Game Highlights
Former Cardinal farmhand Sandy Alcantara overwhelmed the Cardinal hitters with his 100-mph fastball, while the Marlins BABIPed Andrea Pallante to death, aided by unhelpful walks. Marlins salvage the series finale 6-2.
Line-up (and roster) machinations
A getaway line-up if there ever was one. Only one player is stationed at a position that he would be considered comfortable and experienced at (Pozo at Catcher). Contreras at first is the next most experienced. Interesting for a pitch-to-contact pitcher, on an artificial surface, no
less.
- Pallante takes the mound for the Cardinals. Alcantara takes it for the Marlins.
- Fermin at 2b, getting a rare start.
- Saggese at SS, giving Winn a rare day off.
- Gorman back at third.
- Burleson in left, Noot in center, Walker in right.
The Game Details
Andrea Pallante allowed lots of traffic in his outing, allowing 8 hits to go along with 3 walks and an HBP in his 5.1 IP. A solo HR was mixed in to continue his vexing FB/HR ratio issues, but other than that, it was well placed grounders and unhelpful walks and the HBP.
Alcantara was close to dominating again, churning out FB close to 100 mph, good for 20 swings-and-miss, double the output of the Cardinals’ pitchers taken together. He struck out nine Cardinals and allowed but one walk. A Lars Nootbaar RBI double in the fifth and Contreras solo HR in the sixth was the only damage he allowed over 7 strong innings.
Each time the Cardinals scored, the Marlins countered in the bottom of same inning. Granillo added a run with three walks of his own. Veneziano made an uneventful one inning Cardinal debut.
Final score 6-2 Marlins. Cardinals still take the series.
Post-Game Notes
- Off to Tampa for a series at Steinbrenner Field.
- This will be an unusual schedule – Thursday, Friday, Sunday. There is a Saturday day off to accommodate an NFL game in the area.
