The list of red menaces and dirty bird arch villains, Yadier Molina, Matt Carpenter and Marcel Ozuna were missing from the St. Louis Cardinals lineup on Thursday but the Reds' were done in by a new generation of nemesis took up the tradition of torturing the Reds in a 7-4 first game triumph of evil over good.
Tommy Edman, rather than former Cardinal pain in the posterior Jim Edmonds, and Paul DeJong rallied the Cardinals.
The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Dakota Hudson. Eugenio Suarez hit his 24th home run in the first inning on his 29th birthday. Saurez has homered in the first inning in three of the last four games.
The Reds tacked on two more in the third inning. Reds' starter Tanner Roark doubled to open the inning. Jesse Winker singled Roark to third. Joey Votto singled to score Roark and took second on the throw to third by Dexter Fowler, trying to cut down Winker at third. Suarez nearly hit his second home run of the game but Fowler caught his deep fly against the fence as Winker trotted home.
Roark booked four scoreless innings but surrendered a single to Matt Wieters in front of DeJong's 14th home run.
"DeJong hit a change up. It could have been a little lower," Roark said.
David Bell brought Robert Stephenson into the game to start the sixth. Stephenson was working on a streak of three straight scoreless outings. With one out, Fowler walked. Wieters hit his second single on a hit and run play. DeJong singled home the tying run. Kolten Wong singled to load the bases. Pinch hitter Yairo Munoz flied out to right. Yasiel Puig made a strong throw to catcher Juan Graterol to stop Wieters in his tracks. Wong wondered way off the bag at first. Graterol threw to a retreating Votto but Wong slid back head first on a close play, It would cost the Reds dearly. Edmon took Stephenson out to center field for his fourth home run of the season and first career grand slam.
"Robert was throwing strikes for the most part," David Bell said. "The hit and run was a big one. Robert's been pitching well. I would use him again in that spot. We don't want to rely on the same guys and Robert has elite stuff."
Edman took advantage of a slider that wasn't that bad.
"I threw the ball pretty well probably one too many sliders," Stephenson said. "There was a ground ball that got through. The play at first almost got me out of the inning."
The Reds got one back on a double by Jose Iglesias and single by Graterol off John Gant. Josh VanMeter walked to bring the tying run to the plate but Winker's high chop up the middle off reliever Giovanny Gallegos was turned in to a rally killing double play by DeJong.
The Reds turned an unusual double play to end the ninth with Jimmy Herget getting his second big league appearance. With one out and Harrison Bader on first base with a walk, Edmundo Sosa hit his first career single, a bloop in front of Puig. Puig threw Bader out at third. Suarez threw to Iglesias catching Sosa trying to move up, a 9-5-6 double play.
No comments:
Post a Comment