Nick Martinez reliever threw a four pitch walk! Not-yet-suspended Contreras was up… The hi-chew thrower. They brought Hampson in to run for Herrera… Willson was at no balls two strikes. He was then almost hit in the face but evaded and errant pitch! Or was it? Who’s to say. He definitely got some chin music. Contreras moved the runner over with a pop out. 1 out. Gorman was up. He didn’t strike out this time but he did provide another out by popping out to shallow LF. Which brought Winn up to the plate. Nick Martinez then almost hit Masyn Winn in the face. He better have been errant. I would think he was. He did after all start the inning out with a walk. He was all over the place. But damn, Winn and Contreras earlier were almost hit in the face! Martinez was effectively wild and Winn had a defensive strike, randomly swinging at errant pitching, just to not get hit in the face. Winn took a timeout. And then somehow Winn finally got a hit that somehow fell in down the line where no one was at! 5-4 Cardinals with Hampson scoring! But it ended there with Martinez only giving up a run with a crazy outing. Graceffo remained in the game in the 8th, pitched the count to 3-2, and then lost the battle to Hayes. He challenged the batter with the high heat and threw a 97mph meatball which made the game tied again. Wasn’t as high as he was hoping for. 5-5. JoJo Romero was given charge of the guarding of the tie, and he walked a guy. Marte was 2-4, could JoJo handle this guy? Romero threw a wild pitch which advanced the runner. He pitched the count to 3-2 vs Marte, with help from the ump on an outside pitch. He walked him. De la Cruz who was having himself a night was up… Who was also 2-4. Romero got de la Cruz to pop out to deep left field. Jordan Walker caught it. But he just missed the home run. Whew! Two outs. Andujar was having an even better game tonight! 3-4. Marmol played it safe and tried to change it up to Svanson. For reasons unknown Oliver Marmol went righty vs righty. I would venture to guess because Romero wasn’t at his best tonight. Maybe a gut move by the manager. It was Svanson vs Andujar and Svanson carved him up and struck him out. Not expected! But it made Marmol and Svanson look very good.
- 9th inning Emilio Pagan vs the Cardinals offense with Jordan Walker leading off. He was 0-3 on the night. Walker went 0-4 but almost hit a home run to left. Almost hitting it over Marte’s head. A good defensive play was required. Hot Pages then almost hit a home run but got a double! 1 out. Pedro is dialed in right now. Fermin in as pinch runner. Nathan Church had the task of knocking Pages in from second, or at least not getting out. Church fought hard vs Pagan. The cardinals has their second base running mistake of the night and wasted an out. What are they doing?? Church was 0-3. Two outs. Church went 0-4 with a strikeout. Jimmy Crooks III was brought into the game. Debut! His catching sort of looks like what I imagine an old timey catching style would look like. Svanson was left in to pitch the 9th. He struck out Hays. Struck out another guy. Throwing aggressive 99 mph heat. Banfield however had other ideas and hit a two out single. Banfield’s first big league hit. Cincinnati fans’ loud cheers. Svanson looked amazing tonight and struck out the side! Electric stuff. Extra innings.
- 10th inning Tony Santillan brought in one of the better Cincy bullpen hurlers. Santillan had 66 appearances from the bullpen which is second most in MLB. Nootbaar just missed a home run but advanced extra innings bonus runner Church to third base. Prieto was brought in to make something happen with only one out. It was another big league debut for the night, this time for a Cardinals player. It quickly went to 1-2 for the Prieto debut. He struck out on a filthy pitch! Two outs. Contreras was up. The Cardinals took the lead when Contreras hit a chopper to shortstop which de la Cruz misplayed! His 22nd error of the year and the third error by the Reds on the night. 1-4 Gorman was at bat in the 10th and the count went to 3-1. Gorman just watched on a pitch that was low below the zone and took a walk. Runners at first and second for Masyn Winn who was 2-4 on the night. Santillan threw a ball into the ground which the Reds catcher somehow stopped on a very head’s athletic up play. 3-0. Winn took strike 1. Winn at 3-2 came up with another rabbit out of the hat and produced a clutch hit up the middle past the shortstop. He made it 7-5! What a game! They went to Ryan Fernandez at this point. Hayes the runner at second. Lux was up 1-1. 2-1. 3-1. Fernandez walked him after a full count. Runners at first and second nobody out. Friedl was 0-3 on the night. Fernandez struck out Friedl! With a good changeup. Marte was up. Quickly to strike 2. But he was having a really good night. Out number two was a pop out by Marte! De la Cruz was up yet again. Count went full. Game on the line. Ryan Fernandez struck him out! Masyn Winn three hits with RISP! Incredible night! What a game!
Category: General Sports
