Game Summary
The Brewers jump Pallante for an early 4-0 with a 3-run HR by Vaughn being the mortal blow. After, the pitchers traded outs into the middle innings, the Brewers tacked on a small-ball run in the fifth to extend the lead. Otherwise, both teams had some traffic but couldn’t buy a big hit, carrying a 5-0 lead deep into the game. Single tallies in the bottom of the 8th, top of the 9th and bottom of the 9th blemished the late relievers’ lines but did little to alter the outcome.
Line-up (and roster) machinations
- An early start today, followed by a long flight to San Diego tonight.
- Typical line-up, but with Pages catching Pallante.
- Urias to the IL yesterday. That tennis elbow from spring never healed. Time for full rest.
A twelve-pitch sequence defines the game
Pallante gets two quick
outs to start the game. Then a quick succession of single, HBP, single (of the RBI variety) and a long 3-run HR that is absolutely mashed for a quick 4-0 lead.
Cardinals put two runners on in the bottom of 1, with a Herrera double and a Walker walk. Sproat was pitching around Walker. Man, things have changed. Gorman strikes out. So, not everything has changed. In the end, the Cardinals are unable to response
The middle innings mostly quiet for both teams
Pallente works a quick clean second inning. Cardinals get Church on via HBP, but otherwise quiet inning. Pallante faces the minimum 3 batters in the third, aided by a GIDP following a Chourio single. Pallante walks Bauer leading off the fourth, but promptly picks him off, then induces a couple of ground ball outs. All this efficiency gets APs pitch count back in order, which become the small victory of this game. In the bottom of the fourth, Walker leads off with a walk, steals second (somewhere an old schooler is turning over in his grave, stealing down 4-0). Gorman walks as well, but a Winn lineout and a Fermin GIDP upends the brief attempt at a rally.
The Brewers extend the lead
In the fifth, the Brewers manufacture a small ball run with 2 IF singles, an F9 that advances the runner to third and an ill-timed wild pitch (is there ever a well-timed WP?). After a walk to complicate things further, a K quells the uprising.
Pallente makes it through six innings
Pallante returns for the sixth as the Cardinals prioritize getting another inning from a starter. A single, followed by a line-out and force-out continue the lackluster pace to the game, but yet another IF single adds drama, but AP gets a 6-3 to get through the sixth. Not quite a QS. Ashby relieves Hall and works a 1-2-3 sixth. That makes eight batters set down in a row.
APs line: 6 IP. 8 H. 5 R. 2 BB. 3 K. 1 HR (the killer). 104 pitches.
The middle innings go quietly
After Sproat is unable to get beyond the 4th inning (manager’s decision), DL Hall relieves Sproat and works a quiet bottom of the fifth. Shuster in for Pallante to start the 7th. He works a 1-2-3 inning. Ashby remains in and extends the streak of outs to ten before Fermin draws a walk inducing a check-swing 3u groundball from Pages.
Shuster remains in the 8th. A harmless 2-out single is all to report here.
Late inning hijinks change the score, but not the outcome
Megill in for Ashby for the Brewers. Scott II singles, first hit for the Cardinals since the first inning. JJW K’s on high heat. Teams are liking to throw that heat up at the top edge with him. Scott steals second. Herrera K’s again. Unusual. Must be the DH penalty + daytime getaway game penalty. Burleson with an RBI single. Walker bounces back to Megill to end the rally.
Swanson in for Shuster in the ninth. Two backwards K’s show us he is on the road back, but a single and a double by the red-hot Chourio extends the lead to 6-1. A walk shows us there is more work to be done before a ground out quells the insurrection.
Uribe relieves Megill, not a save opportunity. Gorman opens with a double, advancing to third on a Winn ground out. A rare Ortiz error plates a second run and puts Fermin on first and brings a brief rise from the crowd, but a GIDP by Prieto ends any suspense. Brewers defeat the Cardinals 6-2.
Post-Game Notes
- Check out Today on the Farm – Wednesday 5/6 for updates on MiLB action.
- On to San Diego for a four-game set against the Padres, followed by three games in Sacramento against the homeless A’s.
- Is it my imagination, or does the Cardinal offense struggle on getaway day games?
- Burleson is really struggling with seeing the ball. Has been for a bit now.
- Cardinals drop to 5-1, and to .500 at home.
